Apr 16, 2016, 7:33 am
Last edit by: elitetraveler
JetSmarter is a membership program that allows members to fly on empty legs of private jets (JetDeals) and seats on scheduled private jet shuttles (JetShuttle).
JetSmarter - discussion and experiences
Oct 23, 2016, 2:25 am
#766
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Los Angeles, New York, Lisbon-Portugal
Programs: BA Gold, UA Premier 1K, Amex Plat, GlobalEntry
Posts: 844
Did the New York-London Shuttle, great experience.
Flight HPN-LTN Friday Sept. 21 @ 9am.
Shuttle Group called the night before to inform that no helicopter would be available due to weather so to meet at the heliport and they'd supply ground transport. We were driven to the airport in a Navigator and met up with the other passengers at the airport. With passports checked and bags screened we boarded and were quickly in the air. All male passengers ranging in age from mid 30's to mid 50's. The flight attendant was exceptionally attentive, and the food spectacular. If this the food that would be served on the coast to coast flights for the proposed $150 premium, its worth it.
This trip was by far the quietest Jetsmarter trip, no boisterousness, a few doing work and the rest watching movies or sleeping. Upon arrival in Luton an immigrations and customs agent boarded and collected everyone's passports and within 10 min were off the plane and into our waiting limousines.
Luton is quite far from everything but landing at 9pm makes getting across town a breeze. It took an hour to get from Luton Airport to Blakes Hotel in South Kensington for 90 GBP from London Heathrow Cars.
Was it worth the extra $1990 to fly Jetsmarter across the pond? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.
Shuttle Group called the night before to inform that no helicopter would be available due to weather so to meet at the heliport and they'd supply ground transport. We were driven to the airport in a Navigator and met up with the other passengers at the airport. With passports checked and bags screened we boarded and were quickly in the air. All male passengers ranging in age from mid 30's to mid 50's. The flight attendant was exceptionally attentive, and the food spectacular. If this the food that would be served on the coast to coast flights for the proposed $150 premium, its worth it.
This trip was by far the quietest Jetsmarter trip, no boisterousness, a few doing work and the rest watching movies or sleeping. Upon arrival in Luton an immigrations and customs agent boarded and collected everyone's passports and within 10 min were off the plane and into our waiting limousines.
Luton is quite far from everything but landing at 9pm makes getting across town a breeze. It took an hour to get from Luton Airport to Blakes Hotel in South Kensington for 90 GBP from London Heathrow Cars.
Was it worth the extra $1990 to fly Jetsmarter across the pond? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.
Last edited by backdoc; Oct 23, 2016 at 2:33 am
Oct 23, 2016, 11:11 am
#767
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 469
Flight HPN-LTN Friday Sept. 21 @ 9am.
Shuttle Group called the night before to inform that no helicopter would be available due to weather so to meet at the heliport and they'd supply ground transport. We were driven to the airport in a Navigator and met up with the other passengers at the airport. With passports checked and bags screened we boarded and were quickly in the air. All male passengers ranging in age from mid 30's to mid 50's. The flight attendant was exceptionally attentive, and the food spectacular. If this the food that would be served on the coast to coast flights for the proposed $150 premium, its worth it.
This trip was by far the quietest Jetsmarter trip, no boisterousness, a few doing work and the rest watching movies or sleeping. Upon arrival in Luton an immigrations and customs agent boarded and collected everyone's passports and within 10 min were off the plane and into our waiting limousines.
Luton is quite far from everything but landing at 9pm makes getting across town a breeze. It took an hour to get from Luton Airport to Blakes Hotel in South Kensington for 90 GBP from London Heathrow Cars.
Was it worth the extra $1990 to fly Jetsmarter across the pond? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.
Shuttle Group called the night before to inform that no helicopter would be available due to weather so to meet at the heliport and they'd supply ground transport. We were driven to the airport in a Navigator and met up with the other passengers at the airport. With passports checked and bags screened we boarded and were quickly in the air. All male passengers ranging in age from mid 30's to mid 50's. The flight attendant was exceptionally attentive, and the food spectacular. If this the food that would be served on the coast to coast flights for the proposed $150 premium, its worth it.
This trip was by far the quietest Jetsmarter trip, no boisterousness, a few doing work and the rest watching movies or sleeping. Upon arrival in Luton an immigrations and customs agent boarded and collected everyone's passports and within 10 min were off the plane and into our waiting limousines.
Luton is quite far from everything but landing at 9pm makes getting across town a breeze. It took an hour to get from Luton Airport to Blakes Hotel in South Kensington for 90 GBP from London Heathrow Cars.
Was it worth the extra $1990 to fly Jetsmarter across the pond? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.
How full was the flight? Was there wifi? What kind of wine was served? How was the cabin lit?
