Hard Rock Atlantic City, Hard Rock International’s (HRI) rebirth of the former Trump Taj Mahal, is banking on luxury to attract more high rollers. The casino, which has become a mainstay of the Atlantic City gambling scene since opening in 2018, is going to launch a new private jet service to whisk VIPs back and forth as it looks to pamper deep-pocketed gamblers more. The property announced the new service last Friday, adding that it plans on initially offering flights from eight cities through an exclusive partnership with Ultimate Jet Charters.
Hard Rock Atlantic City Takes Flight
Ultimate Jet will put up a 30-seat Dornier 328 for the flights, which will reportedly begin on July 16. Hard Rock says it will provide a “convenient, seamless getaway” for its VIP clients that includes overnight accommodations at the resort, ground transportation to and from Atlantic City International Airport and complimentary parking at the originating airport. Pricing for the new “Hard Rock Air” service hasn’t yet been disclosed. The cities that will be included in the initial phase are Baltimore, MD; Cincinnati, OH; Farmingdale, NY; Latrobe, PA; Norfolk, VA; Richmond, VA; Scranton, PA, and White Plains, NY.
The flights are charter flights, which means they won’t be private. The casino indicates that anyone can reserve a spot on Hard Rock Air – not just VIPs – and adds that discounts or complimentary services may be available to those who use their Wild Card while gambling at the casino. It’s possible to make more than one trip in a single month as long as there is space available; however, only one booking is allowed on any particular weekend. This is more than likely subject to the discretion of the casino’s executives, although Hard Rock didn’t implicitly say that exceptions might be possible.
Hard Rock Joins the Mile High Club
Hard Rock Atlantic City isn’t the first casino to offer flight perks to its patrons. Caesars Entertainment has been running a similar program in the city for some time, and also offers charter flights to some of its other venues in Nevada and Mississippi through its Caesars Rewards Air program. MGM Resorts, in partnership with JSX, launched packages that include charter flights and accommodations in August of last year. There are also a number of private companies that offer charters or private flights to casinos around the world.
HRI purchased the Taj Mahal in 2017 before spending $500 million to update and rebrand it a year later. It has since become one of the more successful venues in Atlantic City and its success has fueled major expansion plans. Despite HRI CEO Jim Allen once saying he was “disappointed” in Atlantic City, the company’s resort there has become the second-best performing gambling property. It saw win of $35.2 million in April, just a little behind the $38.5 million reported by the Borgata, and it wants the top spot. The property just received another $20-million upgrade that added new amenities and facilities, with more changes on the way.