If you’ve heard of private jets cards, but you’re not quite sure what they are, this brief guide is for you. We describe the two types of private jet card membership, and the top three reasons why they’re worth the investment. This might be especially valuable if you are planning to jet charter in Van Nuys California.
What is a Private Jet Membership?
Put simply, a private jet card is a pre-payment card for private jet charter and offers guaranteed flights. Alternatively, you might wish to get your own private jet quotes.
There are two main types: of jet cards
Flight Access Hours Jet Cards
This original style of jet card is still popular, allowing you to pre-purchase flight hours at a fixed hourly rate. Typically, you have to pre-purchase 25 hours or more, but some cards have just a 10-hour minimum. You then ‘spend’ these hours when you fly.
Deposit Jet Cards
With deposit cards, rather than buying flight hours, you deposit a specified amount (e.g., $150,000) upfront. The cost of your flight is deducted each time you fly. Flight pricing can be dynamic or capped.
Three Top Reasons Why It’s Worth Buying a Private Jet Card
Private jet card memberships vary in what they offer, but these three benefits are universal to all of them. You might also wish to try one of the best charter airlines in UK.
Priority Access to a Curated List of Aircraft
When you use on-demand chartering, private jet rental may be difficult to arrange at short notice or peak times, and if you can, you may have to compromise on your choice of airport or plane.
Jet card programs guarantee flights and provide access to a larger fleet of planes. However, bear in mind that they usually restrict you to a certain category of a plane. If you think you may need to use different categories of aircraft often, check to see how you would access them and what the fees would be before choosing a jet card.
Premium Service
Jet cards offer a premium service and jet card holders are prioritized. There may be additional membership benefits too. A quality jet broker will offer a choice of jet cards and the ability to tailor your membership to your exact needs (journey time, aircraft class, flying hours, additional included services, etc.).
Guaranteed and Cost-Effective Pricing for Every Flight
With private jet cards, there are no surprises; you know your flight costs upfront, making budgeting for travel easy. Also, private jet card members only pay for flight time. With on-demand chartering, you usually pay for pilot wait time, landing and repositioning fees, and sometimes, return legs.
Private Jet Membership: The Ideal Solution for Frequent Private Flyers
Private jet cards offer a high level of convenience. Plus, if you fly privately for more than 25 hours a year, they’re almost guaranteed to be more cost-effective than on-demand chartering. Before choosing your first jet card, though, be aware that some cards:
- have restrictions, such as certain dates (e.g., holidays) or destinations that aren’t covered
- have expiry dates, meaning unused hours or funds are lost if they’re unused
- have additional fees, e.g., for cancellations or monthly charges.
This means you need to think about your flight needs over the upcoming months and ideally, opt for a card that offers you flexibility. For example, Paramount Business Jets offer three private jet card membership programs – Emerald, Gold, and Platinum. You can choose the right one for you, and a dedicated Advisor then tailors the card to your aircraft, service, and catering needs.
Their programs offer access to aircraft worldwide, 365 days a year, with no additional fees. While they do have aircraft category restrictions, they also allow you to charter any size aircraft, on as little as 4 hours’ notice, on a per-trip basis. This provides the flexibility that many private jet cards lack. Plus, there are no expiration dates, and unused card deposits are refundable.
If you fly privately regularly, and/or you often need to charter flights at peak times, short notice, or both, then consider a jet card. It really is the most cost-effective and convenient way for frequent private flyers to travel.
