All the Perks of Private Air Travel, None of the Broker Drama

A new service is out to make securing a private jet as easy as ordering a ride or reserving a short-term rental.

Jettly has recently launched a new booking platform that functions “just like Expedia,” according to CEO Justin Crabbe.

That’s a significant change for the often-insular world of private jet charters. For all the glitz and glamour private jets offer, actually booking one can often be tedious — filled with phone calls and emails between middlemen and brokers that can drag on for hours.

“The typical private jet broker model is reminiscent of the ’90s, before the Airbnbs and Ubers of the world,” says Crabbe in an interview.

Introducing Jettly’s Innovative Booking Platform

Enter Jettly’s latest innovation: a brand-new platform that centralizes everything needed to charter a private jet, anywhere in the world, onto an easily navigable dashboard familiar to anyone who has booked travel online. Although currently in beta, it is fully functional and builds on Jettly’s five-year experience in private aviation.

“It’s designed for a millennial mindset,” says Crabbe, emphasizing that he belongs to this demographic. “We don’t want to be tied to brokers; we want things done quickly — or yesterday.”

The platform operates similarly to Google Flights, Expedia, or Kayak, with a few adjustments reflecting the unique nature of private aviation.

Simply input your departure point and destination along with your travel dates, and Jettly will gather pricing data from multiple operators, displaying various types of jets with highlighted policies and options. Additionally, Jettly provides customer reviews to aid decision-making.

While the primary goal of the platform is to ensure a seamless booking process, Jettly also offers personalized assistance through a private jet concierge. The modern touch? They will text you for communication, accommodating those who prefer messaging over calls.

The Rise in Demand for Private Aviation

Private aviation has experienced a significant surge in demand since the pandemic began. However, Crabbe notes that consumers are eager to invest in private flights for reasons beyond simply avoiding crowded airports.

Increasingly, the trips arranged by Jettly are for leisure, although corporate travelers are also returning to private flights now that business travel is picking up. “Typically, it’s a 50-50 split between business and leisure, personal travel has been more prevalent lately,” Crabbe indicates.

“It’s astonishing how high the demand is,” he adds, mentioning that Jettly now handles around 15,000 requests each month.

Despite the considerable costs involved — with the average flight booked through Jettly priced at approximately $35,000 — the average flight duration is usually between three to four hours. When shared among eight passengers, the per-person cost can approach that of first-class tickets on certain routes.

The true advantage of private flying, Crabbe emphasizes, lies in the remarkable flexibility it provides. He illustrates this with a hypothetical flight from New York to Miami, which would entail an hour of travel to the airport, two hours of waiting, and a three-hour flight. In contrast, he suggests that a private departure from Teterboro Airport, a quick drive or helicopter ride from Midtown Manhattan, would have travelers landing in Florida before takeoff from JFK.

Importantly, some customers delight in extravagant trips that are otherwise unattainable. “We’ve even had requests for flights transporting people’s pets across the globe,” Crabbe shares. “When I say we’ve seen it all, I truly mean it.”