Ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft have enjoyed so much success over the last few years. They are now in over 60 countries across the world and hundreds of cities. It’s a pretty great idea: using technology to offer various levels of rides to users. There are even luxurious packages that people can choose to have a lavish night on the town for a little more money.
Other companies are trying to use that same method for their business. Some companies are attempting to even make the luxurious vehicle rides look cheap compared to what they’re offering… but is it working?
Private Jet Charters
Charter plane services are offering their own version of ride-sharing, but it’s not catching on as fast.
“A lot of companies have sprung up over the past year or so,” said Richard Zaher, CEO and founder of Paramount Business Jets (PBJ), “promising to be the ‘Uber of private jets,’ but I don’t believe they’ve connected all the dots over what that entails.”
Zaher said that the simplicity of the vehicle-based apps is what really makes the companies succeed. There is a lot more that goes into deciding between private jet charters than just clicking a few buttons on an app.
“There are simply too many factors involved in every trip,” Zaher added. Efficiency has to be taken into account, along with safety, experience, weather conditions, value, and many more.
Successful custom jet charters could be a thing of the future, but it’s just too difficult to implement in today’s society. Hailing your own private jet charters is a bit difficult than just getting an Uber to the airport or a restaurant. And a charter jet app would just be far too complicated.
Zaher is also skeptical about removing the human oversight regarding a trip.
“I don’t believe clients will realize a better value from reliance on technology to perform an aviation job,” Zaher said. “Quite the opposite, actually. How is a smartphone app able to provide white glove service, or negotiate costs and terms with an operator on behalf of the client?”
Technology is certainly changing the world and the charter jet industry could be next, but it doesn’t look like that’ll happen anytime soon.