Imagine you need to book a flight to Austin – four hours from now. You could immediately rush to the airport counter, hope there is an empty seat, buy an expensive last-minute fare, connect through Dallas (or even worse, Chicago) where you’ll sit for three hours, and then backtrack to Austin.
Or you could make one call and expect your plane to be ready for take off, right on time. Then, when you’re called into an emergency meeting and are running late, the pilot will say, “No problem. We’ll wait as long as it takes.” Six hours later, you’ll be greeted by a smiling crew who will whisk you through a small, crowdless terminal. Once on board, you’ll find your plane decorated just like home, stocked with your favorite foods and beverages. You’ll work at a desk with satellite Internet access. When it’s time to relax, you can recline your chair completely flat, or take a nap on a pull-out sofabed. You’ll fly exactly where you want, without checking in two hours early and without connecting. Instead of the seven or eight hours it would take to get from John Wayne to Austin, you’ll be there in under three.
No you’re not the president, or Madonna; you’re one of a growing number of travelers choosing – and affording – private jet travel.
It’s not that commercial airlines should be avoided. In fact, even without the frills, they offer one of the best values in world history. But, when you urgently need to get somewhere on time, well rested and without hassle; when the Saturday night stayover won’t work; when you’ve spent more than 20 hours a year in a middle seat in economy; when your elite mileage status can’t help you get an upgrade; consider the following options.
THE FULL MONTY – OWNERSHIP
You could buy a jet outright. Just be prepared to spend a lot of money: about $3 million for a light cabin with a four foot height that seats six to seven people and has a small lav; the $8 million range will get you a mid-size jet that will seat eight with a 5’9”ceiling, and a nice enclosed lavatory; $11 million will bring in a super-midsize jet – it still seats eight but much more comfortably and with about four more inches of headroom. To get a plane with extended range – one that will take you to New York or Hawaii without stopping – you’ll need to invest $12-$35 million on a large cabin, which will carry 12-16 passengers, will be seven feet across and will have berthable divans. The high-end of the price point includes ultra-long range jets, like the Challenger Global Express, that will get you to China without stopping.
Once you buy, then there will be upgrades like inflight entertainment systems, galleys, décor, satellite or ground-based broadband Internet access, etc. You’ll then pay for hangar space, pilots, flight attendants (their layovers and meals), fuel and maintenance, repairs and insurance, and airport slots.
It’s not cheap, but for that money, you will get a plane has been designed exactly to your specifications and is flown by the same crew every time. You’ll also have ultimate control over your lifestyle onboard: Want to smoke? Go right ahead.
And like every aspect of the jet-set lifestyle, for a fee, you can leave the responsibility to someone else – an aircraft management company. If they also run a charter service, you can defray your costs by lending out your jet when you’re not using it. Just make sure they let you set the rules. If you don’t want red wine stains, prohibit red wine. You can do the same with pets or smoking.
The Cost $3-$35 million for the plane plus maintenance, management, fuel, etc.
The Deal Works best for someone who flies 400 hours or more per year and only needs one type of airplane and only uses one aircraft at a time.
The Players In Orange County, look to TAG Aviation and TWC Aviation for purchase and management.
The Bonus You’ll only use one plane, so it’s comfortable, familiar, and tailored just to your needs.
The Catch You’ll only have access to that one plane, so make it one that is tailored to your needs.
