Mental Floss

You Can Now Hop a Private Jet For Just $109

By Caitlin Schneider

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Private jets are pretty much the pinnacle of luxury (OK, aside from maybe yachts and everything on Cribs). Now, a public charter operator is making them accessible for all. That’s right, it’s time to live out those champagne dreams just like you always knew you were meant to.

California-based JetSuite is rolling out affordable jet travel for short, West Coast flights with fares starting at just $109 for a one-way trip (that will get you to Buchanan Field Airport, about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank). Tickets for JetSuiteX flights are on sale starting this week, and while they only offer a limited set of departures and destinations, more are set to be added in the coming year. The top-tier price for a one-way flight is about $300.

The flights offer business class-style seats and a 36-inch seat pitch (the distance between a point on one seat to the same point on the seat in front of or behind it). Other cushy perks include free Wi-Fi and streaming inflight entertainment, beamed right to your personal electronic device.

“It’s a private jet-style experience for the price of an airline seat,” JetSuite CEO Alex Wilcox told Condé Nast Traveler.

Perhaps best of all, JetSuite wants to help you avoid the worst thing about air travel: fellow travelers. By employing terminals usually reserved for private air travel, you can avoid the crowds and even the TSA, through there are still security screenings. To further feed the thrifter in you, the flights will even get you points on JetBlue.

Before you get too invested in actualizing that long-held fantasy of flying like a celebrity, know that these jets don’t fall under the literal definition of "private." JetSuite is in the process of acquiring 10 Embraer E135 regional jets, which are designed to hold 30 seats.

With the service, JetSuite hopes to exploit a potential market interested in smaller airports and shorter flights. While the company hopes to appeal largely to business travelers, affordable fares and the ability to check-in 15 minutes before take take-off are the kind of features everyone will like.

[h/t Condé Nast Traveler]