Why Is There an Increased Demand for Charter Jets?

In recent months, the demand for private jets has continually increased. Why are more people chartering private jets? From industry growth to increased accessibility, flying private has never been more popular. If you're curious about chartering private flights, you may find that now's the best time ever to try it out.

Continue reading to learn more about the private jet demand and how flying private can benefit you.

1. Industry Booms

A time existed when only the wealthiest individuals could afford private air travel. In other words, individuals who hardly felt the financial hit of flying in a private jet seemed to be the only ones utilizing that form of transportation. Those who could afford private flights but didn't travel often opted to take commercial flights instead so they could save money. The world of jetting off on a private plane was limited to a select few.

But then, circumstances changed. When the novel virus known as COVID-19 was declared an international pandemic, the air travel industry was one of the first to suffer heavy financial losses. Both stay-at-home mandates and worry about spreading the virus caused airplane travel to decrease drastically across sectors. 

As the months went by and people were ready to start traveling again, would-be commercial passengers with money to spare sought safer, more private options. These individuals began seeing the luxury of private travel as a worthy investment. That's because they could skip the lines at busy airports and avoid sitting shoulder to shoulder with others during the flight. Therefore, the extra money for a private flight — and the extra safety it offered — was well worth the financial cost.

When asked about the continued demand increase in private jet flying, Jessie Naor, the CEO of GrandView Aviation, gave some information from inside the industry. 

"Over the last year with COVID, a lot of people have really been prioritizing their health and safety," said Naor. "In the commercial airline business, there isn't a sense of privacy. There are a lot more touchpoints, and you're more exposed to COVID and other health risks that you aren't exposed to in the private jet service."

On the other hand, flying private offers a different experience. Naor noted that when you fly private, you "drive right up to the airplane, you drop your bag, you're in the plane with people you know and love, and then you're back on the ground."

It's an easy, safe and convenient process that customers are going to want to continue experiencing, according to Naor. And part of the reason why has to do with the value of time. "While flying private is more expensive, it's one of the only ways you can buy time, " said Naor. "And depending on who you are, your time might be worth a lot."

2. Shortages

As Naor pointed out, more people are flying private than ever before. This trend has given rise to another phenomenon — private jet shortages, much of which has to do with timing.

Many charter jet companies manage their fleets, which means the aircraft belongs to private pilots. These pilots let the charter companies use their jets during the off-season, but they'll fly their jets themselves during peak periods to make more money. The problem is that demand increases during peak periods, leaving charter companies with jet shortages.
 

The good news is that companies like GrandView Aviation can answer the call when the need arises. "Some of the larger players have contracted with us and other charter services to fly their passengers when we have availability," said Naor. This spells good news for smaller charter companies and passengers alike. 

GrandView Aviation is able to do this because, unlike some of the larger companies, they own their own fleet. "At GrandView Aviation, we own our own aircraft, so we're in complete control of how many we have and how many people we can accommodate," said Naor. "A lot of other companies might be brokers that don't own their own airplanes, so they're at the will of the market and what they can or can't get. We know exactly what we can offer to our clients."

But with the increased workload on charter companies, the question of whether the supply of charter jet flights can meet the demand for them comes to light. Unless charter jet companies can step up their game, the looming possibility of flight delays will remain a pressing issue.

3. Delays

Before the pandemic, people could rely on private jets as a surefire way to skip the long lines of airports and avoid the unpredictability of flight delays and cancellations. While such benefits are still prevalent, they're less guaranteed now.

Fortunately, hope may be in sight. This scenario is the perfect storm for private jet manufacturers, which now have the opportunity to make a fortune meeting the high demand for their products. Since charter companies are eager to buy more jets, manufacturers are sure to make the most of their chance for greater sales. There's now the opportunity for growth across the charter jet industry, which Naor is prepared to embrace for GrandView Aviation.

"We have an aggressive growth plan for 2022," mentioned Naor. "We are hiring 70 additional pilots, plus 20 or more operations and maintenance support personnel." Additionally, she plans to expand her company's reach and fleet. "We are adding up to three or four new United States bases and doubling our fleet size of late-model Embraer Phenom 300s." 

With such amazing growth, more people should be able to charter the private flights they need in the new year.

4. Memberships

Furthermore, membership opportunities are rising across charter jet companies. Having a membership makes private flying more approachable for new and experienced private flyers alike. For instance, GrandView Aviation offers two jet card memberships that give flyers great incentives to keep flying private:

• Altitude Miles Program: This free rewards program lets members earn rewards toward catering and flight credits. Altitude Miles members can also enjoy more flexibility than nonmembers when it comes to canceling and scheduling flights. GrandView Aviation will credit any cancelation fees to go toward a future flight, sans one-way flight cancelations.
• Altitude Plus Miles Program: With this program, members pay $150,000 for an automatic 10% discount on all flights, even if just one member is on board. Plus, for the 70 most popular routes, members receive ADDITIONAL savings of up to 15%. With each flight, members earn rewards for catering, flight credits and other perks and enjoy flexible cancellations where the flight's cost will be credited to their account. Plus, for every flight day with GrandView, members receive a $200 catering credit.

Both membership tiers will have access to GrandView Aviation's promise of flexible scheduling and consistent flights, 24 hours a day. 

 GrandView Aviation Is Ready to Help You Fly Private for Your Next Trip
 

Going forward, more and more people are going to choose flying private over flying commercial. "We don't see the demand going down," Naor explained. "Previously, private flying was seen a bit as a luxury. But it's not a luxury anymore for a lot of people. It's about protecting their families, protecting their employees, and generally, getting somewhere faster. Over the next three to five years, the demand is going to keep increasing because people realize the value of private aviation."

At GrandView Aviation, setting the new standard in private aviation is our mission. Let us share the benefits of private flying with you — we offer luxury transportation at more affordable prices than the competition. Whether you're an experienced flyer or you want to try private flying for the first time, we hope you'll choose GrandView Aviation for your flying needs.

Feel free to request a quote online to get a better idea of our pricing or contact us today for more information!