Flying in Style

Anyone who spends much time in airports (I have four trips scheduled between now and January) knows the hassles involved with air travel these days. For those with a little more disposable income, this might become very attractive:

Fliers seeking to avoid the hassles of commercial air travel can soon take to the air in the style of a millionaire – by booking a single seat on a corporate jet.

Executive Jet Management Inc. has received approval from the Department of Transportation to launch 30 scheduled flights a week between New York’s La Guardia Airport and Chicago’s Midway International Airport, plus 10 flights a week between La Guardia and an unspecified Los Angeles airport, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Most of EJM’s jets have 10 or fewer seats, although some have as many as 18.

Traveling by corporate jet is usually faster and cushier than flying first-class on a commercial flight, according to the Journal. Travelers on corporate jets go through private terminals, bypassing long security lines, and they can often pick up their luggage right outside the plane.

EJM hasn’t revealed what it plans to charge for the corporate jet service. But it surely will be less expensive than buying a fractional share of a jet – 50 hours of flying time on an entry-level plane costs about $400,000 – or chartering a jet at $4,000 or more each way.

If this is successful, I wouldn't be surprised to see more and more bizjet companies getting into the act.