Private jets are for the rich and famous right? Celebrities, senators, CEOs, and those who own multiple properties? Errm, no. As much as jet brokers and media images suggest private jets are for the rich and famous, there is no typical charter customer. In the 21st century, almost anyone can fly.

Private Jets - The Good and the Bad Reputation

When private jets are in the news it’s because something outrageous to do with the aircraft. Or President Trump has released photos of his plane’s gold-gilded interior. The stories concern celebrities owning ostentatious jets, all bling and excess in the gossip pages of newspapers and click-bait articles.

Why do they only show the interior? There is no focus on sparkling Rolls Royce engines or engineering innovation. Instead we get photos of Lady Gaga and Celine Dion reclining in a plush leather seat. Or Beyonce pushing her high heels through a marble encrusted private jet. Or worse, half a dozen c-list celebrities pouting their lips while taking selfies in a plane that looks more like a Vegas VIP club.

There are other stories as well. Private jets are seen as proof of political corruption - how dare a politician spend taxpayers money on chartering a private jet? What’s wrong with an overnight bus? Or traveling cattle class on Delta?

A swanky looking private aircraft is also considered a symbol of corporate greed - the outrage that CEOs and bankers should be flying on private jets while we are all stuck in traffic! How dare they reduce their travel time while we are forced to brave the clogged highway!

Private Jets for Business Aviation

Forget the celebrities. Forget the fact that John Travolta owns so many private jets he has a runway at his house. Of course there are plenty of rich people who own aircraft and fly around without a thought of a commercial jet. But they are far from the only people who fly private.

100 out of 100 of Forbes Magazine’s Most Trustworthy Companies use private jets. All bar one of Fortune’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies use them. Over 90% of the Best Corporate Citizens charter private jets.

The equation is simple. Jet charters save significant time. And time equals money. Companies want to get as much as possible out of their high-salary managers and directors. So spending $700 an hour on a private jet is cost efficient when it saves four hours of time.

The Typical Jet Charter Customer

There isn’t one. Some companies have suggested that the regular travels is a mid-40s male flying for business reasons with four other passengers. He is most likely to take off at 10am on a Friday and use an executive airport such as Teterboro in New York.

At Airvel we’ve found that this charter customer exists but is just one among many. Over the last decade our team has seen an increased proportion of female flyers, leisure flyers, older flyers, plus a much wider variety of airports. While Tererboro remains the most popular executive jet airport in the US, there are over 2500 others that can be used.

Who Flies on Private Jets

Errm, just about everyone.

• Busy professionals needing to visit multiple cities for multiple meetings in a short amount of time.
• Extended families going on vacation.
• Marketing professionals working on multi-state campaigns.
• Groups of friends off to watch a weekend football game.
• Business owners meeting clients across the country.
• Couples going on honeymoon.
• Manufacturing execs making multiple site visits on one day.
• Teams of oil and gas workers accessing remote work sites.
• Friends flying from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for a two-night vacation.
• CEOs commuting to and from the city, on Monday morning and Friday afternoon flights.
• Business teams who need to get stuff done, now.
• Those short on time wanting two days on the ski slopes.
• Collegiate sports teams flying to games.
• Business owners wanting to impress clients and get deals done.
• Government officials needing to private jets for emergency evacuations.
• Production companies running music tours in multiple venues.
• Film producers taking teams to remote locations.
• Managers needing to move cargo as well as employees.
• Senior executives shuttling to meetings.
• Girlfriends on a private weekend escape.
• Employees reaching remote project sites, week on week.
• Anyone who needs to get somewhere now.
• Everyone who wants to get more out of their day.

Why do Such Diverse People Fly on Private Jets?

Travel takes time. And that’s something most people don’t have a lot of, especially in the 21st century. There is never enough time in a day. So rather than wasting a whole day traveling on commercial flights, private jets cut travel time and enhance productivity.

Routing is designed to remove layovers, private terminals reduce waiting time to just a few minutes, and ground handling ensures there is no wasted time. Ground transport can be pre-arranged so it waiting upon arrival. At some airport FBOs you can even drive straight to the plane.

Using local airports means landing closer to your destination. You reduce costs through aerial access to destinations inaccessible by commercial flights. And you get more time out of your day. It’s this that makes private jets so appealing.

Rethinking Who Can Fly on Private Jets

Jet brokers have liked to preserve the unwarranted bad reputation, maintaining the sense of exclusivity that most people associate with private jets. If it seems they are only for the rich and famous, brokers can charge more for their services and keep charter flights away from the masses.

We have a different approach at Airvel. We believe anyone can fly. After all, everyone is short on time and wants to be more efficient, whether it’s more valuable hours on vacation or getting more business done.

On Airvel you can search 4000 aircraft between any destinations and airports in the US, along with international. Our proprietary technology generates instant pricing for an unrestricted choice of aircraft. Compare planes, prices and travel time. Then just click to book and look forward to all the benefits of private jet travel.