Sometimes_First_Class_Is_Not_Enough

There are times when chartering a private jet can cost about the same as booking a trip first class. The advantages of flying in a private Jet are endless, offering ultimate freedom and maximum control of time while one gets to enjoy the ultimate in concierge service. One no longer has to worry about the hassle of overcrowded flights, delays and the security hold ups that can make commercial flying uncomfortable. This is not to mention the luxury and amenities that come with flying on your own Jet. Traveling on a private jet is considered to be an “on demand” service. Meaning, if a Jet is chartered and a meeting is running longer than scheduled, one no longer has to stress about making it to the airport before the flight takes off. When a flight is booked on a private jet, it is said to be charted. If one is running late, the plane will just wait for the client to arrive. Independent airline analyst and founder of AirlineFinancials.com, Robert Herbs, commented that the growing interest in private travel is understandable. He said, “By the time you have to deal with all the security at airports, especially on the shorter flights, it’s just not worth it for the modern businessman. Their time is too valuable to waste spending in security lines on delayed planes, and fighting with 100% full airplanes.”1 According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, only 80% of flights in 2009 were on time, a discouraging statistic for the modern businessperson who needs reliable transportation. Obviously time is not the only factor impacting the desire to fly private, as the luxurious amenities are absolutely endless. Passengers enjoy perks like gourmet catering, in-flight yoga and sometimes, even beds! Adam Katz, the owner and operator of Talon Air, private airline, offers baggage to be shipped from the clients home to their final destination without the client ever touching it.2 Also onboard Talon Air Jets are cashmere blankets, crystal and sterling silver cutlery and broadband wireless internet. These perks are just the beginning of the luxurious experience, of course. Take, for example, a hedge fund manager who recently chartered a jet through Talon Air to fly him and five guests to Las 2 Vegas. The four-day trip began with a catered meal from the ultra-exclusive Japanese restaurant, Nobu. They relaxed in reclining leather seats and sped toward the City of Sin at a cool 570 miles per hour with a staff of 6 to make sure their every need was met aboard this ultra luxurious Jet. The return flight also included another catered meal from Nobu, this one prepared at the Las Vegas Restaurant for the ultimate freshness. The total cost for this flight was $86,000 which included a $5,000 catering bill. Heiress to the Hilton Hotel Chain, Paris Hilton, often posts photos on her Twitter account of herself flying on private Jets. Recently she posted a photo of herself going to the World Cup on a Commercial Boeing 747 that was outfitted for ultimate luxury. A commercial Jumbo Jet of this magnitude is designed to carry between 416 and 524 passengers. However, this custom jet was outfitted to seat 50 passengers offering the ultimate in luxuries including a night club, game room, private suites and rumors of a jacuzzi. A dream of mine has always been to own my own jet. In fact, it still is. However upon doing some research I have found out some interesting facts about the cost of ownership and maintenance of a jet. Ownership requires much more than just purchasing the jet, which is already a huge cost in itself. A basic jet will cost about a million dollars, but those costs quickly escalade to the tens of millions. Luxuries like an espresso machine will cost a mere $20,000 while wireless internet will top off at about $500,000. I mean, who wants a jet with cloth seats and no internet' A Boeing Business Jet, starting at $45.5 million, takes posh accommodations to a new level. The basic model provides 807 square feet, while the higher end BBJ3 offers 1,120 square feet. In these planes, passengers don't sleep in reclining chairs, but in solid oak beds. As I mentioned, there are many more costs than the jet itself; including fuel, staff, maintenance and airport fees. A statistic on the Magellan Jets blog states that for every $100 it costs to fuel a Jet, the cost of insurance and maintenance is roughly $50. With numbers like this, it seems that the old saying if it rolls, floats or flies cheaper to rent than buy definitely holds truth. However, the ability to take a last minute trip to the Washington wine country for dinner and a glass of wine from a gorgeous vineyard in time to watch the sunset definitely seems like a luxury I can't live without. There are more cost effective ways to fly private. Magellan Jets recently launched an empty leg search engine that allows users to access private jet trips that are scheduled without any paying passengers on board. An empty leg or “dead head” trip is one in which someone is, for example, in Los Angeles; however the Jet they are chartering is in Las Vegas. This plane needs to be moved to it's respective destination, and if one works with the operators, it is possible to secure very competitive pricing. Smart use of dead heads can reduce the cost of flying privately to the comparable cost of flying first class. Naturally a chartered jet for one person will cost more than a single airline ticket, but if one was to factor in the costs of time wasted, nights away from home, and the intangible costs of stress and fatigue, the gap can shrink. Also, if a group of six were to charter a private jet from Los Angeles to Boston, a dead head private flight could cost as little as $8,400 for a round trip. If that same group were to fly first class commercial, the cost would easily be as high as $8,700. In some cases flying private can be the cheaper option and it is always more valuable, improving productivity and business efficiency as well as maxing out comfort levels. I believe that my dream to fly private isn't so far out of reach and as technology progresses, we will all one day be able to enjoy the luxury of flying private. Maybe not in this lifetime, but eventually owning a private plane will be a luxury enjoyed by the masses. In the meantime, however, there are many options to enjoy the ultimate concierge service. Regardless of weather it is for a quick flight from Santa Monica Municipal Airport to McCarren International Airport in Las Vegas or perhaps on a longer flight to Dubai International Airport. The opportunities to enjoy maximum comfort, the ultimate in time management and total privacy are endless. It all starts with a desire.