Turns out you don't have to be part of the 1 percent to fly in a private jet after all. At least that's the claim of the guy who has turned the limo industry on its head with the car-service dispatch app Uber. Thanks to newly launched BlackJet, anyone can book a seat on a private jet to take them across the United States. Wait, did we say anyone? We mean anyone who can afford to pay $7,000 for a round-trip flight � and have been invited to use the service.
Uber co-founder and former StumbleUpon CEO Garrett Camp launched BlackJet on Friday with a few million dollars in funding, some of it his own money and the rest from a still-growing list that includes Ashton Kutcher, First Round Capital, Shervin Pishevar, SV Angel, and Peter Pham � some of whom are as excited about taking a ride in a private jet as they are getting a bit of the company's equity. Amounts were not disclosed.
The company was spun out of an earlier private jet service called Greenjets and will be run by that company's same CEO, Dean Rotchin. Greenjets launched in 2009 with the mission of cutting down on fuel costs and emissions by helping travelers book seats on private jets making return flights that would ordinarily be empty. Pishevar says he met with Rotchin and told him that he liked the idea but wanted the service to make booking a flight as easy as hiring an Uber car. Rotchin, with Camp's help, rose to the challenge, and BlackJet was born.
The idea is the same as Uber: You might not be able to afford a private car and driver, or private jet, but you can theoretically afford to hire one on-demand. Once you become a member of the site for a few thousand dollars, you are guaranteed a seat on any flight in the markets BlackJet serves, which right now are New York, Los Angeles, and South Florida. The company has plans to expand into San Francisco and Las Vegas next, and will open up in 15 new markets next year.
BlackJet doesn't own any of the jets but instead helps travelers connect with charter services that fly between the aforementioned cities. Passengers give BlackJet two business days' notice of when they want to fly. Then the company rounds up other passengers that are interested in the same trip and charters a plane for the group. Rotchin says flights require some flexibility from travelers on when they want to leave, but the reward of a non-stop, hassle-free flight is worth it.
Starting Friday, Oct. 26, those with invite codes can make reservations through BlackJet's website for flights on Nov. 15 and after. Short flights, say from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, cost $950, and cross-country flights will set you back $3,500. All fares are one-way and don't include government fees and taxes. In contrast, if you were to book a flight from LAX to JFK with charter service Celebrity Jet Charter, you'd pay around $25,000 round trip. A first-class ticket for the same trip comes to $3,600.
At $7,000 round trip for a cross-country flight, BlackJet certainly is not for everyone. But that's the point � it's supposed to be exclusive to those who can afford a bit of luxury in their lives. Rotchin describes BlackJet's typical customer as a professional or executive for whom time is money. These are the people who don't want to, or can't, waste their time getting stuck at an airport due to a delayed flight.
Ken Starnes, who runs jet chartering and sales marketplace PrivateJet.com, says the challenge for BlackJet will be getting those rich enough to afford the service to actually use it. "So many people who have tried to create models to share seats have failed because it's very hard to get people wealthy enough to hire a private jet to share a flight," he says. "Their egos are as big as office buildings." There's that, and the fact there just aren't enough people trying to fly privately to bring the costs down dramatically.
Rotchin disagrees. "It's a bit of misnomer that super wealthy people wouldn't use our service," he says. "We have many clients who are very wealthy and own their own jets, but also fly commercial and are willing to use BlackJet." There's also a growing demand of people who want to fly privately that will keep BlackJet's business busy, says Rotchin.
Even if Rotchin proves Starnes wrong by becoming a successful plane-seat-sharing service, make no mistake that this service is reserved for the rich-enough. Those not accustomed to traveling first class need not apply.
