<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="23113277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flyjets" source="keywords">FlyJets</keyword> CEO Jessica <keyword id="21219601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fisher" source="keywords">Fisher</keyword> said customers can fly private for cheaper by booking empty legs.</li><li>The startup has developed a new "fly empty" concept that matches customers flying opposite routes.</li></ul>While <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-private-jet-flights-hidden-again-faa-2024-7">flying private is largely reserved for the rich</a> and famous, online aviation charter marketplace FlyJets says it can offer the average traveler a cheaper way to experience the luxury. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://flyjets.com/">FlyJets</a> CEO Jessica Fisher told Business Insider that the startup doesn't own or operate planes but works like an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/built-vacation-house-tulum-mexico-airbnb-investment-2024-8">Airbnb</a> 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 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/affordable-luxury-air-travel-on-the-rise-private-jets-2024-6">private flying more affordable.</a> 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 isn't new. Several well-known <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-vistajet-private-jet-global-7500-jet-lag-tips-2024-3" target="_blank">private aviation companies, like VistaJet</a>, sell empty legs at a discount after someone else books a round-trip flight. However, Fisher said there's no guarantee the legs will sell, and they are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-on-75-million-bombardier-global-7500-private-jet-vistajet-2022-11'">typically pre-determined routes</a>, 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 utilization and, therefore, revenue," Fisher said. "It's a win-win." <h2>Flyers can save 40% on 'empty-leg splits'</h2>Fisher said customers can create empty legs online via the company's paid <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8mnNC4Mjcx/">FlyJets+</a> membership, which costs $290 annually, and flights are matched with another full party flying the opposite route. "If two parties need to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blade-one-private-jet-seat-new-york-miami-photos-review-2022-12">fly between New York and Miami</a> and they can commit to opposite legs, then they both save 40%, and the operator gets 10% more income from both of us," she said, adding that it's also better for the environment to have fewer empty planes flying. For example, Fisher said a seven-seater <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-inside-21-million-embraer-praetor-600-with-advanced-tech-2024-7">midsize plane</a> can cost $25,000 roundtrip for one party. But if FlyJets secures an "empty-leg split" for $15,000 in each direction, customers would pay about $2,100 per seat, and the aircraft provider could secure $5,000 more. <div type="image" title="The cabin as viewed from the aisle of an Embraer Praetor 600" height="3024" width="4032" msid="112720657" hostid="261"></div>Most fares for the same route on Delta Air Lines or <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/upgrading-united-polaris-review-business-class-2024-8">United Airlines</a> sit between $500 and $1,000 one-way through November. Fisher said when a match on the opposing route can't be found, customers won't get the "fly empty" price but can still book the plane outright at the market rate for the charter. She said this scenario will be less likely as FlyJets' network of planes and customers grows. The company also plans to launch a new "FlyJets Exchange" tool this fall that would allow flyers to buy seats on existing trips booked by other members, she said. <h2>There's a growing trend of affordable charters</h2>FlyJets joins a growing list of companies offering more affordable <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/embraer-phenom-300e-most-flown-aircraft-in-the-us-photos-2024-6">private air travel</a>. The experience remains pricey, but travel experts say people are willing to splurge. <keyword id="23113279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oliver-bell" source="keywords">Oliver Bell</keyword>, the cofounder of luxury travel company Oliver's Travels, told BI's <keyword id="23113280" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mikhaila-friel" source="keywords">Mikhaila Friel</keyword> in June that this trend could be partly attributed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-travelers-splurge-on-for-vacation-trends-2023-11">"revenge travel,"</a> where people are "willing to spend more for incredible experiences" after the lockdowns of the pandemic. In addition to the luxury, people who shell out for private travel save time. Charters are direct flights and typically <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flew-out-of-general-aviation-airport-now-dread-commercial-flying-2022-1">operate out of small aircraft service stations</a> that require little or no security checks. This means customers can arrive within minutes of departure and avoid the busy airport terminal crowds. Take the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-semi-private-carrier-jsx-burbank-to-phoenix-flight-review-2023-4">semi-private air carrier JSX</a>, which offers flights across the US and Mexico as a shared plane but with the perks of a private trip. Shorter flights, like Las Vegas to Burbank, cost around $275 one-way, while longer routes along the East Coast corridor start around $700. <div type="image" title="JSX plane inside a private terminal." height="2268" width="3024" msid="112720655" hostid="261"></div><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://fly.kinectair.com/flex/">KinectAir</a> — a company selling empty legs in the traditional way — touts itself as a ride-share for the sky. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/cheaper-private-airplanes-kinectair/index.html">CNN</a> reported it sells short empty-leg repositioning flights across the US and keeps prices as low as $111 by using cheaper piston and turboprop aircraft instead of jets. The catch, however, is that the company can't sell individual seats, so the flyer has to book out the entire charter plane. "Of course, [flying private] is by no means a "cheap" way to fly as it still will typically be more expensive than flying commercial," Bell said. "But it is much more accessible than people think, which could be why we're seeing an increase now that people are becoming more aware." Correction: August 23, 2024 — An earlier version of this story mistakenly included NetJets as one of the companies that sell empty flight legs at a discount.