GET YOUR SHARE – FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP
This isn’t your cousin Eddie’s time share. Although you are buying a specified amount of time – around 50 hours for a 1/16 share, 200 hours for 1/4 – when and where you use that time is almost entirely up to you. Unlike the condo in Cabo, you won’t be locked out because another owner is visiting. Fractional jet programs give you access to entire fleets, so not only are you guaranteed a lift whenever you need it, you can also choose a plane with just the right size, range and amenities for every trip. For your family flight to Napa, you can take a light cabin Cessna Citation. For your company’s media tour, you can take a Boeing Business Jet, basically a 737 that carries 18 passengers and is served by two flight attendants. It comes with a living room, conference/dining room, master bedroom suite, a second bedroom/office, three lavatories, two of them with showers. (In some cases – like Flexjet, which is owned by airplane manufacturer Bombardier; Flight Options, which is owned by Raytheon; and Citation, which is owned in part by Cessna – your choice of aircraft will be more limited. Note also that if you pay for a light cabin share, upgrading to an ultra-long-range jet will clearly come with a sizeable fee.) You can even fly more than one jet at a time. Depending on the carrier and your level of membership, this means you can split up those hours as creatively as you can imagine. In theory, 50 hours could mean 50 airplanes flying simultaneous one hour hops.
Although the plan is extremely flexible, catering to your moment-to-moment space and range needs, the planes won’t feel just like home. Unlike owning a jet outright, you won’t pick the china or the fabric. Each plane will look pretty much the same, reflecting a neutral décor suitable for any taste – in other words, vanilla. Most companies will, however, go out of their way to personalize the finishing touches. Netjets, for example, tracks your preferences like favorite foods and dietary restrictions, and preferred magazines, newpapers, music, and movies.
The Cost Anywhere from $570,000 for a 1/16 share in a Hawker 400XP (price includes first year maintenance fees and 50 hours of flying) to $24 million for 1/2 share in a Gulfstream 550 (includes first year maintenance and 400 hours).
The Players Netjets, Flight Options, Flexjet, and Citation Shares are the big boys.
The Deal Buy 1/16 of one jet and get access to a fleet of as many as 600 aircraft. Best for people who fly on short notice or during peak demand.
The Bonus This is more than a ticket to ride – it’s an investment. Some companies will require a three-to-five-year agreement, but most will buy back your share with 90 days notice, so you don’t have to sacrifice liquidity.
The Catch After buying a share, you will pay an occupied hourly fee, monthly management fees.
CHARGE IT – JET CARDS
For those who know they’ll fly at least 25 hours but want to balance flexibility while staying away from a long-term commitment, jet cards could be the answer. Fractional and charter companies offer pre-paid cards, as do unaffiliated companies like Sentient. They all work somewhat like a debit card: You deposit a chunk of money upfront and your flights are deducted from the total. Some cards sell blocks of time. For example, the Marquis card lets you purchase time in 25-hour increments on Netjets planes. Likewise, Montreal-based Bombardier Skyjet sells cards in 25, 50 and 100-hour blocks of time. TAG Aviation, a management and charter company, categorizes its deposits by dollar amount – $100,000, $250,000 or $500,000 to be used on private aircraft they manage and other companies they contract with. Sentient does not operate its own flights but acts as a traditional charter broker and also sells cards starting from $100,000 that can be used to charter any of 900 planes operated by their affiliates.
Find out if your card lets you choose a specific aircraft model, like Marquis does, or if you’re limited to a category like small, medium, or large based on availability. If you go with a company that doesn’t operate its own flights, find out who does.
The Cost Starting around $100,000
The Players Marquis (Netjets), Skyjet (Bombardier/Flexjet), Jetpass (Flight Options), Vector Jetcard (Citation Shares), TAG Aviation JetCard, Sentient Jet.
The Deal Good for those who generally need fewer than 50 hours and want a short-term commitment
The Bonus A low-risk way to test out a fractional program before investing
The Catch Time is purchased on a specific class of plane and doesn’t allow for easy upgrades.
ONE DAY AT A TIME – CHARTER
Get the exact amount of time you want without making an expensive commitment. A charter flight can offer unlimited amenities and luxury even if you’re not a repeat customer. There are no maintenance fees, no three-year contracts, no down payments, and if you only fly a few times a year, you probably won’t have to draw up a financing plan with your bank to afford it. You can book straight through a charter company or through a broker who will work to find you the best deal. Some will even let you place an Internet request (almost like a Priceline bid), but instead of empty seats, you’re playing for empty legs. Remember those deadhead flights – nearly 40% of all private flights are sans passengers. The person who chartered a flight one-way is forced to pay a deadhead fee (the cost for the plane’s return trip home). If you’re flexible and willing to take a chance, you could end up paying less than half the going rate. Because they depend on planes already being where you need them, you’re mostly locked into popular destinations. But when using a middle man, find out what company will actually operate the flight and research its history and safety records.
