Flying isn’t exactly comfortable. How could it be, with the cramped seating and the crowds of people and the tight spaces? Flying private, however, is an entirely different experience altogether — and now it’s more accessible than ever.
Yep, flying private is no longer reserved for celebs and CEOs, as a new service is flipping access to this luxury form of travel on its head. Usually, flying private can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $14,000 an hour. With the recently launched app Vaunt, the cost is suddenly negligible: Vaunt just requires an annual membership fee of $1,000. In return, travelers can select private jet rides on the app for no extra cost.
How the Vaunt App works
It sounds like a mind-blowing deal — access to tons of private planes for significantly less than the usual amount of an hourly jet — but it makes perfect sense. Vaunt claims that around 30% of private flights industrywide have no passengers on them as they take to the sky because they’re doing “repositioning flights” to get them back to a location where they need to be. Vaunt is then putting passengers on those flights. After all, the plane will be taking off no matter what — so why not load it up with people who will enjoy the luxury and convenience of the private flight?
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Members with Vaunt are able to peruse available upcoming flights in the app. Once they select their flight, they’ll be put on a waitlist, and whoever is first off the waitlist, which is determined by several factors, gets the flight.
And while the plane is then reserved entirely for that member, they don’t need to fly alone: They can select up to three companions to come along with them. After all, flying private is the kind of experience you want to share with others, right?
So, the next time you have a destination in mind or simply have some time to travel, don’t just resign yourself to the chaos of flying coach. It’s possible to make the flight just as enjoyable as the rest of your trip without breaking the bank now.
Editor's note: This article was updated to clarify how choosing and getting on a flight works.
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