Private jet travel in the past was only available to billionaires and for the rich and famous, but nowadays flight costs are down by 30% to 50%, making them more accessible than ever. Thanks to logical and down-to-earth reasons as well as never before considered benefits such as less exposure to health risks, more people choose flying private than before.

First-class flights and private jets are offering a level of comfort, privacy, and service for the privilege of boarding. While both sound luxurious and exclusive, there are obvious differences between flying on a private jet and flying firstclass on a commercial airline. 

For successful people, time and comfort is an essence. Chartering a private jet allows them to maximise their time both on the origin and destination locations. Flying private also allows  to minimise the number of hours spent at the airport and travelling. Comparing this to the first-class ticket, where you have to adjust to the timetable and route of the commercial airline and to the hustle and discomfort of the crowded airport security procedures that people who fly commercial airlines have to go through, makes private jets a more compelling choice.

Private jets are also targeting customers of the high-end travel industry, offering a great deal of luxury and convenience through a tailored onboard experience.

When it comes to costs, flying individually or with a group costs the same, since the entire plane is at your  disposal. You do not only set your own flight timetable but  also control who boards the flight, whether they  are friends, family, or colleagues in the case of corporate travel.

However, long trips require a larger, more expensive plane with a bigger range. This is when first-class commercial tickets can be a good alternative option due to the considerably cheaper price on long-distance travel. 

Generally speaking, there are five bold arguments for private jets:

1. Flexibility

Flying privately, on-demand is a great time saver thanks to the flexible schedule determined by you, especially when it comes to  the value of a person’s time. Private jets get their clients to their location faster and they do not have to deal with layovers, employee strikes, and flight changes.

The reliability factor is important as well, eliminating the risk that some people cannot get to an important meeting or conference because a commercial flight has been  canceled. Since the pandemic, we are in times when travel policies constantly change, therefore the agility of private travel is more beneficial than ever. 

Private jets can be available even at a few hours of notice and take-off can be rescheduled at short notice to suit unexpected longer meetings or accommodate possible changes of plan.

Customers who fly privately also have the luxury of bringing a lot more with them with flexible weight allowance to their destinations. This includes pets, sporting equipment, instruments, liquids, product samples, and other bulky items that do not easily fit on commercial aircraft.

2. Cost-effectiveness

Chartering a private jet can be as low as 1,300 USD per flying hour. Of course, this can be higher depending on many factors, such as the distance and the selected airport.

On a commercial aircraft, you pay per seat. Four passengers mean four times the price. Compared to this flying privately you rent the full plane. So if you want to bring someone with you or even a group of colleagues or friends, their travel will be cost-free.

Ultra-high-net-worth individuals often  work while traveling and private jets offer them the space to do that. They can even work on sensitive information and documents in a secure environment, without the risk of people eavesdropping and corporate espionage.

One doesn’t have to own a private jet, countless private jet memberships are offering guaranteed access to shared fleets. Providers  offer monthly membership fees that make  cost planning more efficient.

We can also measure cost-effectiveness on time-saving which  is one of the most significant reasons for using private aircraft. You can arrive at the airport just minutes before your scheduled departure time, fly directly to your destination, and fly privately which allows you to conduct business while in the air, helping you to preserve the secrecy around important negotiations or deals.

3. Small airports

Commercial aircraft only have access to the largest airports, however, private jets have access to nearly ten times more airports with direct access to even remote destinations as they do not need  long runways. This means that when flying to attend a meeting well outside the nearest metropolitan airport, you can save significant round-trip driving time to the meeting location.

Being closer to your destination and having the flexibility to fly whenever you wish results in significant savings in both productive time and  money in terms of hotels and transport fees. This is especially useful for flights that normally would require  layover time.

It is also interesting to mention that private jets can fly higher than commercial planes, therefore they are not tied to the same hub-and-spoke networks commercial airlines use, so they can avoid the “air traffic”. Due to their abilities, private jets can also take advantage of better winds, avoiding adverse weather more quickly.

4. Security

By nature, private jets favour unmatched privacy and confidentiality. As a private customer, your security checks and waiting times are limited to the absolute minimum as the typical boarding process is less than 15 minutes from arrival to the airport. 

Flying privately offers you a high level of security and it also comes with benefits such as reducing the risk of losing your items in checked baggage.

Security also includes less exposure to health issues. For instance, since the beginning of the pandemic, HNW and UHNW individuals prefer private jets over commercial flights where they can be more likely infected with diseases. 

Statistically speaking, an average passenger on commercial flights goes through around 600 touchpoints, while private travellers only encounter 20 touchpoints. This means 30 times less exposure to  contagions of various health infections.

Multiple studies even argue that air travelling can be daunting with many suffering from the so-called “airport stress”, which is caused by long queues, the uncertainty of procedures, and crowds. Something that you will not experience by flying privately.

5. Comfort

Private planes provide individualised attention and a high level of privacy, plenty of space, luxury furnishings, premium gourmet catering, and the best entertainment systems. Some of the larger, mostly intercontinental private jets offer feature outstanding amenities such as a master bedroom and en-suite shower, making the flight time exceptionally comfortable and relaxing.

One of the most overlooked benefits is that private planes may provide easier access for elderly, handicapped, or injured travellers, as well as better accommodating wheelchairs and other equipment.

Private jets are also pet-friendly allowing the passengers to bring their four-legged friends to the cabin area where the temperature, pressure, and oxygen are not the same as in the cargo area. Therefore, fur babies can travel next to you in complete safety.

There is a sixth reason to fly with private jets, which is the individual and corporate image. In our world, travelling on private jet projects the image of a successful individual or organisation that values time and can afford private air travel.

To recap, private jet travel offers a very special experience as it saves time, allows flexibility in  complete comfort and privacy. Private jets can take you anywhere and some bigger private jets have even a bigger fuel capacity to make intercontinental flights. But the industry is much more than this.

Private jets are often first responders in a crisis with 38% of pilots saying they flew humanitarian missions in the past years. The Corporate Angel Network, specialising in bringing cancer patients closer to their cure, works with over 500 companies that own private jets, making empty seats available to fly cancer patients for treatment. An astonishing number of over 60,000 patients have flown since its founding in 1981.

One of the main critics that  private jets get in plenty of press is the carbon emissions. Even if private jets contribute just 2% of total aviation emissions, which works out to 0.04% of global emissions, the industry has committed to carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onward and a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. One of the key initiations is manufacturing sustainable aviation fuel, which will be able to cut carbon output by up to 80%.