While and famous, online aviation charter marketplace FlyJets says it can offer the average traveler a cheaper way to experience the luxury. CEO Jessica Fisher told Business Insider that the startup doesn't own or operate planes but works like an for private aviation. Its core business is serving as a middleman between aircraft providers and customers to secure and schedule charters.
Within that is a cheaper alternative Fisher calls "fly empty," which she said can cut the cost of charters by nearly half. It's the latest way aviation companies are trying to make Fisher said that these charter aircraft might otherwise fly "empty legs" without passengers to return planes and crew to a home base after dropping off a client. Charter companies typically charge for a roundtrip regardless of whether anyone is on board, so it's cheaper to find another paying party for that empty leg.
This concept is not new. Several well-known and NetJets, sell empty legs at a discounted rate after someone else has already booked the roundtrip flight. However, Fisher said there's no guarantee the legs will sell, and they are , which means fewer options and flexibility for customers.
Instead of taking other people's empty legs, Fisher explained that FlyJets fills empty planes by coordinating the entire trip as two separate legs from the start and splitting the price. "There's a lot we can do in terms of being very cost-effective for flyers and advantageous for aircraft providers in terms of aircraft ut.