The private jet charter platform has launched a fixed hourly rate jet card for frequent flyers, after seeing a surge of interest in private jet travel following the COVID-19 outbreak. Card holders can also fly in the USA through a partnership with sister company Sentient Jet.
PrivateFly says that in July it saw enquiries double compared with the same period last year, as consumer confidence in commercial airline travel dropped. This change was driven by uncertainty over global travel restrictions, consumer worries over quarantine and social distancing, and the continued cancellation of commercial flights by airlines around the world. The company had bookings at 90% of last year driven by a rush of UK leisure travelers heading for popular destinations including Nice, Ibiza and Palma but notes business travel has not yet returned.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen growing demand for private aviation as frequent flyers look for a safer way to travel,” said Adam Twidell, PrivateFly CEO.
Cardholders receive priority access to PrivateFly’s family fleet of group-owned aircraft, with guaranteed aircraft availability, and can also access safety-accredited private aircraft operated by a selection of its preferred suppliers, all at fixed hourly rates and 24-hours’ notice. The family fleet aircraft are planes operated by companies within the Directional Aviation group. These include the Legacy 600, Challenger 300, Global, Phenom 300 and Gulfstream G650 aircraft.
Hourly Rates
PrivateFly Jet Card clients can buy a card for a minimum of 25 hours, choosing from three aircraft categories; Light Jet, Midsize Jet or Heavy Jet. Fixed hourly rates start from €5,900 for the Light Jet Card in Europe. The full rates are:
- Light jet - €5,900
- Midsize jet - €7,950
- Heavy jet - €11,700
They are also free to switch between aircraft types without paying a surcharge, other than the difference in hourly rate. The hourly rates include airport fees, fuel, taxes, de-icing and catering.
Up to five nominated users can be added to a PrivateFly Jet Card account, with hourly rates charged against the same account balance based on number of flight hours.
Clients returning within 24 hours of their outbound trip can also enjoy a 20% discount on their hourly rate. The card program has only 15 peak days in Europe
PrivateFly has had a fixed price City Pair program for a couple of years. This offers a set price on key European routes using the family fleet aircraft operated by parent group Directional Aviation. For example London – Milan is €16,800 and Paris – Moscow is €29,500 on the Legacy 600. The PrivateFly Jet Card holders receive 5% off City Pair route prices.
Zones
PrivateFly splits Europe into a couple of Zones for the jet card pricing. The above hourly rates apply in the countries in Zone 1 – listed below. Hourly rates within Zone 2 start at a 30% premium. This applies to all flights that start or end in Zone 2 or take place entirely within Zone 2.
Zone 1
England, Wales, Ireland, France, Spain including Balearic Islands, Portugal, Italy including Sicily and Sardinia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
Zone 2
Scotland, Greece (mainland), Malta, Turkey, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Morocco, and the cities of Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca (Romania), and Sofia (Bulgaria).
Fly Sentient in US
US routes will be provided via a new partnership with PrivateFly’s sister company Sentient Jet - the inventor of the jet card 20 years ago. Members can access the Sentient Jet US program at its standard cardholder rates – without paying a surcharge. Sentient’s US cardholders will be able to do the same in Europe.
Andrew Collins, President & CEO of Sentient Jet, added “We’re pleased to partner with PrivateFly at such a critical and unique time. Given the success of the guaranteed, fixed-rate model in the United States we think the efforts by this talented and experienced team will lead to a rapid leadership position in the European and international jet card markets.”