The fractional flights in these bigger planes were reduced by all the restrictions on international travel, which limited the number of cross border flights. Private Jet Charter Considerations By nature of the business model, private jet charter offers an unpredictable travel experience—with an unfamiliar aircraft and crew for each flight—and is usually best suited for those who travel infrequently. UPDATE: after researching WHEELS UP, it appears that no changes have been made of significance since 2018. Since the original writing of this article in 2018, Vista Global, the parent company of VistaJet, has acquired ownership of XOJET to include commercial operations. Fractional jet ownership is nothing new these days. Calgary, Alberta based AirSprint has the largest fractional fleet in Canada with eight Embraer Legacy 450s, six Cessna Citations CJ2+ and four Cessna Citations CJ3+. There is a certain amount of speculation in this formula, but it appears to be born mainly out of travelers' desire to avoid transmission of COVID-19. Michigan based Northern Jet Management offers fractional ownership in the Bombardier Learjet 45XR and its customers, aircraft and pilots are all located in the Midwest. Commercial programs for large aircraft include NetJets, Flexjet, PlaneSense, and AirSprint . JetSmarter is another Jet Card plan for chartering, not fractional ownership. The corporate membership guarantees aircraft availability within 6 hours, no peak fees or blackout dates, and Wi-Fi availability on all mid-size and larger jets. The company offers shares, leases, cards and aircraft management. Originally branded Magnum Jets, financial backers pushed the rebranding effort in 2008, and JetSuite has been the namesake ever since. Choosing a private jet company to represent your needs or your corporation's needs is a huge decision because it is not cheap. Experience the ultimate in private jet … NetJets Card-minimum commitment of 25 hours of use over a 24 month period. While companies like NetJets sell ownership based on the number of hours you need the aircraft in a given year, the Jet It model bases ownership on days. In other words, travelers who have the means to afford private or chartered travel but have ostensibly flown first class are shifting to flying private jets. Also, keep a keen eye open to make sure that the service you choose is open and transparent about their fleet and their safety record; your livelihood does depend on it. Avantair, Inc - Clearwater, FL (PIE) - Exclusive fractional provider of the Piaggio Avanti P-180. We hope that this updated version of our original article helps you and your needs to learn more about charter aircraft and private jet travel. Taking a quick look at a few of these seems consistent: Delta Airlines (DAL) is still down 31% on their one-year value, American Airlines is down over 40%, and United Airlines is down almost 50% from one year ago. Flexjet entered the fractional jet-ownership market in 1995 as a division of Bombardier Aerospace and weathered the Great Recession of 2008. Before I continue with the top private jet companies for private jet hire, I want to chip in real quick a company I recently stumbled on, we have no affiliation what so ever, but they advertise that you can fly as cheap as $1500 a month private with their private jets. One pocket of the travel business, though, has handled the turbulence surprisingly well: the private jet industry. Since Oxygen is a charter service and not the owner of a fleet, they have the flexibility to offer a vast array of aircraft in their available fleet, all the way from helicopters through turboprops, all the way to executive airliners (BBJ, A318/319/320, etc.). A Jet Share is ideal for anyone who flies over 100 hours per year and desires the depreciation benefits of owning an asset. Therefore, if you think that fractional jet ownership is something that you’d be interested in, we’d recommend contacting each of these companies and choosing the right one for you. Guaranteed availability of King Air 350i from the Wheels Up Exclusive Fleet. Victor has compiled an extensive network of over 200 operators to partner with, offering jets of all sizes to clients globally. This, of course, differs from the fractional ownership in that chartering is a one-off agreement with no long term financial commitments. However, one of the newest fractional ownership companies, Jet It, is hoping that its slightly different business model will draw more customers as they focus on an underserved market segment. Now, leisure and business travel constitute 80% and 20%, respectively. Now under the umbrella of Directional Aviation, Flexjet serves more than 2,200 owners worldwide. Commercial airlines always fill seats when they build routes, ensuring paying customers will embark and disembark at every destination. The numbers from aviation services company ARGUS, show fractional aircraft operators flew 504,821 hours in 2020 a decrease of 115,467 hours (18.6%), compared to 2019. However, not all flights are best served by your specific fractional share. Victor requires all partner operators to comply with ISO-9001 standards and provides this information to all clients, ensuring that prospective passengers are fully aware of the criteria which their aircrew and aircraft have met. The 2020 launch of charter provider FXAIR included the use of second generation Flexjet aircraft, maintained and flown by Flexjet (but no longer used by fractional owners), which are only available for charter through FXAIR. Fractional Aircraft is a common term for fractional ownership of aircraft where multiple owners share the costs of purchasing, leasing and operating the aircraft. Pay-as-you-fly is another model, although perhaps less sought after since the lack of any outlay of cash or ownership generally makes it harder to secure space availability. Founded in 1964, NetJets is both the largest and the oldest private jet operator in the world. