An Alaska Airlines flight narrowly avoided disaster on Sunday after an off-duty pilot tried to shut off the plane's engines mid-air, according to authorities and the airline.
05.10.2023 - 10:17 / forbes.com
The average cost to charter a private jet is over $11,000 per hour. While I regularly receive press releases and pitches about flying privately on the cheap, most of these are not that cheap, at least to me.
For example, empty-leg flights, which can often be had for 30-50% off regular prices, are still expensive.
Between Miami, where I live, and New York, where I used to live, discounted empty legs are generally $10,000 to $15,000 or more each way.
The promoters say bring five of your friends, divide by six and it's not that expensive.
True, but the nature of these empty flights is they are generally marketed on short notice, so your friends have to be flexible.
They are also easy come, easy go.
Since the aircraft is repositioning after dropping off somebody who was paying the full freight or on the way to pick up the next customer who is paying retail, they can be changed if those customers switch plans or the provider finds a more efficient solution, assigning another aircraft for that next customer's trip.
Empty legs can, in fact, cancel while you are on your way to the airport.
At the same time, you need to plan for the expense of getting home and hotels.
Before being acquired by Wheels Up, Delta Private Jets had an excellent empty-leg program. It could be had on sale for as little as $6,000 per year.
You then could fly as many empty legs as you could grab for free. You logged in and when you saw a flight listed that you wanted, you clicked.
It was first-come, first-serve.
Wheels Up ended the program. Its empty leg product charges both a membership fee to join and for the repositioning flights, which in some cases are in the thousands of dollars.
However, there’s good news if you want to fly on private jets and can’t or don’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Vaunt is an offshoot of Volato, a 2021 start-up and the largest HondaJet operator in the world.
Here's how it works.
You download the app and pay a $1,000 annual membership (so it's not quite free), but then you can fly on its empty legs at no additional cost.
I was invited to join at the beginning of the summer as part of a group of guinea pigs.
I paid the standard membership and have been trying it out in advance of the formal launch, which is expected in the next few days.
Vaunt operates a bit differently than Delta Private Jets or JetSmarter. The latter helped popularize the idea of paying a membership and then flying for free before running into turbulence. It was sold in 2019 to Vista Global.
Instead of instantly rewarding those of us who constantly scan its app for the newest offers, slamming the buy button on our smartphones like a contestant on the Price is Right, with Vaunt you can opt to receive notifications
An Alaska Airlines flight narrowly avoided disaster on Sunday after an off-duty pilot tried to shut off the plane's engines mid-air, according to authorities and the airline.
A watch was assembled for the first time at an altitude of over 30,000 ft, thanks to a unique collaboration between Geneva Tourism and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). A groundbreaking collaboration between Geneva Tourism, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), and SWISS has emerged to celebrate Swiss quality and craftsmanship. At a cruising altitude of 30,000 ft, a watch was meticulously assembled during an unexpected watchmaking workshop on SWISS airline’s Geneva to New York flight, showcasing the precision, craftsmanship, and watchmaking expertise of Geneva. The assembly was carried out by a flight crew member, accompanied by an independent master watchmaker. This unique and unprecedented watch will be unveiled alongside the 84 watches from the official pre-selection of the GPHG traveling exhibition in New York, where standing it will stand as a testament to Swiss excellence. Adrien Genier, Director of Geneva Tourism and member of the GPHG Foundation Board, who was attending the flight, explained the project’s genesis: “As the capital of fine watchmaking, Geneva shines the light on the entire industry worldwide. This one-of-a-kind precision endeavor allows us to take this craftsmanship on a journey.” Romain Vetter, SWISS Director for Western Switzerland, added, “Assembling a watch at 30,000 ft altitude is a fusion of two sectors that represent Swiss quality and reliability. SWISS is thrilled to enable this high-flying assembly.”
Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has welcomed the announcement by American Airlines that it will be commencing a new service to the Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ) in Boscobel, St. Mary on February 24, 2024.
This fall, cruise lines are preparing for a big boost to their offerings and route maps. If you’re planning travel for 2024, these cruise lines have new options just for you. Now that the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, cruise companies are launching new ships, new itineraries and new amenities.
There may be no other city in the world whose history can be told through its food as plainly as New York’s can. Its food landscape can be peeled back to reveal successive waves of immigrants, each adjusting their national cuisine to fit their new home.
Just in time for snowbird season, semi-private air carrier JSX has just announced three new seasonal routes on the East Coast connecting the New York Metropolitan Area with Florida.
Even with traffic on the 405, it probably would have taken at most three hours for Victoria Pardo Uzitas to drive from her home in San Diego to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to see a performance of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Instead, she and her teenage daughter crossed the border to Tijuana, flew to Mexico City, enjoyed classic tacos al pastor and churros, saw a Frida Kahlo masterpiece at the Museo de Arte Moderno, and yes, saw Taylor Swift.
Marriott Bonvoy members are going to need to wait a few more months before they can start earning and burning points at their favorite MGM Resorts property.
American Airlines is gearing up for the new year with several new flight routes to popular summer destinations in 2024.
It may be getting colder, but low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways is looking ahead to summer with a full schedule of budget-friendly flights between the United States and Europe.
Travelers already looking to 2024 for their next trip now have the opportunity to score major savings.
On Saturday, violence erupted across Israel and Gaza in one of the worst conflicts the region has seen in decades, according to The New York Times. After Hamas militants began launching thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli towns early Saturday morning, the conflict has continued to escalate, with Israel’s military responding with massive air strikes. The violence has left thousands dead, according to CNN. Thousands more are injured on both sides.