Whether your travel getaway plans are to jet off to Anguilla or Aspen, the way you travel should be as distinguished as your final destination. Thanks to an array of new services, discerning travelers are making the leap from commercial first class to flying private without investing in their own Gulfstream. We’ve rounded up a few favorites so you travel in style and arrive well-rested wherever you’re headed next.
NetJets: As the original fractional ownership and jet rental company,
NetJets’ longevity is well earned. The company offers partial ownership in an array of jets, providing customers anywhere from 50 to 400 hours of service per year and planes available with as little as four hours of advance notice. Flight hours can also be purchased in 25-hour increments. For ultimate destination flexibility, NetJets can’t be beaten.
Black Jet: Dubbed the “Uber of private planes” and invested in by the likes of Jay-Z and Ashton Kutcher,
BlackJet has serious street cred. Users who pay the $5,000 annual membership fee can hail a private jet from an app on their phone, and prices are up to 80% less than what it would cost to charter the same flight. Members can book flights on popular routes, like New York to South Florida and Los Angeles to San Francisco. Members request flights between the open destinations on certain dates in three-hour windows from 7 am to 10 am and from 4 pm to 7 pm; seats are guaranteed immediately with exact departure times available 24-hrs in advance.
Blade: For New Yorkers looking to avoid traffic on the Long Island Expressway, there may be no better way to get to the Hamptons than by helicopter. The blade allows groups to book their choppers to the East Coast’s prime weekend hotspots, including Montauk and East Hampton. The new Blade Bounce is shuttling busy Manhattanites from the city to nearby airports, including JFK and LaGuardia. With flight times as fast as five minutes, you can be at your destination less than 20 minutes after requesting a charter through Blade’s app.
Wheels up!