This is the life. After flying commercial for every business trip during the last 35 years, you have now realized how the other half lives. You never realized, in fact, how many different types of private jets there were. After retirement, however, you landed a consulting job with a company that requires so much travel they employ three of their own pilots. With a corporate jet that is used for most of the trips, you have found that there are many benefits to executive private jet charters. Two of the pilots the company works with, however, fly their own planes, so while you are typically on the company owned jets, you have also been on at least two different types of private jets.
You are not building up all of the travel points that you used to earn when you were flying commercially for your other jobs, but this new mode of transportation is something you could definitely get used to. Arriving at the airport just a few minutes before departure, not having to wait through an hour long security line, being able to fly to and from your destination in the same day are just a few of the perks of leaving commercial flying for everyone else.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the private jet industry and the impact that it has both on individual travelers, as well as the nation’s economy:
- One of the biggest advantages of flying on a private jet is that they can land at many more airports. Landing closer to your actual destination cuts down on other costs like rental cars and long taxi rides.
- 33% of all business aircraft flights are into a secondary airport, while only 19% of flights are into large commercial airports where you have to deal with large crowds.
- 11,261 private jets were registered in the U.S. by the year 2011.
- Partly due to the availability of land, America leads the world in private jet air traffic, with more than 50% f private jet travel. Coming in second is Europe with 20%. The Asia-Pacific region as well as Central and South America are in third place with 12% each.
- Respondents to a 2009 survey indicated that they are 20% more productive on a company aircraft than when they are in the office.
Once you have had the chance to fly on a private jet, it is difficult to go back to the world of commercial flights.