AirSprint, a North American fractional aircraft operator with offices in both the US and Canada, has announced newly restructured fractional jet ownership programs. Recognizing that some owners would like to avoid capital costs, and others would prefer a guaranteed rate of depreciation on fractional ownership, AirSprint has created options that are appropriate for all owners. The new programs, which are available for both the Citation CJ2+ and Citation XL/S, are offered at two levels - called the Club and the Infiniti Access Programs.
The Programs
Infiniti Access is aimed at people who consistently fly over 75 hours per year. There's an 8 hour booking guarantee and clients pay an annual management fee and are invoiced at the time of their flights based on occupied hours in the aircraft.
Club Access is for people who consistently fly 50 hours per year. It comes with a 24 hour booking guarantee. Clients again pay an annual management fee and are invoiced at the time of their flights based on occupied hours in the aircraft.
In the US clients can fly on the CJ2+ and in Canada they can also choose the Cessna Citation XL/S.
Payment Options
Both of the above programs are available in two pricing structures - either a capital or zero-capital option.
The capital option allows owners to purchase an undivided interest with a fixed straight line depreciation. Owners can exit any time, subject to the sale of their interest to a new owner. Effective hourly rates under this program are lower cost than that of the zero-capital option, but owners are putting more money up front. The pricing is shown below, and excludes taxes and fuel surcharges.
| Access Level | Hours/Year | Effective Hourly Rate |
| Infiniti Access | 75+ Occupied Hours | CJ2+: $3,618 |
| Club Access | 50 Occupied Hours | CJ2+: $3,805 |
For those who would prefer to have no upfront capital tied up, the Zero-Capital option may be the better choice. There's no upfront capital required, but owners pay a higher annual maintenance fee. There's no penalty for leaving the program after 60 months. The effective hourly rate is higher under this option.
| Access Level | Hours/Year | Effective Hourly Rate |
| Infiniti Access | 75+ Occupied Hours | CJ2+: $4,416 |
| Club Access | 50 Occupied Hours | CJ2+: $4,623 |
For Canadian owners, there's another option - Advantage Access. Similar to a jet card, this option offers owners who fly 25 hours or less per year a shorter committment of twelve months. Like the other two options, Advantage Access is available for both the Citation CJ2+ and Citation XL/S. Owners will need to prepay, but unused hours can be used toward Infiniti or Club Access.
These new programs appear to be a great way to bring in a broader base of owners for AirSprint.