Time Savings Drive Private Aviation Choices as Operators Add Larger Cabins, Starlink Wi-Fi and Curated Experiences
Why It MattersOperators are competing on onboard experience, connectivity and cabin size rather than price alone, as the buyer base increasingly comes from airline passengers weighing time against cost.
Time savings is the main reason travelers choose private or charter aviation, according to David Drabinsky, president of JSX, and Doug Gollan, editor in chief of Private Jet Card Comparisons. Gollan said a recent study by his publication found that 90 percent of private aviation users also fly on airlines, and 90 percent cite time savings as their motivation. That includes access to 5,000 airports versus fewer than 500 major-market airports with scheduled airline service, and flying non-stop.
JSX, founded in 2016, has added the ATR 42 turboprop to its fleet, expanding access to more private airports. It seats 30, like many other JSX aircraft, but has a wider and taller cabin (6 feet 3 inches or 6 feet 4 inches versus 6 feet 1 inch) and upgraded interiors. Drabinsky said guests who arrive at least 20 minutes before departure get Illy coffee, snacks and a place to freshen up, and that JSX keeps its lounges understated to hold per-person prices low. He cited a couple who chartered two planes to carry 60 wedding guests to a surprise destination.
Improved in-flight Wi-Fi from providers such as Starlink is a major trend, according to Gollan and Drabinsky. Gollan said NetJets, Flexjet and FlyExclusive have announced Starlink, while Gogo and others offer competing services. Not all private or charter flights have Wi-Fi; some operators include it in charter or jet card pricing and others charge by usage.
Ben Klein, CEO of Los Angeles-based Aero, said 40 percent of Aero's guests would otherwise fly their own plane or charter. Aero lets clients book a single seat, sources refreshments from Erewhon and Veuve Clicquot, has Nancy Silverton designing a three-course tasting menu for its flight to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, and offers hotel packages with Aman New York and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. Flexjet offers LXi cabins with Riva and Bentley collaborations, VistaJet has chef and restaurant partnerships, in-flight beauty treatments and children's programming, and StellaExperiences launched in February with an inaugural flight on a 19-seat aircraft from Addison Airport in Dallas to a Seattle Seahawks–New England Patriots championship game in San Francisco.
Klein advised vetting charter operators for safety ratings and route expertise, ideally using an owner-operator. Gollan advised choosing an aircraft that can fly non-stop with the planned passengers and luggage, using an experience broker, and considering a stand-up cabin, since lavatories can be cramped on jets with cabin height of 5 feet or less.
