CEO says “barefoot” flights can make private jet charters cheaper

Within that is a cheaper alternative that Fisher calls “empty flying,” which she said could cut the cost of chartering by nearly half. It’s the latest way airlines are trying to make private flights more affordable.

Fisher said these charter planes could otherwise fly “barefoot” without passengers returning the planes and crew to a home base after dropping off a customer. Charter companies sometimes charge for a round trip regardless of whether anyone is on board, so it’s cheaper to find another party that pays for that empty leg of the trip.

This concept is not new. Several well-known private airlines, such as VistaJet and NetJets, sell discounted empty legs after someone else books a round-trip flight.

But Fisher said there’s no guarantee legs will sell and they’re usually predetermined routes, meaning less choice and flexibility for customers.

Fisher said that instead of taking other people’s empty legs, FlyJets fills empty planes by coordinating a trip as two separate legs from the start and splitting the price.

“There are many things we can do to be very cost-effective for flyers and advantageous for aircraft suppliers in terms of aircraft utilization and therefore revenue,” Fisher said. “It’s a win-win.”

Fisher says flyers can save 40% on a “barefoot breakup”

Fisher said FlyJets customers could create empty legs with a FlyJets+ membership, which costs $290 annually, and that flights are paired with another party flying the opposite route.

“If two parties have to fly between New York and Miami and they can commit to opposite legs, then both save 40 percent and the operator gets 10 percent more revenue from both parties,” she said, adding that flying more fewer empty planes is better for the environment.

For example, Fisher said a mid-sized seven-seat plane could cost $25,000 round trip for a single party. But if FlyJets provides an “bare leg split” for $15,000 each way, customers would pay about $2,100 per seat, and the jet supplier could get an extra $5,000.

Most fares for the same route on Delta Air Lines or United Airlines were $500 to $1,000 one-way through November.

Fisher said that when a match on the opposite route cannot be found, customers will not receive the “fly empty” price, but can still book the plane directly at the charter market rate. She argued that this scenario would become less likely as FlyJets’ network of aircraft and customers grows.

She said the company also plans to launch a FlyJets Exchange tool this fall that will allow fliers to buy seats on existing trips booked by other members.

There is a growing trend of affordable charters

FlyJets joins a growing list of companies offering private air travel at more affordable prices. The experience remains expensive, but travel experts say people are willing to splurge.

Oliver Bell, co-founder of a luxury travel company called Oliver’s Travels, told BI’s Mikhaila Friel in June that this trend could be attributed in part to “journey of revenge,” where people are “willing to spend more for incredible experiences” after the pandemic lockdown.

People who pay for private travel also save time. Charters are direct flights and typically operate from small aircraft service stations that require little or no security checks. This means customers can arrive within minutes of departure and avoid terminal airport congestion.

Take the semi-private airline JSX, which offers flights to the US and Mexico on shared jets, but with the benefits of private travel. Shorter flights, such as Las Vegas to Burbank, California, cost about $275 one-way, while longer routes along the East Coast start at about $700.

KinectAir bills itself as a ride-sharing service for the sky. A CNN report in December said KinectAir sold short, bare-leg repositioning flights in the US and offered lower prices — as low as $111 per person — using cheaper piston and turboprop planes instead of jets. The problem is that the company cannot sell individual seats, so the flyer must book the entire plane.

Of course, private flying “is by no means a ‘cheap’ way to fly, as it will still typically be more expensive than commercial flying,” Bell said. “But it’s a lot more accessible than people think, which might be why we’re seeing an increase now that people are becoming more aware.”