At PrivateFly, we have seen a surge in website traffic visiting our cost-calculator over the last couple of weeks, with numerous requests coming from first-time customers, many of whom are surprised by the prices, especially if they can share the cost by filling all the seats. 

One new first private jet customer said that he just couldn’t rely on assurance from BA that his Geneva – Gatwick flight was going to be OK; ‘I have an important meeting on Monday in London which I simply cannot miss. Being stressed and stranded in Geneva airport late on Sunday evening will cost me more than the £3900 it cost for a VLJ (very light jet)’. This customer is travelling by himself but intends to offset the cost of his flight by finding 3 other stranded passengers to join him in sharing the jet.

Unite’s industrial action is proving a positive for the private jet industry. For travellers who want to avoid the potential strike chaos, hiring a private jet could be a surprisingly cost-effective option, especially when a group is travelling together. When you add airport security hassles and delays at an all-time high, a much-needed holiday or short break can be ruined by the effort of getting there with commercial airlines – not to mention the impact on business travellers. A private jet trip offers the ultimate in stress-free comfort for the discerning traveller and doesn’t have to cost the earth.

However I wonder if this flight has helped promote the private jet industry. With environmental issues always close to the top of the news agenda, some may say that flying an empty private jet around the world portrays the wrong environmental image for our industry.

Aviation as an industry obviously doesn’t sit easily within a green agenda. Major commercial airlines including British Airways and Virgin have made major advances in biofuel development over recent years but implementing its widespread usage would come at a huge price: The amount of fuel required by commercial airlines is massive and, given the process of creating biofuel, would result in a major increase in global food prices.

Private aviation, by comparison, uses much lower fuel volumes overall (although obviously the fuel burn per passenger is much greater). What’s more the typical private jet user is also a good target for green messages. The guilt and negative press attention that often surrounds private jet usage by the rich and famous means they would probably be very open to developments that mitigate their carbon footprint - even if this meant an increase in price. Just look at take-up of the Prius amongst celebrities! So in my view  the potential is there for the private jet industry to take the lead on looking at biofuels.

And going back to Riccardo’s amazing achievement, perhaps we, as an industry, should encourage records to be set and dictated by green technology eg  the lowest fuel burn from Geneva to Paris in a 4 seat passenger aircraft with a flight time under 60 mins?

Firstly the itinerary itself – Victoria Beckham’s outward journey from LA to Turku and their joint return trip - would have been very complicated by scheduled airlines. Turku, where Beckham was being treated at the Mehilainen Clinic,  isn’t serviced by overseas flights from the US or UK. So Mrs Beckham’s scheduled options from LA were  a 3-leg marathon changing in Newark and then Copenhagen, which would take almost 24 hours including connections. Or to connect via London, a similar length journey including a change in Helsinki. Like the Beckhams, many private jet customers will choose a combination of scheduled airline and private jet for a long range trip across continents. Travelling the whole distance by private jet would probably have been cost-prohibitive and unnecessary but by using a jet for the European leg, they would have saved several hours of travelling and connection time. 

Lufthansa realised this requirement to offer their long-haul first class passengers a connecting private jet to complete their journey to the final destination. After initially partnering with NetJets, Lufthansa now have their own a fleet of Citations and Challenger aircraft. Either strategy makes sense to an airline, as the important issue is offering the end customer a one-stop shop for both the commercial scheduled airline leg and the connecting private jet charter flight. We can expect post-recession, that many other airlines will start offering a private jet connecting service.

For a high profile celebrity, a private jet may be a frequent mode of transport when in full health. But private jets are particularly useful when a passenger is ill or injured. Not everyone has the option at their disposal of course, but there’s no question that the private jet experience – no queues, no hassles and of course the privacy and comfort offered onboard – would be first choice for most people in that situation if cost wasn’t a consideration. I’m often asked how much a journey would cost by private jet charter - in this case, to charter a medium jet from London to Turku return would cost around  EUR 17,000.

Let’s have a look at the contenders:

The Mustang

Features

• Market price tag of $2.9M
• 280+ produced
• First flown April 2005
• 4 Seat Configuration, of which 2 recline
• Max cruising speed 340 kts
• 9’10” long, 54 in high, 55 in wide
• 57 cu ft luggage capacity
• Range 1150 nm
• Take-off length 3115 ft
• Max weight landing distance 2380 ft 

Cessna’s Citation Mustang, built at Cessna’s Kansas production facility, leads the range of Very Light Jets and is designed to be economical and high performing, with the reassurance of Cessna’s excellent and longstanding reliability record. It has shorter take-off and landing distances than the Phenom – so it can access more airports. If cabin comfort is your priority however, then this has two reclining seats (not all four), lower luggage capacity and there is only an emergency ‘potty’ lavatory. The Mustang’s trump card is undoubtably its economy. This translates into very favourable charter rates and it’s a perfect aircraft for a trip for two to a near European destination such as London – Paris. On longer journeys its relatively low speed starts to have an impact on journey time, which might count against it for time-sensitive business passengers.

The Phenom 100

Features

• Market price tag of $3.6M
• 100+ produced
• First flown July 2007
• 4 Seat Configuration, all recline (can also carry 6 passengers with optional side facing seat and belted toilet)
• Max cruising speed 390 kts
• 11ft long, 59in high, 61in wide
• 62 cu ft luggage capacity
• Range 1196 nm
• Take-off length 3400 ft
• Max weight landing distance 2700 ft 

The Phenom 100 is classified as a VLJ (Very Light Jet) like the Mustang, but in many ways resembles the Small Jet class of aircraft. Founded in 1969, Brazil-based Embraer is now the world’s third largest aviation manufacturer.  The Phenom is undoubtedly a highly-impressive aircraft which addresses several of the Mustang’s limitations including passenger comfort and slightly improved avionics, at a slightly higher acquisition and operating cost. For the slightly longer journey and for superior comfort and luggage space, this may be the better aircraft choice. But there will be those who opt for the Mustang on practical grounds alone – the reliability of Cessna means that the Mustang is unlikely to have any any nasty surprises a few years downstream (like owning a Toyota!) and there are Cessna engineering facilities all over the globe.

