As soon as you start considering a private jet flight, you’ll hear about jet cards, which are essentially debit cards for jet flights. In essence, you pre-pay for your flights.
There are several advantages to a jet card, not the least of which is a contracted hourly rate, ensuring you have a set rate for the life of the card. In addition, card members get priority when booking, meaning you can secure the contracted rate with as little as 12 hours of lead time. Once you’ve chosen a card, you no longer have to shop for pricing and availability for each trip.
The best jet cards are those with contracted flat rates, but some companies are shifting to “dynamic pricing,” where the price varies when you book, similar to Uber during peak times. The advantage of fixed rates is that you can book, cancel and rebook as needed without the price increasing. You’ll know beforehand that the price has been locked in.
What does it cost?
A jet card can start as low as $25,000 and range up to $500,000 or more. If you’re purchasing more than 50 hours, some card providers negotiate the package price. A jet card usually gets you a lower rate than if you’re paying on a flight-by-flight basis. There are newer pay-as-you-go jet cards, where you pay a membership fee and then for each flight. All prices are based on the type of aircraft, from light jets (6-8 people, 1400-1500 miles) to heavy jets (14-19 people, 3800 miles), as well as your destination and whether it’s a round trip (meaning no repositioning fee). Hourly rates start around $5000 and go up.
What to check:
Some card programs expire after 12-36 months, with others allowing you to roll over unused funds into a new program. Ask about peak period surcharges, which can range up to 40 percent (if you’re crazy enough to fly the day before Christmas, New Year’s or the Super Bowl!). Be sure to get a list of peak and blackout days in advance.
The basic jet card covers your destinations within the contiguous 48 states, but some include Hawaii, the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. If you’re planning short hops (usually to small airports not served by commercial airlines), ask if there is a daily minimum flight time. A Cessna Citation cruises at 528 knots or a little over 600 mph, so you’ll be covering a lot of ground every hour.
If Europe is on your list, then you’ll need to check on prices for jets capable of trans-Atlantic flights from Tampa, and some card providers have European programs that allow you to bounce around the Continent.
(Courtesy of Patrick Knowles Design.)
Who Are They?
There are more than 50 jet card providers, with the largest being NetJets, Flexjet and Vista Global. Google “private jet card providers” for a look at the long list.
Benefits:
Other benefits of jet charter cards are free services that would be extras on a conventionally booked flight. These might include deicing (to get rid of ice before take-off in cold climates), catering, WiFi and even repositioning if you’re within certain service areas. Travelers with a jet card are also often surprised by an upgrade at no charge to a larger aircraft because the provider needs to reposition it. NetJets, for example, has reported that 30 percent of card member flights are upgraded for operational reasons.
An unseen benefit of many jet cards is the lifestyle partnerships made by the jet provider. Sentient Jets gives members catalogs of free or discounted stays at luxury hotels and NetJets fliers get special offers from Mandarin Oriental, Leading Hotels of the World, Canyon Ranch spas and Wynn Las Vegas.
Yes, it’s a bit confusing figuring it all out, but a good start is Doug Gollan’s Private Jet Card Comparisons, an online service that lets you look at multiple choices.
To paraphrase the credit card ad, jet-setters know that what’s in their pocket is a private jet card.
Chris Caswell is an award-winning writer and the former editor of several yachting magazines. He has appeared on Oprah as a boating lifestyle expert and hosted the Marine Voyager series on the Speed Channel.
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