Flexjet President Fred Reid: "Steven Slater Would Never Happen With Us"

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- With more than two decades of experience running major airline companies, former Virgin America CEO Fred Reid knows a thing or two about planes. None of those planes, it's safe to say, were nicer than the ones he currently manages.

Reid, his current role as president of Flexjet, the private jet division of aircraft and rail equipment leader Bombardier, now delivers what he calls "very high-value, extreme efficiency and productivity" to a narrow clientele.

Not that it's not growing. Flexjet, which debuted in the fractional jet ownership market in 1995 and now has 850 employees and two types of aircraft, is currently expanding its fleet. It recently also formed a marketing alliance with Korean Air and a service alliance with Jet Solutions and VistaJet; began offering free wireless Internet services; and launched a new 25-hour share program. Flexjet provides access to a network of charter brokers as part of its charter brokerage services.

Reid recently spoke with TheStreet about Flexjet, comparing his time there with his time at Virgin America and as president of Delta Air Lines(DAL) and president and chief operating officer of Lufthansa(DLAKY); the expansion of the company's fleet at a time when budget airlines are growing in prevalence; corporate scandals involving private jet usage; and whether the actions of JetBlue(JBLU) flight attendant Steven Slater were heroic or reprehensible.

Read on for TheStreet's question and answer session with Fred Reid and video interviews with the veteran airline industry executive ...