The CEO of a private aviation company explains the 'empty-leg' trick that can make chartering jets cheaper

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Many millennials and Gen Zers are incurring debt to finance their summer travel plans.</li><li>Post-pandemic travel is booming despite inflation.</li></ul>Young Americans are having the summer of their dreams — just don't ask to see their bank balances.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/travel-rewards/survey-travel-plans-2024/">Forbes Advisor survey</a> of 1,000 Americans who plan to travel in 2024 showed the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/affordable-luxury-air-travel-on-the-rise-private-jets-2024-6">post-pandemic "revenge travel" boom</a> is in full force, despite rising inflation.An estimated 92% of those surveyed said they plan to travel as much as they did in 2023, and more than half of Gen-Zers and millennials surveyed said they planned to travel more.Millennials and Gen Zers are even willing to take on debt to fund their summer travel, according to three new surveys by Credit Karma, Bankrate, and Bank of America cited in a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/genz-millennials-going-into-debt-summer-vacation-travel-taylor-swift-2024-6">Business Insider</a> report."Now that travel is back, younger travelers want to make the most of the time they have and prioritize spending on experiences versus tangible items," Johannes Thomas, CEO of Trivago, told BI.The stats weren't surprising to Thomas, who told BI that this new trend could be partly attributed to the rise of remote work.<h2 id="2a6ab05d-1959-4d40-a80e-e59557944cf8">To work from home — or abroad</h2>In a recent survey<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hybrid-work-here-to-stay-ceos-rto-remote-2024-4"> reported</a> by BI in April, 34% of US CEOs said they expect workers whose roles were once tied to an office to be back in their commuting five days a week in the next three years. That's down from 62% who held that view in 2023, according to the <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2024/kpmg-2024-ceo-outlook-pulse-survey.html">study released Thursday</a> by KPMG US."Remote work and flexibility are the new normal," Thomas said, adding that taking vacations while working has been made easier for younger people entering the workforce.The ability to work from anywhere is appealing to those looking to fit more travel into their schedule, regardless of their bank balance.It may be easier, but that doesn't necessarily mean cheaper. Around 62% of millennials and 61% of Gen-Zers surveyed by Forbes Advisor said they plan to spend a minimum of $4,000 on travel in 2024.Ivan Saprov, founder and CEO of Voyagu, told BI that the rise of "bleisure travel" — the combination of business and leisure travel — has encouraged young people to prioritize taking trips during economic uncertainty.For example, he said the rising combination of hotel chains and coworking spaces has made it "convenient for young professionals to work remotely while traveling.""With the rise of remote and hybrid work formats, it is now easier than ever to mix work with pleasure," Saprov said.<h2 id="f6ea5ffd-67d3-4fef-b34c-1c54922a6888">Revenge travel and other loans</h2>It's not just remote and hybrid working that may have contributed to a rise in travel spending.Travel experts previously told BI they had noticed an uptick in clients opting for luxury air travel experiences, from <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/travel/cheap-private-and-semi-private-jet-companies">private jets</a> to first-class and premium-class plane tickets.Oliver Bell, cofounder of luxury travel company Oliver's Travels, said this trend could be partly attributed to <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-travelers-splurge-on-for-vacation-trends-2023-11">"revenge travel,"</a> where people are "willing to spend more for incredible experiences" in the aftermath of the pandemic.Social media may also be playing a role. Thomas and financial expert Julie Beckham told BI that young people are likely to be influenced by peers who are showcasing their travel experiences online."FOMO (or fear of missing out) has a lot to do with saying yes to travel we can't afford," said Beckham, an AVP/Financial Education Development and Strategy Officer at Rockland Trust."We are very uncomfortable talking about finances as a society and it can cause people to overspend to keep up with their friends or appearances on social media," she added.Debt is also a burden many people are used to carrying. According to Experian data, the average American owes $104,215 in mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, car loans, credit card debt, student loan debt, and other debts like personal loans.Of course, you don't have to sacrifice financial stability to travel if it's within your means.Beckham recommends creating an international spending plan for future trips.She said it's worth being open and honest with your travel companions about your budget expectations so that you can plan for cheaper alternatives if required."It feels a lot better to save for a year to go away than to go away and spend the next year paying for that vacation plus interest," Beckham said."When possible, avoid the temptation to just charge it and deal with it later. While your tan fades, your debt will grow, and so might your stress."

