There are many modes of transportation today across the United States, most of them land-based such as cars, taxis, buses, trains, and even bicycles and motorcycles. Meanwhile, Americans often travel by air to cross a large distance quickly, or to reach areas difficult to navigate by land such as an island. It’s common enough for Americans to board commercial passenger jets for business travel and vacations and even for moving. But the air lanes are also home to private jet charter flights, and on demand flying like this has its perks. A luxury private jet charter may easily be the ultimate luxury of travel, and a private jet charter flight is something to be desired when making a long-distance trip somewhere. Why and how often might Americans take a private jet charter flight for business or a vacation? What are the advantages?
On Flying
Plenty of Americans are taking vacations or commuting every day, and the domestic American travel industry is a robust one. This includes private jet charter flights as well as domestic commercial flights, of course. In fact, domestic travel accounts for 85% of all travel expenditures within the United States, and in 2016 alone, American travelers went on about 458.9 million domestic business trips. Experts say that this figure could be as high as 478.2 million by 2020 or so, and right now, some $300 billion is spent on business travel per year.
Private jet flights and commercial jets alike are a major part of this. Americans still travel by rail and bus, but that’s a better idea for trips of a limited scope. For traveling further still, or going to an island, travel by air is often preferred. This is true around the world; a businessman in Tokyo would rather take a private jet charter flight to Singapore, for example, than spend a few days on board a ship to make the same trip. And someone in San Francisco would probably rather take a plane to British Columbia than take a ship, even if the ocean is right there. Planes travel very fast, of course, and they’re not limited by terrain except for taking off and landing needs. As long as airports are available, a plane can travel or any lakes, mountains, or anything else with impunity. This makes them attractive for travel.
Private Jets
What about private jet flights in particular? These planes are not so commonly available, and most often they are used by business professionals around the world or by wealthier Americans who own them as personal property. Such jets are either owned and flown as desired, or a person can get a charter (not to be confused with a lease) to ride on board one. Clients do not actually lease these jets; rather, an interested passenger may request a chartered flight somewhere, and they will arrange all the details ahead of time. The passenger may then arrive at the airport and board the private flight. Business professionals often do this for trips too long for a taxi or a bus, and wealthier Americans may do this for a vacation. A wealthy family in New York City, for example, may take a private jet charter flight from there to the Caribbean, just for one example.
Like cars and boats, a jet may be purchased either in new or used condition, and there are reasons to take each route. Even in the context of buying planes, purchasing a new jet is quite costly, but those who can afford this may enjoy the ultra-modern design, engine power standards, safety features, communications gear, and more. That, and the full warranties and the lack of wear and tear.
As with purchasing a used vehicle, someone looking for a new jet may enjoy a considerable discount on their purchase if they look over the jet before purchasing it. A used jet may have some issues, so the buyer will inspect everything. This includes both the interior and exterior, as well as looking over previous flight logs, maintenance history, and even storage history. Jets are better off if they were stored in arid environments than humid ones, so a jet stored at a hangar in New Mexico may be in better shape than one stored near Seattle.
