Private jets are the ultimate in efficient travel, providing the quickest means of getting to your destination without being tied to itineraries. We find out more about the options available. Flying privately puts you in control, allowing you to travel on your terms. You aren’t forced to get to the airport two hours before take-off to check your bags, nor do you have to stand around in passport or security queues, nor wait for the last passenger to board before you take off. There’s no hanging around while your suitcase makes its way around a carousel in baggage arrivals either.
Jonny Nicol is the founder and CEO of Stratajet, a revolutionary platform that offers fliers direct access to the private jet marketplace and the fastest means of booking aircraft. “The concept of Stratajet came from my love of flying and wanting to do something to change people’s perceptions of private jets,” he explains. “Since the inception of private aviation the industry has been plagued by inefficiencies, which have hiked up costs for the passenger, therefore creating an illusion of elitism.”
Mr Nicol believes that these have stemmed from the vastly complex process of booking a private jet. “Unlike commercial aircraft, which are bound by set schedules, the costs of private jet flights – by the nature of them being bespoke to customers’ travel requirements – all have to be calculated from scratch. There are an inordinate number of variables that go into these calculations and it takes the most experienced aircraft operator the best part of half an hour to come up with a quote.”
After serving in the British Armed Forces, Mr Nicol spent time as a freelance pilot and realised how these inefficiencies were preventing private jets from being seen as a valid means of transport. “So, I set about building a technology that could streamline the booking process,” he says. “It took five years to programme the necessary algorithm but, ultimately, Stratajet was the result. All customers need do is use the Stratajet app or visit Stratajet.com and enter where they’re going from and to, date and time of travel and number of passengers – the system does the rest.
“Results of around 50 available aircraft will be displayed in seconds, with the options automatically filtered according to best price. Customers can also customise the search according to a specific aircraft size if they wish. Once a selection is made, you can book instantly with a credit card, bank transfer or via Apple Pay; we are the only platform that offers that instant means of booking online, with no need to rely on a broker to confirm travel arrangements.
“Every time a customer conducts a search, the Stratajet technology makes upwards of 2.5 million calculations in about 10 seconds to return accurate costs of aircraft. We have aircraft from hundreds of operators across Europe built into the system. These range from twin-prop aircraft and very light jets (VLJs), such as the popular Citation Mustang, to larger, longer-range aircraft, like the Gulfstream G650 or Bombardier Global 6000. With the wide range of aircraft available, we regularly see prices that beat business class per person. We’re able to charge the lowest commission in the industry and the average booking via the Stratajet app is around £6,000.
“In Europe alone there are only 500 airfields that are used by commercial aircraft but there are over 2,100 available to private jets. This means if you fly privately there are often airfields closer to your destination. Customers can enter their postcode of where they are travelling to and from and the Stratajet system will make the relevant calculations, factoring in the time it takes to get to the airport and where aircraft are based that best suit their needs. It will also work backwards to calculate the ideal departure time from home or the office.”
Fully owned fleet
Launched in 2004, VistaJet has become the first and only global business aviation company. Since then, relying on a global infrastructure operating 24/7, it has flown 300,000 passengers on over 150,000 flights to 187 countries – or 96% of the world.
VistaJet was built with a view of changing the shortcomings in service, reach and efficiency of what was available within the industry at that time. Offering guaranteed availability, a consistent cabin, unparalleled service, global reach and access to an entire fleet with no positioning fees, VistaJet’s aim was to simplify flying private. Customers are able to access an entire fleet, and fly anywhere and anytime without the asset risk of being bound to owning a jet.
Having started with two aircraft operating in Europe, its fleet grew to over 70 aircraft by 2017. After successfully expanding into Asia and the Middle East, in 2013 VistaJet entered the US market which continues to stand as its largest growth market. Catering to customers’ flying patterns and needs, VistaJet’s fully owned fleet of branded super-midsize and large cabin aircraft consists of Challenger 350, 605 and 850 aircraft, in addition to Global 5000 and 6000 jets.
The Global 6000, seating up to 14 passengers with seven sleeping positions, is considered the most advanced and accomplished long-range premium aircraft. Its combination of light and space provide the ultimate en route productivity environment. It can fly up to 13 hours non-stop, with a typical route for customers being London to Hong Kong. The Challenger 605, seating up to 12 passengers, is an impressive intercontinental jet with outstanding mission flexibility, granting corporate and government leaders with the widest cabin in its category.
Customers can fly with VistaJet through two solutions, Program and Direct. The innovative Program model is the flight-hour subscription plan tailored around each corporation or individual’s flying requirements. This offers guaranteed access to the entire fleet, anytime and anywhere in the world supported by a global team consisting of 1,000 aviation experts of over 50 nationalities.
The fastest way to start flying VistaJet is with Direct where customers can request a flight directly through the VistaJet app and the 24/7 sales team, with preferential rates on empty legs and one-way flights, based on aircraft availability. Providing that the runway is long enough and the region is safe to travel to, VistaJet is able to fly clients wherever and whenever they wish. The most experienced crews are trained to fly to the hardest to reach destinations that require additional accreditation, such as mountainous regions or secluded islands.
Everything is taken care of from the crew, catering, slot access, maintenance, safety and on-board entertainment to allow members to focus on what is really important to them on the ground and in flight. This simple business model is geared to allow members to be at more meetings in more locations within the shortest period of time.