There are charter companies that use their own planes, like Regency Air based out of John Wayne, which primarily shuttles customers to Hawaii. Most, however, are management companies that help private owners rent out their planes while they’re not being used.
Instead of having a predictable fleet aircraft like a fractional program, you’ll be flying on someone else’s private plane. Usually, this means warmer, more luxurious surroundings every detail designed with the utmost care. It can also mean décor that isn’t to your taste, or a plane that comes with restrictions like no red wine, no pets or no smoking.
The Cost Anywhere from $5,000 for a quick trip to Mammoth to $140,000 for a non-stop flight to Shanghai on board an ultra-long range large cabin jet.
The Deal This is ideal for someone whose plans for the year are unpredictable and unlikely to reach 25 to 50 occupied hours.
The Wild Card – Partnerships. Lufthansa Private Jets has partnered with Netjets Europe to offer the ultimate in elite convenience. Hop a commercial flight to Munich then seamlessly transit to a corporate jet that will take you to any of 1,000 airports in Europe. That extra leg will earn you 10,000 miles on Lufthansa and the Star Alliance (including United and US Airways/America West). Delta AirElite offers a similar program. Owned and operated by Delta Airlines, the company grants AirElite customers elite frequent flier status on their mainline carrier.
The Players Nationwide, there are more than 2,500 charter airlines. Six are based at John Wayne, including TAG Aviation a Geneva-based company that operates out of 55 airports in the U.S., Komar Aviation, and The Air Group, Regency Air, TWC Aviation, and West Coast Charter. But in Los Angeles, you’ll find dozens of additional options; most fly out of Van Nuys, the world’s busiest general aviation airport – adding on a short positioning flight to get the plane to the OC will usually be a nominal fee.
The Catch You only pay for what you use, but you only get what you pay for. This is renting, not owning, and if you fly a lot in the long run, you could be throwing money away.
ON SCHEDULE – PER-PERSON MEMBERSHIPS
The latest twist in corporate aviation is a membership program by Los Angeles based Avion. For a flat cost of $14,500, plus a $5,912.50 per person fee one-way, members gain access to scheduled service between Van Nuys and Teterboro, New Jersey – Manhattan’s general aviation hub. Right now their schedule is limited to a Sunday morning departure from L.A. and a Wednesday return, but an enhanced summer schedule should add a Thursday return flight. As long as any member reserves a seat, the flight goes. So on an unpopular day, you could have the entire plane to yourself for less than $6,000, a little more than a full fare first class ticket on a commercial carrier. Alternatively, you might be sharing airtime with up to seven strangers. The service and amenities are a step above a premium airline cabin – Wolfgang Puck menus are sent ahead so you can guarantee your selection. No matter how long they stay on either end of the country, members won’t have to pay to send the plane home, but they will be limited as to when the can come and go. For now, you’d better find a way to make a Sunday to Wednesday schedule work.
The Player Avion
The Deal An affordable way to avoid commercial flying and crowded airports.
The Bonus High-dollar passengers could make this a great networking opportunity.
The Catch You’ll be required to pay annual dues costing 1/2 of that year’s membership fee. Because it’s a scheduled service, they won’t wait for you if you’re running late. You’ll be subject to some of the rules you’re used to from commercial flights like wearing your seatbelt anytime the sign is on. And an über-accomodating crew can be great for you – unless they let that obnoxious guy across from you get away with his animal antics. Oh yeah, and schedules are more limiting than Southwest’s Saturday night stayovers.
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