Jet Clubs: What Curious Flyers Need To Know
Did you ever wonder what it’s like to go on a private jet to a faraway location? Most of us have daydreamed about jetsetting in a cushy Cessna or hanging out with a celebrity in a private jet. It’s a dream many of us feel is out of reach.
After all, we can’t all just shell out half a million dollars for a private jet, right? Well, that’s true. However, an alternative to a private jet purchase might still be within reach for some of the wealthier travelers who don’t want a full jet of their own.
What’s a jet club, anyway?
Jet clubs are like a blend between Uber and ownership of a jet. In a typical jet club, you pay a monthly fee for access. You do not own an entire jet, nor are you in charge of flying the jet that you’re using.
Buying a stake in a jet club means that you technically have fractional ownership in a jet—though that’s not entirely true. You are paying a monthly fee for a share of a jet that is in the club’s fleet. However, you can generally use any jet that’s part of that club.
This allows people who own the same jet to fly at the same time, even if they’re not going the same way. It’s flexible, still private, and also happens to be cheaper than owning a jet outright. It also generally comes with a pilot for your trips.
It’s not a charter company because you’re funding the airplanes directly and using their hired help to fly it, and you are using that same club multiple times a year. Rather, it’s about sharing the costs so that flyers can get near-wholesale prices on a private jet trip.
How much is a jet club membership?
Great question. There are a handful of jet clubs on the net, and most of them have the same pay structure:
You have a buy-in fee. This is the buy-in that you need to join that club. This is usually wrapped up in the monthly jet club fee but sometimes, it can require an actual upfront payment.
You have a monthly fee. Monthly fees for the Jet Club from FlyExclsive, one of the biggest clubs of its kind, has a monthly fee of $1,000. It goes towards paying for jet maintenance as well as pilot salaries.
Travel fees. You have to pay for the jet fuel and chartering that you use during your year. Travel fees include fuel, hours in the air, plus other incidentals.
It sounds like a lot of fees, and it is. However, most jet clubs sell those travel fees and tickets at a wild discount. It’s not uncommon for jet clubs to save their clients 20 to 70 percent on tickets.
Because jet clubs tend to be very exclusive, it’s hard to find information online about how much mony each membership costs. The best way to find out if it makes sense for you is to call them up and ask for pricing.
But, what if you want jet club prices but don’t fly that often? You might be able to snag a jet club membership for a set number of hours. One such club, Jet Agency, has a 25-hour membership that costs about $250,000.
Is a jet club a good match for you?
Jet clubs can be a good match for a very specific set of people. If you must fly private and do it frequently, then a jet club can save some serious cash. However, it’s not for people who rarely fly or who want to stick to their own aircraft.
As of right now, jet clubs are not within reach for most upper-middle-class people. However, if you are a small business owner who has a ton of trips to do, it might make sense to join a jet club.
Could this become a middle-class thing?
It’s hard to tell. The price of flying a private jet has started to decrease, albeit, slowly. People are sick of mainstream flying and the cramped feeling of a typical coach flight. Even First Class tickets have their own issues—and are often similarly priced to a jet club.
However, it definitely isn’t a middle-class thing right now. Rather, it’s more of an elite option that’s for people who don’t want the headaches that come with having a family jet. Wealthy patrons that want to have an alternative to jet ownership are the ones who will work best with this travel option.
As for the rest of us? We’ll just have to settle for drinking champagne as we go First Class.