Is a Private Jet Membership Worth It?

Among the ways to fly private, the membership has become one of the most talked about, borrowing the logic of a subscription and applying it to aircraft. Instead of owning anything, a member pays to access a fleet by the hour. The question for any prospective member is simple. Is the convenience worth the fee?

How Membership Works

VistaJet has built its brand on this model, offering memberships with no joining fees where clients pay for the hours they need. Its Program subscription guarantees access to the entire silver and red fleet, while its VJ25 membership is aimed at travelers flying from twenty five hours a year. In the United States, Wheels Up runs a comparable membership program. In each case the member pays a membership or subscription fee and then an hourly rate for flying, in exchange for guaranteed availability and a consistent standard of service across the fleet.

What You Are Really Buying

The value of a membership is consistency. The aircraft, the crew, the catering, and the service feel the same on every flight, and availability is guaranteed with reasonable notice even during busy periods. On VistaJet, every flight carries at least one cabin host trained to a hospitality standard. What a member does not get is an asset. There is no share to sell at the end and no aircraft on the balance sheet, only access for as long as the membership runs.

Who It Suits

A membership makes the most sense for a traveler who flies often enough to value guaranteed access and consistent service, roughly twenty five to a hundred hours a year, but who does not want the commitment of a fractional share or the unpredictability of booking each charter separately. For someone who flies only occasionally, the membership fee is hard to justify, and simple charter is the better choice. As with every path into private aviation, the answer depends less on the program than on how often the traveler actually flies.