One of the largest jet card companies, Sentient Jet, is seeing new and existing members turn to private aviation as a trusted resource as the COVID-19 lockdown unwinds. They ascribe this to travelers seeking out the safety and convenience of flying private and jet cards, when compared to commercial options.
Of the more than 5,000 private jet hours the company sold in its jet card programs since the beginning of April, over 50% came from new customers. These large numbers tie in with recent data released by McKinsey indicating that the COVID-19 pandemic will drive demand for private aviation from first-time users who want to avoid the touchpoints associated with commercial flying. This demand from new customers purchasing jet cards indicates the trend that travelers are making a serious commitment to flying private in the long-term, as opposed to using private aviation as a one-time solution or lifestyle amenity.
Sentient says inquiries for flight quotes have risen by 241% since the March low point. Furthermore flight volume has risen dramatically with the transit of over 2,500 passengers throughout the country in six weeks.
“The encouraging demand for private aviation from new customers, and in particular for jet cards that provide flight time for multiple trips, indicates that travelers are making a long-term commitment to flying private and using it as a utility rather than a lifestyle amenity,” said Andrew Collins, CEO of Sentient Jet. “Recent statistics released by McKinsey show that over 90% of people who can afford to travel private don’t. We are now seeing this change as outreach from new customers has increased and many of them are coming off the sidelines and turning to private aviation as a trusted travel solution.”
Sentient Jet offers a SJ25+ jet card for customers to access Sentient Certified jets in mid, super-mid, and large cabin categories at competitive, all-inclusive rates with Wi-Fi access guaranteed. The company also offers a SJ25 jet card, which provides access to Sentient Certified Light aircraft at fixed, all-inclusive rates. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary last year.