Understanding fractional jet Cards

It's no surprise to regular travellers that flying in a private jet is more comfortable than globe-trotting on commercial flights. However, owning a private jet is prohibitive to all but the most wealthy travellers, with the average retail price ranging from £1,844,000 to almost £5,000,000. Of course, renting a private air charter can significantly cut this investment. Still, it can cost as much as £2,000 for every hour of flight time spent on a small private jet. A new option, fractional jet cards, is becoming a viable and affordable alternative to private jet hire.

What is a fractional jet card?

Fractional jet cards have done for flying what the timeshare did for holiday travel. Instead of being solely responsible for the cost and upkeep of a property, a group of people buy into a mutual ownership, sharing both the responsibility and benefits. A fractional jet card does largely the same thing, except the property is a private jet. There is also an added benefit to using a fractional jet card - besides the purchase price of your card, there is no further obligation or contract, making it even more convenient for travellers.

How does it work?

Most fractional jet cards provide access to private air charter by selling bundles that include a certain number of travel hours. The cards are generally loaded with hours ranging from 20 to 35. The private jets of each particular fractional jet fleet have specific processes for booking, but most provide access to available flights 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Different flights will debit different numbers of hours from the fractional jet card. A smaller jet, for example, may debit hour-for-hour, while a larger, full-featured flight may cost more. Each cardholder, however, knows what each flight 'costs' in card hours when they book. Once the flight is booked, the hours are debited from the prepaid card.

Is this a new concept?

Fractional jet fleets have been around since about 2001, when the Marquis Jet Card became the first service available to the public for chartering private jets in this way. The Marquis Jet Card works in partnership with NetJets. Other cards use Cessna and Bombardier jets as partners.

Pros and cons

Buying a fractional jet card is much cheaper than buying a private jet. It is also more affordable than private jet hire. Most fractional jet cards let the traveller maintain control of all aspects, including the type of jet, flight time and amenities included. It's also reported that the jets used in fractional jet fleets are more up-to-date than most private air charter services.

While there are plenty of good reasons to choose a fractional jet card, this option is still much more expensive than commercial flying, making it prohibitive for many standard travellers. In addition, increased interest in this method of travel means that many companies are placing restrictions on card use. You may pay more for travelling more or for requesting flights that have a high demand. Also, keep in mind that these smaller private jets may not have the ability to transport numerous pieces of luggage, especially if you have large items.