Gen Z and millennials are going into debt to travel this summer. Remote working may be partly to blame.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Luxury air travel is on the rise, including the use of private jets and premium tickets.</li><li>The pandemic's 'revenge travel' trend has people spending more on luxury air experiences.</li></ul>It's official: 2024 is the year of luxury air travel.Travel experts told Business Insider they had noticed an uptick in clients opting for luxury air travel experiences, from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/travel/cheap-private-and-semi-private-jet-companies">private jets</a> to first-class and premium-class plane tickets.Oliver Bell, cofounder of luxury travel company Oliver's Travels, said this trend could be partly attributed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-travelers-splurge-on-for-vacation-trends-2023-11">"revenge travel,"</a> where people are "willing to spend more for incredible experiences" in the aftermath of the pandemic.According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/travel-rewards/survey-travel-plans-2024/">Forbes Advisor survey</a> of 1,000 Americans in January of this year, 39% of people say their travel budget in 2024 will be higher than the previous year. (That's down from 45% of people surveyed in 2023.)But you don't have to be flushed with cash to experience luxury air travel. You just have to do your research.<h2 id="25da4617-0b4d-4011-8213-256137508460">Semi-private jets are often overlooked</h2>Private jets are one of the most obvious ways to travel in luxury, but according to Bell, they are often overlooked because people assume they are too expensive."A lot of people assume that flying private is only for the rich and famous, the Elon Musk's of the world," Bell said."Of course, it's by no means a 'cheap' way to fly as it still will typically be more expensive than flying commercial, but it is much more accessible than people think, which could be why we're seeing an increase now that people are becoming more aware," he added.As <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/travel/cheap-private-and-semi-private-jet-companies">BI's </a>Alesandra Dubin previously reported, June 2022 had the most private flights in the US since October 2007.<div type="image" title="The interior of a private jet" height="1412" width="2122" msid="111292048" hostid="261" sizebytes="222128"></div>Dubin recommended booking a publicly available seat on a "hop on" semi-private jet flight to save money. Numerous private regional airlines, such as JSX, offer this option.JSX offers various routes from private terminals across the West Coast and Texas. Passengers don't have to worry about crowds or security lines, and with a maximum of 30 passengers on each flight, you can get the feeling of flying private without actually hiring your own jet.In June 2021, Dubin wrote about her experience traveling from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/travel/jsx-airlines-review">LA to Vegas on a JSX flight for $99</a>. Her ticket included a free checked bag, snacks, and drinks, including alcohol.Alternatively, some private jet companies offer subscription services where you get full access for a set fee every month. For example, <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored" href="https://www.surfair.com/">Surf Air </a>is an LA-based private jet company that offers unlimited private flying memberships for $295 per month or $3,540 annually."Instead of having to wait in long queues with limits on baggage or extra payments required, you can arrive as little as 15 minutes before your flight, board directly, and enjoy complete comfort and privacy," Bell said.<h2 id="2150fcfb-a6a5-4a66-aaff-d457716c9988">Affordable or 'middle-of-the-road' luxury</h2>Some passengers can travel in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/use-amex-points-ana-first-class-flight-worth-14000-2022-3">first or business class for less</a> using credit cards or airline reward points.But for less frequent flyers or those who don't have the points, there are alternative options.David Guthrie, founder of safari company Tent with a View, said he has noticed an increase in clients opting for "middle-of-the-road luxury" options, such as premium-class plane tickets.He said it's become common for airlines to offer a "more elevated experience compared to standard economy," but these options are "not nearly as plush or pricey as first-class or private charters."Airlines, including KLM, Delta, and United, offer premium or comfort-class tickets.<div type="image" title="united airlines exterior plane" height="683" width="1024" msid="111292050" hostid="261" sizebytes="73752"></div>Each airline offers different perks. With <a target="_blank" href="https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/inflight/united-premium-plus.html">United Airlines' Premium Plus</a> package, passengers will get bigger seats, more legroom, and an amenity kit with skincare products from TheraFace, including eye serum, facial spray, hand cream, and lip balm.It also includes free alcohol, upgraded meal cutlery, and noise-canceling headphones on board, as well as larger TV screens, priority check-in and boarding, exclusive security lanes, and priority bag handling.According to Martina Coogan, head of United Airline's corporate sales in the UK and Ireland, fares start at around $1,077.Coogan told BI that Premium Plus is "gaining in popularity with both leisure and corporate travelers, and we expect this trend to continue."He said it's an especially popular option for passengers traveling on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-premium-economy-upgrade-japan-us-worth-it-2024-5">long-haul flights</a> from the US to the UK.Meanwhile, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.klm.co.uk/information/travel-class-extra-options/premium-comfort-class-seats">KLM's premium comfort package</a>, passengers are seated in a "quiet cabin" with up to 28 seats with 17cm more legroom and 7.5cm more recline than an economy seat. Guthrie said this package is popular among his clients, who appear to spend double the amount on premium comfort tickets compared to economy.Similarly, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.delta.com/us/en/onboard/onboard-experience/delta-comfort-plus">Delta's Comfort Plus package </a>offers more legroom (though it's not clear by how much), early boarding, dedicated overhead bin space, and complimentary snacks on flights over 900 miles and drinks on flights over 251 miles.

