Business jet operators utilize theirprivate jetsfor the ultimate flexibility when traveling. Private passengers and operators do not have to wait for scheduled flights or even go through standard Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. This travel option also gives passengers maximum convenience and flexibility, as they do not have to depend on a scheduled flight to show up on time. They have the ultimate privacy and comfort when traveling as well, as private jets are typically more spread out with additional amenities.
Getting A Flight On A Private Jet: The Ultimate Guide
There are a range of ways to embark on such a journey.
There are several ways for travelers to utilize private jets. One of these options is shared charters, which allow users to book seats on flights that have already been chartered. This allows for cheaper flights with the same level of convenience.
Other options include jet cards, which are subscription-based services that grant members access to private jets for an additional cost. Semi-private charter services, likeJSX, also exist. These carriers allow passengers to hop on scheduled flights but still offer the comfort and luxury of typical private flights.
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However, some travelers elect to utilize a public charter company instead. This is one of the most popular options for travelers attempting to fly privately. It allows them to rent a privately owned aircraft for their personal use or that of a small group. Sometimes, this can last an extended period of time, but sometimes, it may last for just a single flight.
Private Jet Card Comparisonrecently revealed the thirty largest US private jet flight providers. This includes both Part 135 companies, which are the charter authorization, and the Part 91k companies, which are labeled as fractional ownership companies. However, Private Jet Card Comparison rolled up both of these types of companies and sorted them out. Let’s take a close look at some of the firms that dominate thisprivate jet chartermarket.
5 FlyExclusive
Total private jet hours in 2023: 55,211
The fifth-most flown charter company in the United States in 2023 was FlyExclusive. The company, founded in 2014, operates as a jet club membership program. It also recently became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). FlyExclusive saw a slight decrease in total flight hours, representing a 2.5% decrease compared to 2022, yet still owns over a 1% share of the private aviation market in the United States.
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FlyExclusive operates mostly light and midsize aircraft, such as the Cessna Citation Encore, the Citation CJ3, and the Citation Excel. It operates slightly larger aircraft like the Citation Sovereign and the Citation X, as well as the large cabin jet, the Gulfstream GIV-SP.
4 Wheels Up
Total private jet hours in 2023: 127,685
The next company on the list dropped a spot compared to 2022. Wheels Up saw a drop of nearly 40,000 flight hours compared to 2022, which is an almost 24% decrease in total flight hours. However, the company still holds a 2.41% market share of the total United States flight hours, per Private Jet Card Comparisons.
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Wheels Up offers a wide range of membership options for its customers. Members can book seats or flights utilizing the company’s existing fleet or from one of its third-party operators utilizing a mobile application. The charter carrier allows its members to select from a wide variety of choices when it comes to aircraft, including turboprops. This includes:
- Beechcraft King Air 350
- Cessna Citation CJ3
- Beechcraft Hawker 400XP
- Cessna Citation XLS
- Cessna Citation X
- Gulfstream G450
3 Vista Global
Total private jet hours in 2023: 136,511
Vista Global, VistaJet’s parent company, is the only company on the list to move up a spot from 2022. VistaJet recorded a slight decrease year-over-year but still recorded enough flight hours in the United States to bypass Wheels Up. It showed a 9.7% decrease in total flight hours compared to 2022, per Private Jet Card Comparison.
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VistaJet offers membership-based flights with a “pay for hours flown” structure. The company is based in Malta, although it operates around the world. VistaJet operates only Bombardier jets, ranging from super-midsize to ultra-long-range jets. These include the Bombardier Challenger 350, Challenger 605, and the Challenger 850, as well as the Bombardier Global 5000, Global 6000, and the Global 7500.
2 Flexjet, Inc.
Total private jet hours in 2023: 204,836
Per Private Jet Card Comparisons, Flexjet is the second most flown company in the United States. The company reached over 200,000 total flight hours for the first time in 2023, a gain of over 21,000 total hours year over year, or an 11.5% increase.
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The Ohio-based fractional ownership-focused and jet card-providing company serves over 2,000 global customers. The company’s fleet is spread throughout the major aircraft cabin sizes. This includes Embraer Praetor 300s, Praetor 500s, and Praetor 600s, as well as Bombardier Challenger 300s and Challenger 350s. Its larger aircraft include the Gulfstream G450 and G650, with the G700 on order.
1 NetJets Inc.
Total private jet hours in 2023: 609,515
NetJets is one of the most well-known charter companies in the United States, and its total number of flight operations shows that. It also has an 11.5% market share of the total flight hours in the country, per Private Jet Card Comparisons. The company was the first private business jet charter and has been around since 1964. It also began offering its fractional ownership offerings in 1986.
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The company offers a wide range of private jets for any traveler and operates a fleet that totals nearly 1,000 aircraft. This includes:
- Bombardier Global 7500
- Bombardier Global 6000
- Bombardier Global 5500
- Bombardier Challenger 650
- Cessna Citation Longitude
- Bombardier Challenger 350
- Embraer Praetor 500
- Cessna Citation Latitude
- Cessna Citation Sovereign
- Cessna Citation XLS
- Embraer Phenom 300
NetJets will also receive the first Bombardier Global 8000 once it gets certified and will be one of the headlining customers of the brand-new Cessna Citation Ascend.
