Book a private jet: less risks of being exposed to the Covid-19 pandemic

Even if it’s a bit more expensive than regular flights, people who have the means and would usually book on commercial flights are changing their habits in the quest of decreasing the risks of being exposed to the Covid-19 virus.

If we look closer, booking a seat on a private jet can really have a positive impact as it helps to decrease the risk of exposure to the Covid-19 virus. Here are some advantages of booking a private jet.

Flight in a private jet = less interactions with other human beings

Whichever flight you need to board, queues are inevitable and that translates into more chances of getting infected by the Covid-19 even if social distancing best practices are taken. That being said, waiting lounges are also very often crowded and it is very likely that the stakes of being infected are higher.

However, on a private flight, passengers are usually taken in charge as soon as they arrive at the airport and are redirected to another terminal which is far less crowded. There is usually no waiting time as passengers can directly embark on their flight. There is also far less interaction with the terminal’s employees and other passengers and this ultimately decreases the chances of being exposed to the virus.

The number of people allowed on a private jet is generally limited to the passengers and the crew members in comparison to the hundreds of people who board onto commercial flights several times a day.

As for the luggage, the human interaction is once again limited to one or two people from the airport to the luggage compartment of the private jet.

The security protocols are also not the same in most terminals that specially caters for passengers of a private flight. Very often, scanning using metal detectors and x-rays is not required. This helps in preventing people from manipulating objects like trays or worse to be asked to remove shoes and be forced to walk barefoot.

Customs protocols are also easier compared to regular terminals. Customs’ officers will usually verify documents on the jet itself or will escort a passenger to a private office where they will proceed with the verification of goods and other documents.

Cleaner than commercial flights

Even if private jets are usually a lot cleaner than commercial flights under normal circumstances, the Covid-19 pandemic requires a new standard. Commercial flight operators have implemented new protocols with the aim to improve the tidiness as well as the decontamination of each aeroplane, but they will never be able to match the hygiene standards of a private jet.

Private jet operators have been using hygienic products that are usually used in clinical environments to ensure irreproachable hygiene by decontaminating every square-centimetre of their jets. Private jet do have an advantage here when comparing them to aeroplanes based on the everyday affluence of passengers on both.

Reactivity and flexibility also make the difference

As mentioned at the start of this article, the demand to rent a private jet has been increasing since the start of the pandemic. This is not only due to the numerous advantages that private jets have to offer in terms of social distancing but also for their reactivity and flexibility compared to regular flights.

For example, tailor-made repatriation flights can be quickly organized as soon as the borders will be opened again. Private jets can also fly for longer distances than they were able to some years ago.

A trend confirmed by figures

In an interview given to CNN Travel, Alain Leboursier, General Manager at LunaJets, confirms that a substantial increase has been noted in terms of bookings and queries.

The number of requests linked to the Coronavirus has increased by 100% since February which represents not less than 30% of all the requests received by LunaJets.

Alain Leboursier also said that they are mostly people who want to get back home the more quickly and securely possible following the pandemic. Other requests are from people who have urgent business to attend and in both cases, this represents a high number of requests linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Passengers are mostly people or organizations which usually book in business class or simply people who do not want to get exposed to the virus when getting back home.

How much does it cost to book a private jet?

For years, the idea to travel on a private jet was reserved to wealthy people like stars, known personalities or businessmen and businesswomen. However, following the advent of brokers specialized in the renting of private jets, travelling in a private jet has become more accessible.

Moreover, the competition between these companies reveals to be very advantageous for people looking to rent a private jet.

At LunaJets, the price to fly on a private jet starts as from 2,000 € for an empty leg flight, 2,500 € for a reroute empty leg flight and as from 4,800 € for an on-demand private jet charter.

Various offers also exist that enable more people to book a private jet for less. For example, renting a private jet at LunaJets entitles the customer to a discount of 75% compared to a regular private jet broker service.

Various loyalty and sponsorship programmes also make the rental of private jets more accessible by giving enormous discounts (up to 7,000 € at LunaJets).

Jetpooling, the new trend

The collaborative economy, like carpooling, is booming in Europe and it has gained the attention of super-wealthy people who usually own private jets. There is an increasing number of private jet owners who are renting their planes to brokers and the latter sell the seats to people who want to travel in a private jet for cheaper than usual.

The cost is inevitably still a bit higher than regular planes but this trend coming from the United States is rapidly increasing in France and Europe as it makes travelling on private jets accessible to more people.

How does the future of private jets in a post-covid-19 era look like?

While the aviation and tourism industries are severely affected by the pandemic, getting back into business from this situation that will change the way people travel will be very difficult.

However, private jet operators and brokers are very optimistic for the future thanks to the numerous advantages provided by private jets compared to regular flights.

It’s very likely that people who have the means will certainly consider more seriously to travel on private jets in order to decrease their exposure to the Covid-19 virus.

A peak in the number of queries to rent a private jet has already been noted and the fact that most of these queries come from first-time jet travellers who have never travelled in a private jet before is very encouraging for private jet brokers.

Travel less, but travel better

Travel enthusiasts have already accepted the fact that they will travel less in the coming years but they will surely travel better to make the most out of it.

The travelling experience will without a doubt need to adapt to the post-Covid-19 era. It will become a more private and intimate experience as people will tend to avoid crowds to prevent the risks of contamination.

However, personalisation and intimacy generally come with a higher price-tag but the difference between regular travelling or vacationing is becoming less and less important.

It should also be noted that private jets are nowadays able to fly for longer distances with or without stopovers. LunaJets provides a jet comparator where people can view all the technical details about the different jets available for rental.

How to book a private jet?

There are 3 main actors in the industry of private jets rental. They are the aviation companies, brokers like LunaJets and the private terminals. They all depend on each other and work together.

The broker is the client’s intermediary between the aviation companies and private terminals. They are in charge of all the administrative work and also accompany the passengers before, during and after their flight.

Brokers have also developed a technology giving them access to all available jets in the world and to aviation companies that manage them. They are able to find a flight on a private jet at the best price very quickly.

Queries to brokers are usually made through their website, by email, telephone or through a mobile application.

About LunaJets

LunaJets is one of the pioneers in the rental of private jets in Europe. Being the first European broker to obtain the Argus certification, Lunajets counts more than 10 years of experience at the service of private jet travellers and has organized more than 6000 flights in 2019.

It’s personalized and tailormade 24h/24 service 7 days a week enables customers to rapidly find a flight to their chosen destination. For urgent queries, LunaJets is able to send a quote within 60 minutes.

LunaJets’ philosophy, “Pay less, fly more often”, perfectly reflects the endeavours of the company to find the most affordable private flights for its customers. Being relatively new to the aviation industry, the post-covid-19 era has shed lights on possibilities for people to fly more securely.