My concerns with paying $4,000 for a JS roundtrip vs. say a $3,121 rt upper class on Virgin Atlantic (just the price I found this moment on Kayak leaving the same date as JS's 11/18) is that Virgin Atlantic offers a private, lie-flat seat, with a variety of food, beverage, and entertainment options, while JS offers minimally-reclining seats opposite another passenger and no entertainment options for more money.
I certainly get the appeal of easy check-in and immigration procedures, and if the price were lower, the value proposition might be closer for me based on that alone. But based on my experiences with the transcon shuttles, the comfort element just isn't there.
Oct 23, 2016, 12:39 pm
#768
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 90
Flight HPN-LTN Friday Sept. 21 @ 9am.
Shuttle Group called the night before to inform that no helicopter would be available due to weather so to meet at the heliport and they'd supply ground transport. We were driven to the airport in a Navigator and met up with the other passengers at the airport. With passports checked and bags screened we boarded and were quickly in the air. All male passengers ranging in age from mid 30's to mid 50's. The flight attendant was exceptionally attentive, and the food spectacular. If this the food that would be served on the coast to coast flights for the proposed $150 premium, its worth it.
This trip was by far the quietest Jetsmarter trip, no boisterousness, a few doing work and the rest watching movies or sleeping. Upon arrival in Luton an immigrations and customs agent boarded and collected everyone's passports and within 10 min were off the plane and into our waiting limousines.
Luton is quite far from everything but landing at 9pm makes getting across town a breeze. It took an hour to get from Luton Airport to Blakes Hotel in South Kensington for 90 GBP from London Heathrow Cars.
Was it worth the extra $1990 to fly Jetsmarter across the pond? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.
Shuttle Group called the night before to inform that no helicopter would be available due to weather so to meet at the heliport and they'd supply ground transport. We were driven to the airport in a Navigator and met up with the other passengers at the airport. With passports checked and bags screened we boarded and were quickly in the air. All male passengers ranging in age from mid 30's to mid 50's. The flight attendant was exceptionally attentive, and the food spectacular. If this the food that would be served on the coast to coast flights for the proposed $150 premium, its worth it.
This trip was by far the quietest Jetsmarter trip, no boisterousness, a few doing work and the rest watching movies or sleeping. Upon arrival in Luton an immigrations and customs agent boarded and collected everyone's passports and within 10 min were off the plane and into our waiting limousines.
Luton is quite far from everything but landing at 9pm makes getting across town a breeze. It took an hour to get from Luton Airport to Blakes Hotel in South Kensington for 90 GBP from London Heathrow Cars.
Was it worth the extra $1990 to fly Jetsmarter across the pond? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.
Oct 23, 2016, 11:15 pm
#770
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oakland CA
Programs: DL Gold, AS MVPG, Globalist
Posts: 1,008
Well, I've been waiting for a few days to post this, because I'm so livid and don't want to seem like a monkey madly mashing the keyboard.
Was booked on an SDL-SFO empty last Thursday. Booked about 11am Wednesday for 8:30am takeoff Thursday. Round about 4pm, I look at the app and see my flight is gone, but there's a nearly identical Phoenix-Mesa (KIWA) to SFO the next day. Msg JS, and they tell me 'Oh, yeah we were about to contact you, but your flight has changed to go from Mesa airport, 26 miles from Scottsdale. Do you still want it?'
Somewhat annoyed that I had to notice, and that I've already booked accommodations for Wednesday night in Scottsdale, but I figure... OK. I'll deal. $50 Uber down there tomorrow, but it's still a private jet.
Take said Uber down, get to the FBO, and nobody has any idea about the flight. Finally they figure that the aircraft is up at the maintenance center on the other side of the field. I call JS to ask what's going on, and the guy couldn't have cared less.
'Oh yeah, that flight's been cancelled. Sorry.'
'Can you guys find another plane or give me a time estimate on the maintenance or anything?'
'No sir. We don't do service recovery for maintenance issues. I can connect you to the concierge who can book you a commercial flight at your expense.'
'No thanks; I'll book one myself.'
So I decide to go up to the maintenance center, just to see what's going on. No pilots of course, but maintenance center staff tells me the plane was flown in from Scottsdale the afternoon before for heavy maintenance. They couldn't get it done the night before, and it 'isn't going anywhere for a while.'
Giving up, I get a second $50 Uber to PHX, where I beg the United folks to let me get on a flight back to SFO -- I'd had a ticket for the 6:38am flight, but decided to throw it away since I was taking the private jet. To their credit ( and my millions of thanks! ) the UA rep said: "We really should charge a $200 change fee for this, but I know stuff happens. You're standby on the 10:41 and confirmed on the 2:15." About an hour later, I got the last seat on the 10:41... back of the bus in 18E, but I was happy to be on any plane going home.
