Shaircraft CEO, James Butler, recently lent his expertise to DemoDirt.com’s “Affluent” section, explaining that private air travel is becoming “less of a luxury and more of a necessity.”
In addition to the obvious appeal of flying privately (access to more airports, flying when you want and the peace of mind of knowing who’s on the plane), Butler points out that new options offering lower price points also are attracting new customers. “We’re seeing very light jets becoming less expensive, and a rise in air taxi services, which is a hybrid of scheduled and private air travel. For instance, you can book a seat to Nantucket, or to Martha’s Vineyard. Also, there are jet cards and block charter programs in which you buy a certain number of flight hours. And, of course, there’s fractional ownership in which you actually own a share of a plane.”
Butler notes that, “The industry is not settled, and there are now lots of ways to get into it. We’ll see who’s going to succeed.” But, he adds, “Once people fly privately, it is hard to go back to the Delta counter.”
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