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
Jan 14, 2019, 1:26 pm
#2356
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 90
i agree, the k9 hit on my bag once at HPN lol. It was actually some kind of gas that is emitted if you've use a portable cell phone battery pack. Also, in Boston, signature has a x Ray conveyor that you have to put your bags through, though it is very lax.
Jan 14, 2019, 5:11 pm
#2357
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
To sum it up, my experience is: any private flight out of BOS is screened by TSA, any shuttle out of HPN/VNY is sort of luggage screened, and pretty much everywhere else has nothing. At least that's my experience so far.
Jan 15, 2019, 3:44 pm
#2358
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 90
Yep, BOS is the only private terminal I've been to that has an actual TSA screening station. Maybe because the 9/11 planes left from there? Also a related factoid is that you can't land at DCA private unless you have an armed guard on the plane, so that's why all the private flights are out of IAD, which is much less convenient.
To sum it up, my experience is: any private flight out of BOS is screened by TSA, any shuttle out of HPN/VNY is sort of luggage screened, and pretty much everywhere else has nothing. At least that's my experience so far.
To sum it up, my experience is: any private flight out of BOS is screened by TSA, any shuttle out of HPN/VNY is sort of luggage screened, and pretty much everywhere else has nothing. At least that's my experience so far.
Jan 23, 2019, 10:36 am
#2360
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: TXKF and PAR
Programs: AA EXPLT
Posts: 45
I logged into JetSmarter today and saw a grand total of 8 "deals" - charters, empty legs, etc. At the height of NY - South Florida travel, not a single shared charter, all "member initiated." Seems that the company is shutting down before our eyes.
Jan 30, 2019, 11:13 am
#2363
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oakland CA
Programs: DL Gold, AS MVPG, Globalist
Posts: 1,008
Just checked, and they're still around... and a few just popped up.
It's a very odd two day disappearance though, looking at XOJet on FlightAware, there are definitely some legs that are flying empty today, but weren't posted.
It's a very odd two day disappearance though, looking at XOJet on FlightAware, there are definitely some legs that are flying empty today, but weren't posted.
Feb 10, 2019, 4:48 pm
#2364
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 28
Feb 11, 2019, 2:50 pm
#2366
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 557
A spokesperson for JetSmarter said there were significant inaccuracies in the Poststory. The company added via a written statement, “JetSmarter is in stable financial condition and very much supported by its institutional investors. Recent reporting has contained false information about JetSmarter, and the company has clearly been the subject of a targeted and fabricated campaign. Our digital private and shared charter solutions are taking market share from all the largest players in the industry and causing some to engage in unethical competitive practices. We are excited about the future of JetSmarter and the value it brings to the industry.”
Does an XOJET – JetSmarter deal makes sense?
The deal, if it comes to fruition may be worth it on several fronts. First of all, XOJET and Vista Group would acquire JetSmarter’s app technology which enables not only booking full aircraft charters but seat sharing flights, something many in the industry view as a future way to democratize the rarefied air of private jet flights. So far, the concept when applied against true private jets has not seen any meaningful success.For XOJET and Vista Group, they would also inherit a database of 8,000 members, some of which are UHNW fliers who can afford full aircraft charters, which range from $5,000 to $20,000 per hour. Even just 100 members who spend $250,000 per year on charters would return $25 million, some of which ostensibly could be flown via the XOJET and VistaJet fleets. According to ARGUS, last year XOJET’s fleet of 42 Challenger 300 and Citation X private jet flew an average of 1,055 or just 20 hours per week. And while that number is top of the league when it comes to business aviation, commercial airlines fly over 70 hours per week meaning there could be an upside from higher fleet utilization.
With a combined fleet of nearly 120 super midsize, large cabin and ultra- long-haul jets that it owns, Vista Global would be in a unique position to make the by-the-seat model work, perhaps scheduling shared flights on days where there is low demand for full aircraft charter and on routes where seat sharing has shown some viability, such as New York to South Florida and within California and to Las Vegas where JetSuiteX has been expanding using reconfigured regional jets. Until recently, JetSmarter had used JetSuiteX as a provider for members when it converted to pay by the flight pricing structure.
Feb 11, 2019, 3:01 pm
#2367
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
Feb 11, 2019, 3:15 pm
#2368
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 469
That piece fails to acknowledge the greatest cash burn likely facing the company right now - legal fees. With more than a dozen federal lawsuits, a putative class action arbitration, and untiold number of confidential arbitration’s currently pending, the company is likely running up hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawyer fees each month.
Feb 13, 2019, 9:05 am
#2369
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 637
Some interesting empty legs on the app now!
I’m 99% sure these are just VistaJet empty legs given how they match the fleet, common locations, and prices precisely.
OBVIOUSLY the bummer is that they all cost serious $ with no bennefits to members. Also these prices match the VistaJet empty leg prices, which I was always thought to be an unreasonable $8-10k per hour on big jets.
In case anyone is interested, I flew VistaJet throughout Asia and was not blown away at all. Food was fine but not great, interior was above average, pilots were super nice. The plane, however, had a broken air conditioning system so we were sweating on the ground until takeoff. I don’t mean slightly warm. I mean our shirts were all physically wet with sweat.
here are a couple photos:
I’m 99% sure these are just VistaJet empty legs given how they match the fleet, common locations, and prices precisely.
OBVIOUSLY the bummer is that they all cost serious $ with no bennefits to members. Also these prices match the VistaJet empty leg prices, which I was always thought to be an unreasonable $8-10k per hour on big jets.
In case anyone is interested, I flew VistaJet throughout Asia and was not blown away at all. Food was fine but not great, interior was above average, pilots were super nice. The plane, however, had a broken air conditioning system so we were sweating on the ground until takeoff. I don’t mean slightly warm. I mean our shirts were all physically wet with sweat.
here are a couple photos:
Last edited by dval44; Feb 13, 2019 at 10:23 am
Feb 13, 2019, 7:44 pm
#2370
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 557
Some interesting empty legs on the app now!
I’m 99% sure these are just VistaJet empty legs given how they match the fleet, common locations, and prices precisely.
OBVIOUSLY the bummer is that they all cost serious $ with no bennefits to members. Also these prices match the VistaJet empty leg prices, which I was always thought to be an unreasonable $8-10k per hour on big jets.
In case anyone is interested, I flew VistaJet throughout Asia and was not blown away at all. Food was fine but not great, interior was above average, pilots were super nice. The plane, however, had a broken air conditioning system so we were sweating on the ground until takeoff. I don’t mean slightly warm. I mean our shirts were all physically wet with sweat.
here are a couple photos:
I’m 99% sure these are just VistaJet empty legs given how they match the fleet, common locations, and prices precisely.
OBVIOUSLY the bummer is that they all cost serious $ with no bennefits to members. Also these prices match the VistaJet empty leg prices, which I was always thought to be an unreasonable $8-10k per hour on big jets.
In case anyone is interested, I flew VistaJet throughout Asia and was not blown away at all. Food was fine but not great, interior was above average, pilots were super nice. The plane, however, had a broken air conditioning system so we were sweating on the ground until takeoff. I don’t mean slightly warm. I mean our shirts were all physically wet with sweat.
here are a couple photos:
Just curious, in terms of interiors, my impression was they were supposed to be top end - although i guess part of that would be consistency vs chartering from airplanes with different owners. If somebody want the very best, who would your recommend?
