nauel Private Planes Aren’t Just For The Jet Set (NAPS)—Traveling by private jet isn’t just for movie stars and millionaires anymore. More people are chartering private jets than ever before, and the cost is surprisingly reasonable when several people travel together. In addition, “business jets” aren’t just for business anymore. People are increasingly chartering luxurious six- to eight-passenger jets for leisure trips such as ski weekendsand golf getaways. According to a study sponsored by Skyjet, the first online service for booking business jets, higher prices for full coach andfirst-class airline tickets have placed charter jets within reach of more travelers. The study showed an average full coach fare increase of 16 percent andfirst-class increase of 22 percent in a one-year period, in contrast with an estimated three percent increase in charterprices. “The gap between full airline fares and charter costs is getting smaller,” said Trevor Cornwell, Skyjet founder and chief executive officer. “As airline on-time performance and service continueto disappoint travelers, we are seeing more interest in chartering businessjets.” Charter jets are not competitive with excursion fares and will never be a travel bargain. However, with six to eight people traveling, a private jet may cost roughly the same as six to eight full coach fares that airlines generally charge for last-minute travel. Private charter jets are an alternative to crowded, highpriced airline flights. But most people are chartering business Private charter jets are an increasingly popular alternative to crowdedairline flights. jets because they simply want the advantages of comfort, privacy andthe flexibility to go when you want to go. Private jets mean avoiding crowded airports, airline flight delays and inconvenient schedules. Instances in which travelers may want to consider charter flights include: Short and medium-length trips with more than five people flying to the samedestination; Travel that requires flying through multiple airports to reach an out-of-the-way location; Last-minute trips where travelers would otherwise pay full coach fares; Luxury trips where travelers would otherwise payfirst-class fares. Washington, D.C.-based Skyjet provides one-way, round-trip and multi-leg reservations throughits network of preferred charter operators. The company can be found at www.skyjet.com or 1-8882SKYJET. The complete study is available on thesite.
