Flying privately is one of the most luxurious ways to travel in the world. Beyond the luxurious interiors and the various benefits of flying in a private jet, such as extravagant foods and champagne, flying privately also offers the most flexibility and convenience for its travelers.
Private jet users have the ability to depart whenever they choose, and sometimes with very little planning ahead of time, depending on the operator. Additionally, these travelers can arrive at their airport approximately twenty minutes from their departure time. They can depart from fixed base operators (FBOs) or private terminals, which have lessened security restrictions, speeding up the boarding process. These terminals also have exclusive restaurants, snack offerings, and bars.
Travelers can operate from a wider range of airports than when flying on standard commercial routes. Private jets are typically smaller than commercial airliners, which means they can take off and land on shorter or smaller runways. This opens up the travelers to many smaller airports, which may be closer to the traveler’s intended destination. It also means that private jet fliers are not restricted to specific routes that are typically operated by commercial flights. The traveler can pick and choose exactly what airport they want to fly from and fly to and are not forced to take connecting flights through airports out of their way.
There are several types of ways to fly on a business jet, ranging from fractional ownership to single-use charters. However, some private jet operators have started operating on a membership basis. Let’s take a closer look at one private aviation-focused company that is changing the way it offers its membership program, UberJets.
About UberJets
UberJets is one of the leading private aircraft providers in the United States. This privately held New York-based company seeks to connect its users to over 5,500 destinations worldwide. The company utilizes an executive team with deep industry experience while leveraging new-age technologies to help develop an easy-to-use service.
Photo: Robert Buchel | Shutterstock
UberJets offers a unique arrangement as a charter service. This includes unlimited access to its jet offerings. It also includes a dedicated flight advisor, complimentary catering, no blackout dates, and operates with a “pay as you fly” type of chartering. All of these features, among others, are available through its membership.
One way UberJets has begun servicing its customer base is through its recent introduction of the Virtual Hangar, which is uniquely offered to its vast membership base. This application assists its customers with choosing the type of aircraft they want to fly, when they want to fly it, and where they want to fly it to. Let’s take a closer look at UberJets’ new app, the Virtual Hangar.
About the Virtual Hangar
The Virtual Hangar feature is exclusive to UberJets members. Specifically, this application allows UberJets members to book an aircraft at their discretion. This booking service offers each member an extensive list of high-quality aircraft. The members can then choose which aircraft they want to fly, to what destination they want to fly to, and when they want to fly. The Virtual Hangar allows its members to choose the exact year, make, model, and experience of their pilot, as just a few of the options when booking. UberJets members also have the ability to utilize a dedicated flight advisor if they have difficulty booking on the Virtual Hangar.
Photo: UberJets
Some features of Virtual Hangar include the JetEstimate feature. This uses historical data to provide information on past flights over the past four years, which helps select the best estimated cost. Another key component of the service is advanced data on current charter rates, which is based on millions of data points.
The Digital Platform Expansion Specialist at UberJets, Sophia Martin, spoke about some of the other options offered on the new Virtual Hangar App. She stated,
“Our Flexibility feature pinpoints alternate dates and nearby airports for those seeking even more cost-saving.”
UberJets does not operate its own fleet; instead, it offers a wide range of aircraft from a vetted, high-quality network. This includes turboprop aircraft, like the Beechcraft
King Air
or the Pilatus
PC-12
, ranging to ultra-long-range aircraft, like a Boeing Business Jet. Its most popular aircraft so far is the Bombardier Challenger 350, although the Cessna Citation XLS is not far behind. Many UberJets members list their own aircraft on the Virtual Hangar platform. The company also accepts post-flight feedback to help ensure the quality of its provided aircraft.
How to use the Virtual Hangar
Overall, UberJets members who utilize the Virtual Hangar can book a flight within three hours, although they can usually find a flight much quicker. The UberJets team gave an example of how the Virtual Hangar is typically used. A member first submits a flight request and their intended details. The Virtual Hangar’s advanced technology scans nearby airports for any available jets in the company’s portfolio. For example, a user in New York City may be offered a ready-to-fly jet at
Teterboro Airport (TEB)
. The aircraft’s crew is notified of an incoming flight as the user books their flight. Additionally, a complimentary vehicle will then take the user from their location to Teterboro Airport, and they can then board their awaiting aircraft. This whole process typically takes less than three to five hours.
Photo: Robert Buchel | Shutterstock
What is next for Virtual Hangar?
The Virtual Hangar has immediately increased the volume on the UberJets platform. Beyond this, UberJets plans to make strategic acquisitions in the technology sector to continue advancing the private aviation industry by enhancing its digital platform offerings.
UberJets plans to unveil a new aircraft marketplace as one specific advancement of Virtual Hangar. According to Martin, this innovative feature, driven by data analytics, is designed to cater to both buyers and sellers, providing a streamlined experience for all involved and making the process effortless and highly efficient.