Discover the Benefits of Flying Private for as Low as $100 Per Flight

Discover the Benefits of Flying Private
for as Low as $100 Per Flight

The pandemic drove a tremendous surge in private jet travel. Typically thought of as an expensive luxury, flying private suddenly became the preferred choice for those seeking social distance measures. A flurry of new companies emerged to meet the demand, making prices more reasonable than ever before. You don’t need to own your own private jet anymore to have a private experience while flying. There are plenty of options for those wanting to fly without the large crowds, and the prices may surprise you. These days, since the pandemic began, private air travel has become even more popular due to its smaller airport locations and private terminals.

Sorting through the different companies and types of private air travel–including fly-share services and fractional ownership–can seem intimidating. Here is a short guide to help you find a spot on a private plane.

Greg is NOLA bound.

JetASAP

Couple flys private.

Blade Helicopter Service

Charter open marketplaces

These days, it’s just a few clicks of your mouse (and the right app) to get yourself in a private plane. Many services now exist that allow you to look for, reserve, and purchase tickets on charter flights quickly and easily.

JetASAP

JetASAP, a free, self-service app that defines itself as an “Airbnb for air travel,” launched in November 2020, allowing fliers to secure and book private flights directly from their smartphones. There’s a free feature to search in both the app and website, and unlimited access is available for $79.99/month or $399.99/year. Fliers are never required to pay a commission—just punch in a flight request, which includes your airport of departure and preferred flight times. Live operators respond with quotes and can answer any questions, and members get access to an exclusive list of more than 1,000 bookable daily trips.

FlyJets

Another newcomer to the private aviation sphere, FlyJets debuted in January 2020. The platform operates like a travel search engine, allowing customers to filter results via their preferred aircraft size, location, and desired departure time. An app, with features including automated scheduling, is set to debut before the end of 2022. Prices can be as much as 50 percent lower than the costs of an average charter, and booking options include full charters, seats on shared charters, and group-purchases. Travelers can even bid on flights that lack a fixed price. They can also earn rewards for flying green, with carbon offsets delivered directly to their user dashboard.

Aero

Founded in 2019, Aero offers white-glove service on a fleet of sleek 16-seater black jets. The company flies to Aspen, Colorado; Los Cabos, Mexico; Sun Valley, Idaho; Los Angeles (Van Nuys and LAX); San Francisco; London; Ibiza; and Nice, France. Flights to Switzerland are coming at the end of 2022. Tickets on most routes run $1,000 per leg.

Blade

Blade is a popular choice for city-based travelers. It connects fliers not just with jets but also turboprops, seaplanes, and helicopters in their contracted fleet via a user-friendly app. Its Blade One planes offer seasonal service from NYC to Miami, Palm Beach, and Aspen. A jaunt from NYC to Miami on BladeOne starts at $2,975 per leg. There’s no membership required and fliers can purchase multipacks of flight passes on certain routes.

Wheels Up

Founded in 2013, Wheels Up provides access to more than 1,500 aircraft, with a fleet that includes gold-standard planes like the King Air 350i and Citation X. Initially, its offerings were only accessible via three tiers of membership. But late last year, it rolled out the Wheels Up app, which also allows non-members to browse and book one-off flights. Wheels Up Connect memberships have a $2,995 initiation fee plus annual dues of $2,495, and rates jump up from there. Core memberships, which cost $17,500 plus $8,500 in annual dues, include guaranteed access to certain tiers of aircraft plus access to bespoke partners like Abercrombie & Kent, Hertz, Tropic Ocean Airways, and more.

Membership programs

If you’re a frequent flyer, membership programs might be worth looking into. By signing up for one of these subscription plans, you’ll get an ongoing fee in order to gain access to the fleet’s planes that can then be booked as needed.

VistaJet

This company is starting to get a lot of attention. New client memberships are at an all-time high, and sales in the first few months of 2022 have gone up by 185% compared to the same period last year. VistaJet boasts a fleet of sleek silver and red aircraft, including jets for corporate use as well as long-range Bombardier Global 7500s that come equipped with bedrooms and full-sized kitchens. One membership option offered is the VistaJet VJ25, which provides a three-year subscription for those who plan to fly privately between 25 and 49 hours per year.

XO

One of the largest private aviation firms globally, XO Members and clients have access to more than 2,450 private jets across cabin classes. Seats or entire charters can be booked via the XO mobile app. XO Shared Membership is $595 per year, reducing the seat price for every booking including flights between New York and South Florida that are now offered up to four times daily, seven days a week.

Set Jet

With a $100 monthly membership fee and one-way flights starting at $750, Set Jet is one of the most affordable private air travel options on the market. Founded in 2014, the West Coast-based company currently offers domestic routes from Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Cabo San Lucas, with seasonal charters to Aspen and Salt Lake City. And it’s growing fast—its fleet of Bombardier aircraft will soon also be taking off from New York, with expansions into Florida and Texas also in the works. It offers good news for spontaneous travelers, too: Set Jet members can book a new flight up to 24 hours before takeoff and snag a seat on an existing flight up to 30 minutes before wheels go up.

Sentient Jet

Sentient Jet is the inventor of the Jet Card, which allows users to buy 25 hours of flights at a time and choose the aircraft size that fits their needs. The SJ25 Card offers access to light aircraft at a price of $174,375 for 25 hours; SJ25+ gets you 25 hours on mid, super-mid, and large-cabin jets for $224,622.

Fly-sharing

Fly-share companies are the easiest on the wallet. Companies like Surf Air, and JSX enable travelers to snag a coveted seat on a private jet charter—sometimes for as little as $100 each way—sharing space with only a handful of other passengers and enjoying perks like no security lines and departure from private terminals. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of popular fly-share operators and what each one offers.

Finally, Fractional ownership

When it comes to fractional ownership, you are literally buying a slice of the pie. You invest in a portion of an aircraft and receive a certain amount of flight hours based on your share size. This one-time purchase allows for more hours in the sky than membership programs. Companies like NetJets or Flexjet offer these services at a minimum cost of half a million dollars, however prices can sometimes be much higher.

Discover the Benefits of Flying Private for as Low as $100 Per Flight