Luxury air travel is on the rise. Experts say you don't have to be rich to experience it.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54c69fabeab8eabd228b4567-529-396/rainy-wedding.jpg" border="0" alt="Rainy Wedding "><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sarah-gillespie-and-adam-johnson-celebrate-their-wedding-news-photo/114238728">Getty Images/The Washington Post</a>A company is promising to 'control the weather' on your wedding day. </img></div></div></div>No matter how carefully a couple plans every detail of their wedding day, the weather is one thing that you could never predict - until now. 
Luxury travel company Oliver's Travels is offering a '<a href="http://www.oliverstravels.com/blog/guarantee-perfect-wedding-weather-olivers-travels/">perfect wedding day</a>' package to high-end customers that promises to control the weather for just over $100,000. 
To guarantee a sunny wedding day, the company employs a team of expert meteorologists and pilots to fly aircrafts above the clouds to 'seed' them with silver iodide - which causes the rain clouds to burst and disappear. The technique is a form of weather modification called '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding">cloud seeding</a>,' which was developed in the late 1940s, <a href="http://www.oliverstravels.com/blog/guarantee-perfect-wedding-weather-olivers-travels/">according to Oliver's Travels.</a>
Cloud seeding was used during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing to prevent rain during the opening and closing ceremonies. It was also used for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2012, according to The Telegraph. 
But now the service is available to the masses, or the at least the ones who are willing to pay over $100,000 to make sure their wedding day is flawless. 
Oliver Bell, co-founder of <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11369497/Company-claims-it-can-deliver-a-perfect-rain-free-wedding-day...-with-a-100k-price-tag.html">Oliver's Travels told The Telegraph</a>, "We pride ourselves on our innovative approach, and are thrilled to be able to offer such an unusual, unique service to our customers, to ensure their wedding is the talk of the town."
The company insists that its 'cloud seeding' technique can "100% guarantee fair weather and clear skies for your wedding day," except in the event of a natural disaster such as a hurricane. 
The 'perfect day' package starts at just over $100,000 for what the website claims is "superhero-style weather modification," and is only available when booking <a href="http://www.oliverstravels.com/cloud-bursting/?search_holiday_type=0&amp;keywords=&amp;capacity=&amp;wedding_capacity=&amp;arrival_date=&amp;length=7&amp;priceformat=total&amp;currency=GBP&amp;min_price=0&amp;max_price=10000&amp;country%5B%5D=43&amp;country%5B%5D=&amp;wedding_conference=0&amp;region%5B%5D=&amp;resource_facility%5B%5D=&amp;extras%5B%5D=&amp;u=1&amp;dwellings=&amp;is_offer_page=0&amp;order=&amp;options%5Bdefault_sort%5D=0&amp;options%5Bexact_capacity%5D=0&amp;options%5Bmax_capacity%5D=30&amp;options%5Bmin_wedding_capacity%5D=25&amp;options%5Bmax_wedding_capacity%5D=100&amp;options%5Bstep_wedding_capacity%5D=25&amp;options%5Bpre_selected_facilitieschecked%5D=0&amp;options%5Bpre_selected_extraschecked%5D=0">Oliver's Travels wedding's in France</a>.

You Searched For "oliver bell" and got 4 results

The CEO of a private aviation company explains the 'empty-leg' trick that can make chartering jets cheaper

Taylor Rains

Gen Z and millennials are going into debt to travel this summer. Remote working may be partly to blame.

Mikhaila Friel

Luxury air travel is on the rise. Experts say you don't have to be rich to experience it.

Mikhaila Friel

A Luxury Travel Company Promises A Perfect, Rain Free Wedding Day For $100,000

Asta Thrastardottir