Do you fly frequently? Then you may have considered purchasing a private jet card membership, but wondered if it was right for you.
Let’s look at the types of jet card and their benefits.
The Two Main Types of Jet Card
A private jet membership card allows you to pre-pay for private jet charters. Private jet cards generally fall into two categories:
Flight Access Hours Cards
With flight access hours cards, you pre-purchase flight hours at a fixed hourly rate. While some cards have just a 10-hour minimum, most start from 25 hours. These flight hours are then ‘spent’ every time you fly using your jet card.
Deposit Cards
With these cards, you deposit a specified amount (e.g., $150,000) onto the card upfront. Each time you fly using the card, your flight cost is paid from these funds. The cost of your flights can either be capped at a certain level, or dynamic. Dynamic pricing varies with the market, but may be guaranteed as the ‘best price at the time’ and get you good, ‘last-minute’ deals at lower-than-average cost.
The 6 Biggest Benefits of Private Jet Cards
Depending on the specific card, private jet memberships can come with all sorts of perks and advantages. They can be customized for your specific needs too, such as flying time, aircraft class, flying hours, catering requirements, additional included services, etc.
Let’s look at the six biggest benefits common to most jet cards.
Convenience and Flexibility
When you book private jet charters individually, it may be difficult to arrange a flight at short notice or at peak times. To do so, you may have to make concessions on plane or airport choice.
Private jet card membership gives you all the convenience and flexibility of private ownership without the long-term commitment, responsibilities, and costs of owning a private jet. It guarantees you access, even at short notice and during busy periods, to a large fleet of private jets. Usually, jet cards are valid for a certain plane category, so if your aircraft needs vary (e.g., sometimes you need a flight for a larger group), check the terms of cards you’re considering purchasing. See how much flexibility they allow and the fees they charge for charters outside your plane class.
Cost Savings
When you book flights on a charter-by-charter basis, you’re not sure of the costs until you get the quote for each flight. Long-term, this makes budgeting for your travel difficult. Depositing funds or buying flight hours on your jet card upfront makes it much easier to predict your flight costs.
You also pay less for your flights than you would booking charter-by-charter. Wondering how?
- Buying flight hours in bulk or depositing funds upfront lets you enjoy discounted rates.
- Pilot wait time, landing, and repositioning fees are all usually chargeable when you book charters on a flight-by-flight basis. You may also be charged for any return legs. When you have a private jet card, however, you’re only charged for flight time.
Access to Exclusive Destinations
Private jet card memberships open the door to some of the most exclusive destinations in the world, allowing you to get away from it all and retain privacy. Private jets can access around ten times the number of airports used by commercial airlines. This far wider choice of airports means you can often depart closer to your home and land nearer your destination. Consequently, your travel time, transfers, inconvenience, and costs can all be reduced.
Visit tropical islands with sandy beaches or remote locations where you can ski, climb mountains, or spot wildlife. Want to do business in an up-and-coming third-world location, or organize an aid run to an area with nothing but a grass landing strip? With a private jet card membership, it’s all possible.
Time-saving and Efficiency
Beyond the guaranteed access to planes and the ability to choose your own flight dates and times, you will also have access to dedicated terminals or FBOs (Fixed Base Operators) at airports. In their comfortable spaces, you can relax and enjoy the amenities while staff quickly take you through check-in and security procedures. They will take your luggage, which will be carefully loaded onto the plane and returned to you personally at your destination.
While FBOs vary, the minimum they will offer is a private, comfortable lounge where you can enjoy a peaceful wait for departure. Other amenities offered can include workrooms, meeting rooms, showers, accommodation, and even private gyms, bars, and dining areas. These facilities mean that your time at the airport is not wasted. You can work, do business with clients, hold meetings, or just relax and decompress.
An Enhanced Travel Experience and Premium Service
As a jet card holder, you can expect to be prioritized and offered a premium, highly personalized service. Your provider can customize your travel experience to your preferences. These include:
- airport facilities and services, e.g., runway access and amenities offered by the FBOs.
- the type of aircraft, considering passenger numbers, destinations, and flight range.
- cabin amenities and layout, such as available technology, provision of a VIP bedroom suite, showers, meeting room, full galley, etc.
- crew numbers, specialist staff and on-board services such as bespoke catering.
This personalized service and attention to detail help make every trip stress-free—and as productive or relaxing as you wish. It’s the perfect way to arrive at your destination relaxed, refreshed, and ready for what awaits you.
Personalized Concierge Services
The bespoke services offered by private jet cards don’t begin and end at the airport. Concierge services include the arrangement of onward travel and transfers, security services, hotel stays, restaurant reservations, theater tickets, and more. Every part of your trip, from the time you leave your front door to the minute you return home, can be tailored to your wishes.
Is A Private Jet Card Right for Me?
If saving money is your main consideration, then a private jet card will usually achieve this for you if you:
- fly over 25 hours per year and/or
- often need flights at short notice and peak times.
However, as you’ve seen, private jet cards offer so much more than savings. They provide all the perks of having your own plane (and more!), without the hassles and costs of private jet ownership. Insurance, fees, and permits; crew recruitment, retention, and training; plane maintenance, repair, and storage costs; and of course, the purchase of a plane. Will you buy one with the capacity and range for all your journeys, or find yourself still needing to book charters?
If you’re a regular flyer on private jets, don’t settle for less with a private jet charter—or pay more than you need to by buying your own plane. Choose a private jet card membership instead. It really is the most convenient, comfortable, and cost-efficient way to fly.
