JetSmarter opens shuttle flights to non-members

JetSmarter

JetSmarter, the US-headquartered private-jet membership scheme, has opened up its jet shuttle flights to non-members.

Shuttle flights operate on regularly scheduled routes using business jets. Although JetSmarter is based in the US, flights also connect cities in Europe and the Middle East.

The shuttle flights are one of JetSmarter’s main membership benefits. Members can fly without charge on as many shuttle flights as they want during the duration of their membership, with the proviso that they are only able to book two flights at a time.

Its members are given two shuttle tokens, which they exchange for seats on the shuttle flights. Once the flight has been completed the members are given back a token, which they can exchange for another flight. This is aimed at stopping people block booking flights and taking away availability from other members.

JetSmarter says that it will now offer seats to non-members on the shuttle flights, on a pay-as-you-fly basis.
As well as taking shuttle flights, non-members will also be able to initiate flight requests. Previously, members could request flights outside of the shuttle flights and offer up seats on the flights to help keep the costs down.

JetSmarter’s founder and CEO Sergey Petrossov says that it has done this because it will help the number of flights available to0 members grow faster. “With more users to initiate custom flights, the JetSmarter community will continue to grow; ultimately driving the creation of new routes and flight frequency. With JetSmarter’s flight inventory determined by the flying community, members and non-members alike will benefit from the increase in flight creation.” he says.

JetSmarter was one of the first business-aviation companies to become a ‘unicorn’ – those companies valued at more than a billion dollars.

Its latest announced funding round in December 2016 saw it reach the ‘unicorn’ status, after raising $105 million against a valuation of $1.5 billion. Another funding round came in August 2017, although the amount raised was not disclosed. Backers from all rounds that have been made public include the Saudi royal family, KZ Capital, and rap star Jay-Z.

The Saudi investment helped the company establish an office in the country, and operate shuttle flights between Riyadh and Jeddah. Other shuttle flights in the Middle East region are also offered, including those linking Dubai with Saudi Arabia.

Most of the flights are shorter-range offerings, but longer flights are also included, although seats on these longer ones are offered at a premium.

According to a search on the company’s website, prices for a one-way flight from London to Geneva starts at $525 for a seat on a shared flight that has already been created.

To create your own flight and offer the spare seats to others the prices start at $3,780, whilst chartering an aircraft for yourself starts at $10,100.