So there is no clear-cut winner in terms of specification – they are both superb aircraft and different passenger priorities will determine the choice. But the real winner will be seen in terms of the predicted $200 billion in new aircraft orders as the industry recovers. Private aviation has always been the first aviation sector to show signs of a recession hitting but likewise it is a fantastic recovery stock for investors: In a recovery, a smart business will jump onboard a private jet when it sees an opportunity to get the client. I don’t doubt manufacturers will see an increase in orders for these VLJs and the Phenom and the Mustang will fight it out side by side. PrivateFly will have a ringside seat…

In my view the FBO should look to involve local businesses as much as possible in its operation – therein good networking potential arises and keeps the private jet airfield top of mind in the local community. This means trying to use local services such as hotels and catering, building firms, taxis for crew, limos for passengers, laundry/dry cleaning services etc. And why not take down those aircraft photos and have some artwork from local artists and even display some (tasteful) local produce in the lounge? If there are no local hotels, speak to the tourist information and give pilots recommendations of high quality B&Bs. Most would prefer to stay local than travel further to an anonymous corporate hotel. With the potential bonus of a kindly landlady who would wash and iron shirts and cook you a hearty dinner from local produce, rather that than yet another club sandwich. Or perhaps I’m getting carried away here…! But you see my point.

Other ways of interaction could be visits to schools and other educational establishments in the area. Teach them early that business aviation is not a luxury but a time saving necessity for business. Get involved with local events and encourage the community to support business aviation. Raise the profile of the industry and show that business aviation can have a light footprint and a large wallet. Hopefully local business people will respond.

Excellent FBOs I’ve come across which embrace their local communities include Service People in Hamburg, Grafair Jet Center in Stockholm and Airline Support Executive in Kastrup Copenhagen. It would be interesting to hear about other trailblazers out there…

CONCEPCION CARRIEL SUR INTL
Concepcion, Chile
ICAO :SCIE
IATA :CCP
Runway Distance : 7550 ft

CHILLAN GEN BERNARD OHIGGI
Chillan, Chile
ICAO :SCCH
IATA :YAI
Runway Distance :5740 ft

LOS ANGELES MARIA DOLORES
Los Angeles, Chile
ICAO :SCGE
IATA :LSQ
Runway Distance :5577 ft

TEMUCO MAQUEHUE
Temuco, Chile
ICAO :SCTC
IATA :ZCO
Runway Distance :5577 ft

To view these airports on a map, go to http://www.privatefly.com/private-jet-airport-locater.html

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Chile.

It’s great that these kinds of awards exist to recognise businesses that are growing and trying to do things differently. Congratulations to all the other winners – we were in good company!

This is brand-damaging stuff for the airlines but private aviation is getting a real boost. At PrivateFly.com we have seen a clear spike in enquiries for private jet charter over the last few days for routes serviced by Lufthansa and BA’s short haul services – and other industry contacts report the same pattern. Many enquiries are groups of 3 or 4 business executives travelling together - where a very real price per seat comparison can be made between private aviation charter and a business class ticket. Enquiries are also coming from existing private jet customers who retreated from private aviation in the recession but are now returning – especially after suffering delays and disruption to their own businesses using commercial airlines.

This is all good news for the private jet industry but the challenge is to convert these increased enquiries into business and to keep these customers coming back as we recover from recession. The private jet industry is changing and our aim must now be to provide customers with the transparency of pricing and ease of booking that they have come to rightfully expect from their other travel transactions – as well as maintaining the seamless and flexible VIP experience that private jets are known for.

In our category, the judges were looking for how a business has used innovation to transform their market. So many other markets have been transformed by the power of the internet - our mission is to the do the same for private jet charter.

Commenting on the win, Chairman of the Judges Andrew Areoff said: “The way the founders of PrivateFly have identified and exploited the niche market for private jet charter is admirable. They have enabled potential customers to quickly and easily compare prices and book flights via their online broker service which compares a large number of operators thereby making the market more transparent and accessible. This well thought through and executed proposition should establish itself as the market leading brand in the sector as it continues to grow and develop and as customer budget restrictions ease as we move out of recessionary times.”

Charging passengers for being over-weight is now the final straw that is breaking the back of common decency and respect in the industry. This fat tax has been served up by hungry board directors desperate to protect their own fat cat bonus, in a period of drastically slimmed down load factors. Not content with designing websites that deliberately leave in hidden insurance costs and extra baggage allowances (that even the most online savvy customer would require a thousand clicks to remove) the airlines continue the day light robbery…..check in fees…….forgotten your passport surcharges for domestic routes…..charging families for speedy boarding (often which puts you first on the transfer bus to be last off at the aircraft!)…….a scratch card Sir………double vodka with your breakfast Maam! Where does it end?

The conclusion for some heavy weights is to abandon the whole tiring and frustrating process and go private. Hiring a private jet is just that – you get the jet. Fill it to capacity or just fly on your own, the choice is yours; the price does not change. A quick check using www.privatefly.com will show you that for shorter flights it is not as expensive as you may think. PrivateFly prices are transparent and do not escalate from booking to boarding. One price, one aircraft, no scales.