The thing that really pisses me off here is that Delta Private Jets (the operator) and Jetsmarter KNEW the plane was going in for maintenance, and they should have known it wasn't done. The pilots didn't show up -- they clearly knew it wasn't going anywhere. But JS doesn't send me any kind of notice until I call, standing outside the FBO, only to tell me it's cancelled and I'm on my own.
I'm out $100+ in hard costs and lost half a day of work, all for something that could have been prevented with a little communication. I don't fault them for maintenance -- I know sh*t happens -- but when the flight cancels the night before due to unfinished maintenance, why wait till your client is standing outside the FBO calling you before telling him it's cancelled?
Was booked on an SDL-SFO empty last Thursday. Booked about 11am Wednesday for 8:30am takeoff Thursday. Round about 4pm, I look at the app and see my flight is gone, but there's a nearly identical Phoenix-Mesa (KIWA) to SFO the next day. Msg JS, and they tell me 'Oh, yeah we were about to contact you, but your flight has changed to go from Mesa airport, 26 miles from Scottsdale. Do you still want it?'
Somewhat annoyed that I had to notice, and that I've already booked accommodations for Wednesday night in Scottsdale, but I figure... OK. I'll deal. $50 Uber down there tomorrow, but it's still a private jet.
Take said Uber down, get to the FBO, and nobody has any idea about the flight. Finally they figure that the aircraft is up at the maintenance center on the other side of the field. I call JS to ask what's going on, and the guy couldn't have cared less.
'Oh yeah, that flight's been cancelled. Sorry.'
'Can you guys find another plane or give me a time estimate on the maintenance or anything?'
'No sir. We don't do service recovery for maintenance issues. I can connect you to the concierge who can book you a commercial flight at your expense.'
'No thanks; I'll book one myself.'
So I decide to go up to the maintenance center, just to see what's going on. No pilots of course, but maintenance center staff tells me the plane was flown in from Scottsdale the afternoon before for heavy maintenance. They couldn't get it done the night before, and it 'isn't going anywhere for a while.'
Giving up, I get a second $50 Uber to PHX, where I beg the United folks to let me get on a flight back to SFO -- I'd had a ticket for the 6:38am flight, but decided to throw it away since I was taking the private jet. To their credit ( and my millions of thanks! ) the UA rep said: "We really should charge a $200 change fee for this, but I know stuff happens. You're standby on the 10:41 and confirmed on the 2:15." About an hour later, I got the last seat on the 10:41... back of the bus in 18E, but I was happy to be on any plane going home.
The thing that really pisses me off here is that Delta Private Jets (the operator) and Jetsmarter KNEW the plane was going in for maintenance, and they should have known it wasn't done. The pilots didn't show up -- they clearly knew it wasn't going anywhere. But JS doesn't send me any kind of notice until I call, standing outside the FBO, only to tell me it's cancelled and I'm on my own.
I'm out $100+ in hard costs and lost half a day of work, all for something that could have been prevented with a little communication. I don't fault them for maintenance -- I know sh*t happens -- but when the flight cancels the night before due to unfinished maintenance, why wait till your client is standing outside the FBO calling you before telling him it's cancelled?
Last edited by dordal; Oct 23, 2016 at 11:23 pm
Oct 24, 2016, 1:57 pm
#772
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: DL, UA
Posts: 594
That is truly atrocious. I wish it was surprising. I assume had they even been a little empathetic and helpful to your situation, perhaps you'd be still rightly disappointed, but not angry as well. Their irreverence to customers who they've enticed smacks of greed, fraud and some of mankind's most unattractive characteristics. Dressing it up with the promise of black cars, 'private' jets and the champagne lifestyle implies we as their customers, are as arrogant and incorrigible as their behaviour indicates they are. I feel for you, and am sorry you went through it, but even more sorry because of the way you went through it.
Oct 24, 2016, 6:21 pm
#773
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, Wheels Up, Inspirato Pass, Marriott Titanium Elt, Hilton Diamond, Hertz Pres, Ntl P
Posts: 248
I've learned to never book anything until I'm actually on the empty. Fortunately, I've never had one cancel on me. I check out Flightaware to see status updates. I do not rely on JS reps for info.
Oct 25, 2016, 1:52 pm
#774
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Los Angeles, New York, Lisbon-Portugal
Programs: BA Gold, UA Premier 1K, Amex Plat, GlobalEntry
Posts: 844
Oct 25, 2016, 9:54 pm
#778
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: AMEX Centurion, Skywards, JetSmarter, Etihad Guest, BA Executive Club
Posts: 16
Oct 26, 2016, 3:19 am
#779
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Los Angeles, New York, Lisbon-Portugal
Programs: BA Gold, UA Premier 1K, Amex Plat, GlobalEntry
Posts: 844
Oct 26, 2016, 8:25 am
#780
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, UA Silver, Hilton Gold, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 1,509
Has anybody with founderscard actually signed up for the three month Jetsmarter trial? Want to make sure its legit before I dump my money into a Founderscard membership.