Nothing compares to travelling onboard a private jet. There are endless benefits if you’re seeking convenience or a more flexible schedule. Arrive at the airport 20 minutes before your flight, keep your shoes on as you glide through security, the cabin crew loads your luggage, and you board. Ready to depart, captain.
During the pandemic, there was a massive surge in private jet flights as commercial flights came to a standstill in many parts of the world. This caused many to turn to private aviation, allowing them to reach their destination safely. Whether you still needed to travel for work or had vulnerable relatives in a different part of the world, private jets were able to navigate the pandemic in a way that commercial flights couldn’t.
And now, the aviation industry has changed forever, offering various cost-effective options to access private jets. There are levels in which to access private flights, from private jet memberships to fractional ownership. For those who aren’t frequent flyers but appreciate the benefits of a private jet, a private jet membership often provides excellent value for flying privately. It rarely requires a significant investment or an ongoing commitment, and members only pay for the hours used.
The benefits of a private jet membership
One of the biggest benefits of many private jet memberships is deals or free seats on empty-leg flights. This is when a flight will be travelling a route anyway to be able to take a customer to/from their destination, and the jet must travel to that destination from wherever it is now, hence the name: empty leg.
However, there are, of course, other benefits to a private jet membership, for example:
Easy booking
Flying privately is a little different to flying on a commercial flight. When you fly commercially, you find your flight, fill out a form, pay and book your flight. Whereas with private travel, you are the only passenger, so you’re chartering the flight and will need to sign a contract.
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However, you just do this once; from then you can contact your flight manager, usually via a messaging service, confirm the price and then show up for your flight. Booking a flight is as simple as sending a text message!
Feeling spontaneous?
With private flights, you can go anywhere you want as you’re chartering the flight and not stuck to the chartered routes. Have friends in Italy, and they’re having a party tonight? No problem. A wedding in the Bahamas tomorrow? Sure! Dinner on the other side of the country with your parents tonight? Let’s go.
You get the picture; you can depart on private jets as little as an hour or two after booking. While you can’t make a plane magically appear if there isn’t one in your area, you’ll be on the next one.
Believe it or not, you could save money too
As you’re chartering the whole flight and not just one seat, you might find six of you could pop over to Vegas for just over $6,000, compared to six individual tickets. Whilst travelling in luxury is never going to be priced the same as economy, you’ll be surprised how often you get better value for the same price or less than flying commercially.
Need special accommodations?
When travelling on a private jet, the experience is tailored to you and the luxuries that come with it. You’ll have a dedicated concierge on hand to ensure you have everything you need for an unforgettable flight. Plus, private jets can be very pet friendly and will never make your furry friends travel in the hold.
In addition, if there are any last-minute changes, your concierge is there for you, whether you need to change your travel time, a passenger has become unwell, or you’re just craving a bit of chocolate!
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So, what’s the catch?
There’s no doubt about it, when everything about a private jet membership works, it works well, and it’s a great way to fly privately. However, some aspects require some flexibility; for example, the empty leg flights aren’t guaranteed to take off until you’re wheels up, and can often be cancelled, even if they’ve been confirmed. Fuel surcharges are unpredictable and creeping up, and the taxi time can interfere with your actual departure time.
Plus, the terms and conditions of many of these memberships are subject to change. So, you might be six months into your year membership and find out that your favourite destination is now excluded from routes, or you have a longer lead time to book a flight, or the fuel surcharge has increased.
JetAhead™: a better way to fly
JetAhead takes all the perks of flying on a private jet: flexible scheduling, privacy, skipping the busy airport, and total luxury, and it’s as simple as hiring a car.
Wondering how JetAhead™ differs from private jet memberships?
- No changing T&Cs.
- No fuel surcharges because you’re paying actual fuel costs on the day in arrears.
- No rounding up of taxi times vs flight times.
- It’s your aircraft for the day. Exclusively. Therefore, it won’t be late for departure.
If you’re frustrated with terms and conditions changing mid-contract or flights being fully booked, then JetAhead is for you! Delivering flexibility and transparency, our new programme is perfect for those who frequently travel on the same routes or have their diary mapped out months in advance.
How does it work?
- You book an aircraft for a day or multiple days at a fixed daily rate. The further ahead you book, the less you pay.
- The aircraft is exclusively yours for the duration you’ve booked. You fly wherever you want (subject to crew duty limits).
- You pay the variable operating costs of the flight in arrears from your account.
- You don’t pay any positioning charges.
Download the JetAhead™ app
Use the Instajet app to find flights globally; you can browse the route and time you need before viewing the available aircraft categories and their prices. All you need to do is find the flight you want and then let us know you’re interested via a simple tap of a button, and a Personal Flight Manager will guide you through the rest of the process.
And don’t worry, browsing our app is no obligation, and there’s no commitment to purchase a flight immediately. The app doesn’t take flight payments; it just makes it easy to find the options that meet your needs. So, why not download the Instajet app today and start browsing your next private flight?