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(1835281, '76e5ad14-c11a-4a93-833e-57eba3c6cf97', {}); Sign up for our blog and always stay up-to-date! Includes fixed-rate fees for a broad range of aircraft in their partnership Program Fleet, ranging from light jets to large-cabin class aircraft. Our view on fractional jet ownership is surprisingly simple. In comparison a lot of people were using the smaller aircraft to fly domestically and get away to quieter and less crowded parts of the country. How Much Does It Cost to Charter a Private Aircraft? As previously mentioned, VistaJet is under the umbrella of Vista Group, which also owns XO, and although they are no longer necessarily competitors, they remain two separate entities. The Nicholas Air Private Jet Share Program or Fractional Jet Ownership, offers greater flexibility at a fraction of the cost, without the hassles of whole aircraft ownership. indicated that they expect to finish 2020 stronger than 2019. The company employs more than 600 pilots serving 2,100 clients. They support flights to over 4,000 airports globally and are made up of over 6,500 fractional owners worldwide. How to Choose the Right Aircraft, The Costs to Own and Operate a Pilatus PC12, Deciding Between Fractional Ownership of an Aircraft or Leasing, NetJets has Purchase Rights for AS2 Supersonic Business Jets. Six authorized lead passengers, enough to support your team. Guaranteed availability of program fleet aircraft from light jet to large-cabin class. Chartering everything from King Air 90s to heavy Gulfstream G650s, Magellan covers all the bases globally through an extensive network of aircraft owners. Looking into 2021, ARGUS Traqpak analysts are forecasting 25% growth in flight activity for the first half of this year for total private aviation, including fractional flights, compared to 2020 numbers. The fractional ownership concept in the private aircraft arena is closely tied to Richard Santulli, who pioneered it by launching NetJets in 1987, before selling the company to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in 1998 for $725 million. A year ago, two former Honda Aircraft (NYSE: HMC) executives took flight on a bold venture to start a company offering light jet fractional ownership to companies and individuals who can benefit from private aviation without the burdens of owning an entire plane. Zeroing in on the air taxi market in Europe, exclusively using the Citation C510 Mustang, a small jet that only requires a crew of one pilot, substantially lowering labor costs. NetJets is one of the biggest fractional ownership of jets businesses around. Airshare offers both fractional shares and their Embark jet card, which both provide day based access to their fleet of Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 light jets. As of 2019, NetJets owns and operates 750 aircrafts and flies more than 127 million nautical miles a year to 5,000 worldwide … This does come in handy because chartering is not a one-size-fits-all business; the needs of a corporate executive in Los Angeles are very different from those required by, say, an oil rig foreman in the far reaches of West Texas. Other private jet companies sell blocks of time in predetermined increments. Essentially, you purchase a percentage of the aircraft and the associated support, and your usage is pro-rata to the percentage owned. DOWNLOAD SEVERAL PLANE OPTIONS AND COMPARE SIDE-BY-SIDE-PRICING WITH AIRCRAFT PHOTOS AND DETAILS. The hours shown as NetJets Transportes are for planes that are in the NetJets Europe fleet, and that made takeoffs or landings in North America in 2020. The reality is that even major corporations who can afford their fleet still may not find it to be financially sound to do so. Services: Primarily fractional ownership, though they also offer jet card programs. The Company Jet’s innovative fractional jet ownership program focuses on businesses and business travelers. Overall, global travel markets took an absolute beating in the weeks and months after the worldwide pandemic broke out. Three years ago, we ran an article looking at the private jet and charter jet market and the market's key players. History. NetJets Sees Increasing Flight Activity. The client determines how much usage they require and purchases a block of hours, ostensibly lowering the overall cost. JetSmarter. The personal membership is the most detailed of the group, prompting users to select an aircraft size range (no specific aircraft), amount of hours anticipated in blocks from 25 to 200+, and then allow users to tailor perks and add-ons, and options. Flexjet is one of the largest fractional private jet companies. Includes fixed-rate fees for a broad range of aircraft in their partnership Program Fleet, which ranges from light jets to large-cabin class aircraft. In the international market, Oxygen Aviation has been a fixture of the market for about 15 years now, based out of the UK with offices in London, Madrid, and Moscow. That's right, three more years of down years for the legacy air carriers. In having a fleet of similar aircraft, they can keep rates down. Offering both personal and corporate memberships, Magellan has a program that will suit everyone. Costs are guaranteed for the term of the lease, which can span from 24 to 60 months. Flexjet is a leading luxury private jet company offering private aviation services including fractional jet ownership, leasing, jet cards, and our exclusive Red Label program. Sign up for our blog and always stay up-to-date! The order of the rankings is the same as in the last two years, with NetJets very much the largest fractional jet operator, representing 59% of all the hours flown. Taking a quick look at a few of these seems consistent: Delta Airlines (DAL) is still down 31% on their one-year value, American Airlines is down over 40%, and United Airlines is down almost 50% from one year ago. Oxygen provides on-demand jet charter service, and the price quoted for the charter is for the entire aircraft. It was well-received, and in light of the changes in the aviation landscape from a highly volatile year in 2020, we are offering an update. NetJets is the oldest and largest private jet company globally, amassing a fleet of around 700 jets worldwide of all classes and sizes. NetJets is the world’s largest private jet company, offering fractional aircraft ownership, private jet leases, and private jet card