FLIGHT OF FANCY
Private jets take off in pandemic
Used to be, if you wanted to join the jet set, you had to be rich, famous or beautiful: Think model Sofia Richie flying to Cabo San Lucas on a private jet with her pals for her birthday last week.
But ever since the pandemic, this rarified world is opening up.
“Folks who were flying first class or business class didn’t really have a need” for private jet travel, said Anthony Tivnan, president of the Boston-based Magellan Jets, which offers charters, jet membership and jet card ownership programs. “But with COVID, the narrative has changed.”
Kelly Bensimon, a “Real Housewives of New York City” star turned Douglas Elliman real-estate agent recently noticed firsttime flyers on her private flights to East Hampton and Boston.
“All of the seaplanes were packed, and it wasn’t easy to charter a plane,” she told The Post.
Bensimon’s charter of choice, Blade, reported a 40 percent uptick in first-time flyers, according to a spokesperson. And, as more well-heeled New Yorkers choose to reside in the Hamptons and commute into the city, Blade has added weekday flights to accomodate them.
The obvious draws of private flying are plentiful: plush, spacedout seating, tarmac entry, no security or check-in lines and, depending on the company, access to more than 5,000 airports rather than the 500 or so offering commercial flights.
But these days, the most decisive benefit is the lowered risk of coronavirus exposure.
A recent study by the consulting firm McKinsey found that a person comes into contact with hundreds of objects and people while flying commercial. On a private flight, however, “There are only about 20 touch points,” said Ron Silverman, chief business officer of XO, which provides private charters and individual seats on shared flights. The New Yorkbased company has seen an 80 percent increase in first-time flyers over the past couple of months.
Denise Zippelli, 58, had safety precautions in mind when booking with Air Charter Service in May. Her 60year-old husband, Michael, had recently suffered a heart attack and emergency surgery, leaving him with a compromised immune system.
“My sister drove us to the airport [and] right onto the tarmac,” Zippelli said. “It put our minds at rest that my husband wasn’t going to be walking through an airport.”
In March, Adrienne Salyer was looking for a solution to safely transport her and her aging parents. The 54-year-old finance exec settled on a West Coast-based membership-only option called Set Jet. For approximately $100 a month, plus the cost of flights — usually $900 round trip on that route — she reserved spots on a 15-seat plane.
“To fly first class, you’re basically paying $1,000 anyway,” Salyer said. “And you don’t get squat.”
Humans aren’t the only ones enjoying the luxurious benefits of private flights.
Jim Nelson booked a sevenseater for a family trip so his pregnant daughter would have minimal exposure to COVID — and his wife’s Scottish terrier, Watson, could tag along. “Watson loves the place that we go to in Colorado Springs,” he said.
For some, furry friends are the sole reason for booking private.
Detroit Lions receiver Marvin Jones recently hired a private jet to transport his new Doberman puppy, Fuego, from Oregon back to his hometown of San Diego.
“We didn’t want to drive,” the player told reporters. “But I told my wife this is already an expensive dog. My first time on a private jet, picking up a dang dog.”