A Fresh Approach to Booking Private Jets — It's 'Just Like Expedia'

A new service is designed to make booking a private jet as simple as hailing an Uber or booking an Airbnb.

Jettly has launched a booking platform that operates "just like Expedia," according to CEO Justin Crabbe.

This marks a significant shift for the typically closed-off world of private jet charters. Despite the allure of private jets, the booking process often involves tedious back-and-forth communication with middlemen and brokers that can drag on for hours.

"The traditional private jet broker model feels like a throwback to the '90s, before the emergence of Airbnbs and Ubers," Crabbe noted in an interview with Dinogo.

Introducing Jettly's latest innovation: a new platform designed to streamline the process of booking a private jet anywhere in the world. It features a user-friendly dashboard that will feel familiar to anyone who has booked travel online. Currently in beta but fully operational for users, it builds on Jettly's five years of experience in private aviation.

"It's designed with a millennial mindset in mind," Crabbe states, emphasizing that he belongs to this demographic. "We want instant access — no waiting on brokers; we need it now or even sooner."

The platform functions similarly to Google Flights, Expedia, or Kayak, but includes unique elements that cater specifically to the private aviation sector.

Enter your departure location and destination along with your travel dates, and Jettly will gather pricing information from various operators, showcasing different jet types along with their policies and options. Customer reviews are also available to assist your decision-making.

While the platform aims to simplify the booking process, Jettly allows users to customize their trip with the assistance of a private jet concierge. The modern touch? They'll send you a text instead of making a call, if that’s your preference.

Since the pandemic began, private aviation has experienced a significant rise in demand, but Crabbe emphasizes that consumers are eager to spend for a variety of reasons beyond just avoiding crowded airports.

Most of the journeys Jettly organizes are purely for vacations, although corporate travelers are gradually returning to private flights as business travel resumes. "Typically, it's a 50-50 split between business and leisure, but due to COVID, personal trips have become more prevalent," Crabbe observes.

"The demand is staggering," Crabbe states, noting that Jettly currently manages around 15,000 requests each month.

Despite the high cost, with the average flight booked through Jettly priced at $35,000 and flight durations averaging three to four hours, the per-person expense becomes comparable to first-class tickets when traveling with a group of eight.

However, Crabbe emphasizes that the true benefit of private flying is the flexibility it provides. He illustrates a scenario of flying from New York to Miami, where a traveler would need an hour to reach the airport and then wait two hours for departure—only to embark on a three-hour flight. In contrast, with a private flight from Teterboro Airport, just a short drive or helicopter ride from Midtown Manhattan, "you'll be on the ground in Florida before you've even taken off from JFK."

On the other hand, some clients simply enjoy treating themselves to experiences that might not be feasible otherwise. "We once had someone fly a plane from California to Australia with just their dogs on board," Crabbe reminisces. "When I say we've seen it all, I truly mean it."