Upscale Living - Fall 2007 

When you are standing in line at an airport after having paid a premium price for a last-minute flight only to arrive at your destination without your luggage, you may want to consider an alternative way to fly — private charter.

Cutbacks, security screenings, and added inconvenience have led to increased customer dissatisfaction. As a result, fractional ownership has become a viable alternative in the private aviation industry.

Imagine being able to sit back and relax, have a few drinks, and comfortably stretch out in leather seats while dining on “real” food. Obviously, the cost of a private charter plane is much more expensive than flying commercial, but there are numerous benefits that come with this investment. Having the opportunity to request a plane when you want and where you want without the hassles of large crowds and long lines has become priceless.

Chartering a private jet provides not only greater efficiency but also enables you to travel to more destinations without the pain of connections or layovers. While most commercial planes can reach only 500 airports worldwide, most private carriers have access to more than 6,000. Members are also able to select the specific size of jet and category of aircraft they need for each flight. More and more people are choosing private charters as they can be booked on short notice and are guaranteed available — weather-permitting - year round.

Some aircraft operate at more than 200 miles per hour with a luxury interior and advanced technological features that include everything from live navigation, weather radar and whole-airplane parachute systems.

Sentient Jet, headquartered in Weymouth, Mass., offers a TravelCard Membership account where members can choose from one of two programs (silver requires a $100,000 deposit and gold level requires a $250,000 deposit). All funds are held in an account for future flights, which are debited based on actual flight time and do not expire.

Fractional aircraft ownership has become a growing trend in recent years. More and more members are realizing how easy it has become to travel safely and easily, not to mention on your schedule. NetJets, which founded the fractional jet business, offers packages where you can purchase, finance or lease a fractional share in sizes starting at 1/16 (50 hours per year) or a Marquis Jet Card that offers 25 hours at a time. Hours can be exchanged between jet types in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East at a pre-determined, fixed ratio. In addition, NetJets collaborates with Mayo Clinic to provide medical assistance to owners while traveling.

rough the University of Pennsylvania’s Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital, NetJets owners also have 24-hour/365-days-a-year access to veterinary care for their pets anywhere in the United States. Today’s private jet charters will customize a program that works best for your family or business. In some technologically advanced aircraft, DirecTV and broadband wireless Internet access are available.

Studies have tracked usage by passengers traveling on private jet aircraft have revealed dramatic time savings. For those who use commercial airlines, many private aircraft passengers have recognized their time is a precious commodity and “gained” more than one month each year. For more information, visit www.netjets.com, and www.sentientjet.com.