programs. (Probably quicker, we’re German.). NetJets Share-for clients plan to fly over 50 hours annually and want to own a portion of the aircraft. The added benefit of the Share program is that NetJets certifies that you will get your jet, and if that is not available, you get the next tier up, not down. Oxford, Mississippi headquartered Nicholas Air operates a range of aircraft from the Pilatus PC-12, to Phenom 100, CJ3, Citation Latitude, and Challenger 300. Private Jet Services, Private Jet Cards, & Jet Lease. JetSuite, not to be confused with their subsidiary JetSuiteX, which has been renamed JSX, has been in the charter business since 2006, after Alex Wilcox left JetBlue. All certified aircraft go down for routine, scheduled maintenance, and the supply of qualified aircrews is finite. Flexjet is part of Directional Aviation which also owns Sentient Jet, FXAIR and Private Fly, plus several other private aviation companies. But this did not necessarily transfer or carry over to the private jet and charter markets. JetSuite offers its exclusive fleet of Phenom 100 and 300 jets. The distinction between types of service lies in how they model their business. Fractional jet ownership was pioneered in 1986 by NetJets. NetJets offers clients three different options for membership and use: NetJets Share is a program that allows the client to purchase a share of a specific aircraft, to which they are guaranteed certain access rights. The model which sounds most appealing, but is perhaps the most difficult to cultivate, is that of paying a flat rate for unlimited access and usage. Aircraft, like other forms of transportation, are constructed for specific needs. What is fractional jet ownership? At Airshare, we’ve taken a different approach to private jet ownership. NetJets Lease-for clients who plan to fly over 50 hours per year but prefer not to own any portion of the asset. Nicholas Air offers a jet-sharing program through fractional ownership. This form of private jet travel was the standard for many years if you didn’t want to own a plane or didn’t use private air travel enough to warrant such a large purchase – both upfront and in operating costs. Flexjet Uses Own Aircraft to Ferry Crews. Jettly advertises to be the “#1 fastest-growing private air travel and lifestyle community”. NetJets. An exciting twist to their business mile is their express cargo service for urgent documents and small parcels, as well as spare parts up to 136kg. Zeroing in on the air taxi market in Europe, solely using the Citation C510 Mustang, a small jet that only requires one pilot crew, substantially lowering labor costs. There are not necessarily many different types of jet charter businesses; they all share a common thread: lining up clients with available seats. VistaJet has set the bar high by abolishing aircraft positioning fees for their Program members and operates a fleet of 70 Global and Challenger jets serving 187 countries worldwide. It has been the second largest fractional aviation company for a number of years. A relative newcomer at only seven years old, Wheels Up is an example of a company transitioning away from traditional "old money" mindsets and using technology, much like Uber or Lyft, to schedule flights on short notice. Jettly can hook you up with options for either one. 30% LESS THAN JET CARDS & FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP. NetJets, Flexjet, Wheels Up, Vista Global, and Jet Linx lead 2020’s list of biggest U.S. private jet fractional and charter operators However, there are many options available and choices to cover almost any requirements around the globe. The mix of flights has certainly changed. To get detailed comparisons of the leading fractional and jet card providers, plus listings of hundreds of charter operators, subscribe to SherpaReport Membership here, and become a smarter more informed buyer. Fractional aircraft ownership can be a great business investment. PlaneSense operates the largest civilian fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turbo-prop aircraft in the world, and in 2018 added the Pilatus PC-24 jet to its programs. With over 700 airplanes in its fleet, NetJets primarily offers fractional ownership (and prides itself on being the first operator to do so), but also has jet card and lease programs available, providing travelers with more ways to fly private. Make sure you, the end-user, understand what each option (fractional ownership, shared, pay-per-flight) entitles you to, as well as any hidden fees and associated expenses. At NICHOLAS AIR, we distinguish ourselves by providing the most innovative, efficient, and flexible private air travel programs for a refined group of Members.From door to door, our Members experience hassle-free and highly personalized private air … Serving the European community exclusively, GlobeAir is unlike many competitors in that it owns and operates its fleet of jets. It is still very much a jet charter company in that you must pre-purchase a plan or package, which are as follows: Truly a global charter company, VistaJet is the only private jet company that offers its own fleet global services. Pre-pandemic, leisure flights accounted for approximately 60% of NetJets’ flights, while travel for business was at about 40%. A sixteenth share typically would give you 50 hours of flying time. The Costs of Buying and Operating an Embraer Phenom 300, Negotiating Fractional Jet Contract Terms, An Introduction to Flying on Private Aircraft, New Business Jet Sales Rise Slightly in 2017, The Largest Fractional Aircraft Operators in 2020, Chartering a Private Plane? Creeris Air is a Fractional Jet Ownership Company located in Houston, Texas. NetJets consistently stays at the forefront of business and leisure travel by offering new partnerships with other travel leaders, like high-end hotels, luxury yacht companies, and the like. For those new to private aviation, or those simply looking to make a change, the initial evaluation of the various private aircraft programs is an important step made easier by working with Essex Aviation. Some are designed for short hops with just a few … Overall the company provides access to more than 40 aircraft.