A private jet is a luxury exclusively reserved for billionaires and their friends but, for the rest of us, there is a phenomenon called semi-private flying. A halfway option from commercial, this is commonly done when private aircraft owners charter small groups to the same destination.
In New York, there is Blade Mobility (we've written about them offering such short flights between Manhattan and the Hamptons earlier this year) while Tradewind Aviation offers both private and semi-private luxury flights to different destinations in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.
Related: Airline To Offer A Better Way To Sleep Aboard For $100 An Hour
As part of its holiday promotion, Dallas-based air carrier JSX is now slashing the prices of the semi-private flights it normally offers to $300 each way. The deal includes one-way routes between nearby cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Oakland, Burbank and Phoenix, Dallas and Houston and Denver to Phoenix.
‘Fresh approach to premium flying experience,’ promises CEO
The flight time for each of these routes is between 90 and 150 minutes. For those who ski in the Colorado resort of Crested Butte, there is also a flight from Dallas included in the promotion while sun-seekers can fly to Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas from Florida.
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To book one of these flights, one need only to go on JSX’s website and enter one’s desired route details into the search system like they would with a regular airline. The difference is that the airline flies 30-passenger jets that one can either charter independently at $9,000 an hour with a $25,000 daily minimum or book a ticket to fly with others but in that more intimate, semi-private jet. Flying with a charter airline also allows travelers to arrive to the airport just 40 minutes before the flight and avoid Transportation Security Administration (TSA) crowds by passing through a separate screening.
“Our fresh approach to offering a premium flying experience eliminates needless dwell time in packed airports and congested terminals, freeing up more time for travelers to focus on what matters most this holiday season: time well-spent with loved ones making memories that will last a lifetime,” JSX CEO Alex Wilcox told Travel and Leisure Magazine.
Separate terminals, private flights: the world of VIP travel
In the flying world, luxury is almost always associated with greater privacy. Last September, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport opened a separate terminal exclusively for VIP clients.
Run by the company PS, such a terminal has been operating at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) since 2017 and comes with a separate TSA screening, a lounge, chauffeur service to one’s flight and, if one is arriving from an international destination, separate customs clearing.
While high, the price is not entirely out of reach as it is meant to lure in not just the one percent but a larger number of travelers who want a taste of luxury. A single use of the terminal currently costs $1,095 while $4,850 will get one access to the terminal for a year. The service is not reserved for those flying chartered or in first class but available to anybody who pays the fee to use the separate terminal.
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