Has COVID created a bit of a dilemma for your travel plans? Donโt you wish you could avoid the COVID exposure in the airport and on the plane, all while actually enjoying your aviation journey?
Well, you can. If you havenโt ever had the opportunity to fly private, youโre missing out. Whatโs that? Youโre not a billionaire and canโt afford to fly private? Me either, but there are ways to take advantage of the private aviation world as it offers tremendous benefits during COVID. Trust me, once you go private, youโll never want to go back to commercial. Itโs a wonderful alternative that makes more sense than ever due to COVID, is not nearly as expensive as you think, and more convenient. Letโs compare.
Commercial vs. Private
When you fly commercial, you have to deal with rushing to the airport only to stand in line with a bunch of strangers to check your bags in. The guy behind you is coughing up a lung, refuses to put his mask over his nose, and now youโre in a bad mood and pretty much swimming in a sea of germs. Not a fun scenario but letโs keep going.
Then thereโs security where youโre touching bins and possibly singled out to receive a pat-down. Then, you have the waiting area and while itโs a large space in most airports, itโs full of germs on a normal non-COVID day. We havenโt even gotten on the plane yet. If youโre a Schittโs Creek fan like myself, insert, โEw, Davidโ here. If not, why arenโt you watching?
Okay, so now youโre on the plane and people are everywhere and very close to you I might add. You have to wipe everything, and I mean everything down, and try and distract yourself from having a panic attack about the fact youโre miles and miles in the sky with no way out.
Convinced yet? Hereโs a statistic that will seal the deal. A private air passenger encounters only about 40 people from home to hotel check-in, he says. For commercial flights, the average rises to 700 encounters. Again, โEw, David.โ
Now, letโs switch gears.
In the world or private airlines, there are no lines to check bags. This means no hassle and no one breathing down your neck with their COVID breath. In all seriousness, these benefits could literally save your life.
When you decide to join the world of private travel, youโre coming in contact with fewer people, both at the airport and on the plane. A healthier travel experience awaits for you and those around you.
As mentioned, on a commercial flight, youโre exposing yourself to crowds and lines at multiple points in your travel journey. The congestion element isnโt an issue with the use of private terminals and some airports even allow you to go directly from your car to your plane and vice versa. โYay, David.โ
Many older passengers who may have flown first class are opting for private. The risk is too great, especially for an immuno-compromised passenger. A large chunk of private passengers are first-timers who craved a new way to travel safely.
The LATimes.com reports that XO jets, NetJets and Surf Air report that they are booking about 80% as many flights and hours in the air as they had before the pandemic struck the U.S. And many of those fliers are new to the private jet scene.
How Does It Work?
How are people able to shift from commercial to private? Letโs explore some options that wonโt break the bank and keep you much safer than on a commercial flight.
Chartering a private jet or owning one is really expensive. I mean, really, really expensive. Even most rich people canโt afford it. Marketwatch shares some private plan options where you donโt have to be โDaddy Warbucksโ to participate. Do they even make great movies like Annie anymore?
- Fractional ownership of planes (where you split the costs and title to the aircraft with a small group of other users almost like a timeshare).
- Jet card membership programs (where travelers typically pre-purchase a package of flight hours on a specific model of plane to be used by a certain date).
- On-demand chartering (think an Uber-style service for private planes where you can book one on short notice).
Pricing
If I told you flying private could be cheaper than flying commercial, would you believe me? Well, itโs true in some cases. With the need for private travel increasing, boutique airlines are popping up and the price tags are pretty reasonable.
One example is Blackbird Air, where you can browse thousands of flights that are already headed your way and grab a seat or pick where you want to go, choose your aircraft, and book on-demand. For $99, yes, $99, you could book a float plane from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe in 55 minutes. How about a girlโs trip to Palm Springs from $999 for the whole plane? Sounds amazing, right?
Thepointsguy.com writes about an offshoot of jet-charter company JetSuite named JSX that calls itself an โindustry disrupterโ aiming to โrevolutionize the flying experienceโ with โceleb-worthy flying at an accessible price.โ Basically, youโre buying a seat on a private jet rather than chartering the whole plane. Affordable, less exposure to COVID dangers, and a much more pleasant experience overall.
Linear air, founded in 2004, offers options that average about $2,000 for a passenger configuration of three to eight seats. Founder William Herp says, โWhen you fill up the seats and maximize the opportunity, youโre talking about $500-$800 per person.โ
There are many more private airlines with options that wonโt leave you counting the coins in your couch, especially when you compare it to the cost and risk of commercial flights.
The bottom line is if you can fly private, fly private. Itโs not only more convenient, but itโs the safest way to travel in the skies if you have to fly, and itโs no longer an option thatโs only for the wealthy and celebrities.
You deserve to be safe. You deserve to be pampered. You deserve to fly private!
Hope You Enjoyed the Read!
