If money were no object, you’d probably travel via a private jet, right? It’s a dream of many weary business travelers — no lines, nobody leaning their seat back, better choice of reading materials.
While private jet travel may not be an option for many of us, a March 2016 story in USA Today shows us we don’t have to let these myths keep us from exploring private jet service as an option.
Myth #1: You need to be mega rich or a celebrity to fly in a private jet. Nope. Most private planes you see at airports are actually owned by charter services and are used primarily by business people. While having access to a limitless expense account would help, JetSuite.com offers what it calls “Suite Deals,” starting at $500. Granted, it’s still going to cost you significantly more than a commercial flight, but when time is of the essence, price becomes a relative issue.
Myth #2: Private jets are grounded by weather just like commercial flights. In short, no. Because private jets can land at many, many more airports than commercial aircraft, their pilots can submit an alternate flight plan to go around the weather or above it or wait it out.
Myth #3: Private jets aren’t as safe as regular airplanes. This is a common myth held by many people. Safety standards are as scrupulously maintained for charter aircraft as they are for commercial planes. Mark Lefever, president and COO of Avjet, told USA Today “more passenger fatalities have occurred on scheduled commercial flights than on both charter and private jets.”
Myth #4: You still have to deal with TSA. This may be the single most appealing aspect of flying via private jet, given the ongoing saga with TSA and its long security lines. There are no security screenings, no metal detectors, not even a gate. You can drive up in your car, sometimes right to the hangar, and be in the air in no time.
Myth #5: Commercial airplanes are faster than private jets. Actually, it’s just the opposite. “The fastest passenger jets in the sky are private, depending on the model of jet flown,” Lefever says. “Private jets also fly above the commercial airlines and a lot of times the weather and turbulence that they incur.”
So, now you know that private jet flight is even better than you thought. Is this something you’ve done, or would consider trying? Do you have any interesting stories or thoughts? Share them with us in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or in our Twitter stream.
Photo credit: Pedro Aragão (Wikimedia, Creative Commons 3.0)