Jet Cards have been around for over 2 decades and while the originator of the “Jet Card” concept has been the source of much debate, the prominence of these programs as an alternative to aircraft ownership or fractional ownership has continued to rise particularly in the last decade.
The Jet Card, essentially a pre-paid debit card balance for private jets, is typically characterized by gaining guaranteed access to a jet with relatively short notice. Most programs require a 24-hour booking window such as Wheels Up and Jet Linx, while other brands like Sentient Jet and Nicholas Air contractually get airplanes to their customers with as little as 10-hour notice. As mentioned in an earlier post, no two programs are built exactly the same and the booking rules, the process of booking an aircraft, and the associated costs are all factors that vary from company to company.
For the experienced private traveler, the process can be seamless and relatively easy to get started. For the traveler that is new to private jet programs and jet cards in particular, the process can be as clear as mud. One thing however is certain, and that is that Jet Cards have become a frequently used tool in light of the lack of popularity in aircraft ownership or fractional programs. While some businesses need the asset to offset tax liabilities and thus go that route, the vast majority of flyers don’t have that same need.
Many flyers have owned before and decided that having their own flight department is too labor-intensive. The fractional ownership model, ripe with over-inflation of costs and capital requirements, is terribly flawed, so much so that major brands in that space have completely overhauled their companies to account for the shift away from the fractional model.
As we continue to bring updates around the Jet Card industry, you will see that one of the primary reasons for its popularity is the flexibility of the program. The ability to book multiple classes of aircraft, avoidance of equity ownership in aircraft, and the low-risk path to private travel are all benefits that the top-tier Jet Card programs offer to their clients.
