Semi-private airlines provide a middle ground between purchasing your own Learjet and Ubering to the airport three hours early to stand in line and take off your shoes at a TSA checkpoint if you want to travel in elegance but can’t quite afford a private jet of your own.
With facilities that resemble those of a five-star hotel rather than an airplane, semi-private airlines provide every customer a true first-class experience on tiny, opulent jets with only a few other passengers. Some of them are pay-as-you-go, while others are membership-based. All, however, allow you to avoid the inconveniences that come with using commercial airlines.
Get accustomed to VIP lounges, concierge service, and luxury that is often only available to the 1% and bid farewell to queues, congestion, canceled flights, aggressive employees, and crowded conditions. Some semi-private airlines are very reasonable, even for the bottom 99, while others are by nature rather dear.
Here are the five greatest semi-private airlines and their flight prices.
Aero
Aero provides direct flights in first class exclusively to a few locations in North America and Europe.
The concierge staff at Aero assists travelers with pre-flight itinerary planning. Their favorite drinks will be available for them as they board, and everything from scheduling drivers and negotiating rates with five-star hotels is taken care of.
Passengers are individually escorted by the ground staff from Aero’s opulent lounge to the aircraft rather than through the congested airport terminal. Legroom, elegance, and good living are the order of the day on Aero’s modern, 16-passenger ERJ-135LR aircraft, which has hand-stitched Italian leather seats, mood lighting, and large windows. The concierge staff is setting up a driver to pick you up and move your stuff while all of that is going place.
As an example, depending on when you fly, a one-way trip from Aspen, Colorado to Los Angeles takes two hours and 20 minutes and costs between $1,800 and $3,450.
Tradewind Aviation
To dozens of locations in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, Tradewind provides semi-private luxury flights.
The TSA’s vigilance and the stress of airport terminals are exchanged by travelers for opulent jet lounges and VIP experiences. Every flight includes complimentary food and beverages, which may include champagne, cocktails, beer, and wine. The flights are conducted on the most luxurious Pilatus PC-12 and Citation CJ3 aircraft.
Depending on how many hours you fly, the cost of its premium private charter flight service ranges from $4,650 to $4,950 per hour. Its scheduled flights can be unexpectedly inexpensive, provide free route modifications, and have flexible ticket periods.
For $335, you may take a quick flight that takes little over an hour from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, to Westchester County, New York.
JSX
Passengers at JSX may valet their cars and get to the airport just 20 minutes before takeoff to catch their flights. A visit to a VIP club is followed by quick and unobtrusive security, complimentary food and beverages, and two free checked bags in business class on a 30-seat plane.
Westchester, New York, and a few more cities in the West, Southwest, and Southeast are all served by JSX. If you choose the proper time of year, regional travel may be reasonably priced. Currently, a one-way trip from Burbank to Concord, California, takes three hours and costs as low as $219.
Boutique Air
The main jet of the Boutique Air fleet is a Swiss-built Pilatus PC-12. They are renowned for their soundproof cabins, enclosed restrooms, and reclining soft leather chairs. Beechcraft King Air 350s, which are regarded as among of the greatest business turboprops in the world, have just been added to Boutique’s fleet.
You’ll be one of just eight or nine people on a typical trip with Boutique, which offers service to more than a dozen U.S. destinations and is known for its accommodating ticket policies. The company’s tagline is “fly private for the cost of commercial,” and for the most part it delivers on that promise as many regional flights are affordable for around $1,000.
Set Jet
New York, South Florida, Baja California, as well as other places in the West and Southwest, are all served by the membership-based service known as Set Jet. The monthly membership charge is $99.95, plus a $99.95 one-time security check fee. Coast-to-coast domestic flights begin at $4,500 per way, while one-way regional domestic flights start at $750. Taxes and fees are included in all pricing.
Bombardier Challenger 850s and Bombardier CRJ200 GLS N888WUs are now in the company’s fleet, and more aircraft are on the way. Large VIP seats are standard on all aircraft, and the interiors are decorated with marble, soft leather, high-gloss wood, and plush carpeting.
Members are entitled to two flight modifications, two flight cancellations, two free 30-day guest memberships, and two pet flights each month.