On March 24, 2019, a Bombardier Global 7500 broke the speed record from Los Angeles to New York City, completing the flight in 3 hours and 54 minutes. The Global 7500 left Van Nuys Airport on Sunday at 7:01 a.m. local time and landed at Teterboro Airport at 1:55 p.m. local time, trimming 90 minutes off the average time.
Bombardier pilots Kerry Swanson and Andrew Sibenaler accomplished the feat. The Global 7500 reached a top speed of Mach 0.925, the 7500’s Maximum Mach Number (MMO), which it maintained for more than two hours in level flight. The record is pending certification from the National Aeronautic Association.
Source: bombardier.com
Meet the Global 7500: Speed, safety, luxury
Available from Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier Inc., the Global 7500 has a roughly $73 million price tag and began deliveries in December 2018. The aircraft won the 2019 Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award.
The aircraft that set the record — registered as C-FXAI — is production-level and serves as a demonstration aircraft.
“The Global 7500 aircraft is simply the best business jet on the market today,” said Bombardier Business Aircraft President David Coleal. “This latest speed record demonstrates once again that the Global 7500 jet is the undisputed leader in business aviation.”
The Global 7500 is the largest and longest-range private aircraft. It features four living spaces and a dedicated crew suite and kitchen. The interior is customizable with countless floor plan and furnishing options. Possible spaces include a club suite, conference suite (with a six-person table), entertainment suite, private suite, and en suite bath. The aircraft holds a maximum of 19 passengers.
Source: bombardier.com
The aircraft also boasts Bombardier’s signature Nuage seat, featuring deep recline, a floating base, and a tilting headrest. A new feature is the nice Touch cabin management system, which controls lighting, media, communications, and more.
Crew members also enjoy luxury aboard the Global 7500. The aircraft features the largest cockpit in the industry and a permanent side-facing jump seat. It’s equipped with Bombardier’s proven fly-by-wire system. The dedicated crew suite offers maximum comfort on long-range flights.
Mounting records for Bombardier
The Global 7500’s recent flight record comes on the heels of another honor for Bombardier, when a Global 7500 flew 8,152 nautical miles on a recent trip and set the record for the longest flight for a private jet. The Global 7500 flew from Singapore to Tucson, Arizona, and landed in 90 minutes with 4,300 pounds of fuel in reserve, meeting NBAA requirements.
The Global 7500 unseats the record set by General Dynamic Corp.’s Gulfstream G650 in November 2014. Until the Global 7500’s debut, the Gulfstream G650 was the uncontested standard in ultra-long-range business aircraft since its launch in December 2012.
The typical cruise speed for the Global 7500 is 0.85 mach. Its maximum range is listed as 7,700 nautical miles. A commercial flight from Los Angeles to New York City takes an average five and a half hours to complete.
The expert jet brokers at L & L International are here to help you acquire the perfect jet. Need to sell your jet? We can assist with that, too. Contact the private aviation professionals online, at sales@L-Lint.com, or at +1 (305) 754-3313.
Would you pay $25,000 per year to be able to fly on demand, throughout the region? For frequent charter customers and businesses, this is a lot cheaper than buying a private jet. It can even be cheaper than first class flights, depending on the frequency and destination. It’s a cost that makes sense for many customers, and it’s why the “uberization” of flight-sharing and chartering is a movement that’s only gaining steam.
Though it’s faced some uphill legal battles in the past, flight-sharing appears to have weathered initial criticisms. Today there are more than a few services allowing private jet owners to make use of their aircraft for on-demand charters.
But the industry for private charters is moving so fast that it’s already beginning to hit on the next iteration of business models. Now, flying for a flat rate is trending. What’s more, it seems to be a happy medium between flight-sharing and traditional chartering. The race to make private air travel affordable has reached monthly (and annual) subscription status.
Surf Air is exploring a new model
Launched in early 2014, Surf Air has brought a new concept to the private charter market: flying for a flat rate. Instead of paying per seat (flight-sharing) or paying per destination (traditional charter), customers pay a flat monthly rate to be able to fly anywhere in a defined region, whenever they want.
For frequent flyers — and even not-so-frequent flyers — Surf Air presents several compelling price points that make private chartering not only accessible but also affordable:
Surf Air Express — $2,500 per year, with rates as low as $500 per flight
All-You-Can-Fly — From $1,950 per month
Group Package — From $5,000 per month
Surf Air’s initial market focused on California and nearby Southwestern hubs. It covered California, including San Francisco, Napa, and San Diego, eventually chartering to Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. California and Nevada soon made way for Texas. In 2017, the company expanded into overseas markets — setting up a hub in London, with access to nearby destinations Zurich, Luxembourg, Munich, and Milan.
What does a subscription mean for private air travel?
Jet cards have been the standard for private aviation in the past. Most charter companies have used jet cards as a way to give their customers access to their services, with fixed variables that made pricing and scheduling easy. Now, subscription models stand to make things even easier.
With a subscription model, money is rolling in whether or not clients are flying. And because subscriptions are priced to be affordable to customers, with break-even points built in for the business, they offer a win-win structure for frequent flyers who prefer to travel in style.
While private air travel isn’t for everyone, subscription pricing will likely open the door even wider for those seeking to experience it. In 2018, Surf Air claimed to have more than 3,000 subscribers for its service out of California — a state where almost a million millionaires reside.
For those with the desire to fly direct and the cash to charter, subscription services like those offered by Surf Air make the skies accessible and convenient. In fact, the business has streamlined the model so thoroughly that clients only need to show up for their flight 15 minutes before takeoff! Time will tell if the subscription model is successful, but early indicators show demand.
Contact the experts at L & L International if you need assistance acquiring or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1 (305) 754-3313, or visit us online.
If you’re in the market for a private jet, affordability isn’t usually one of the qualifiers on your checklist. Most prospective owners are looking for reliability, distance, speed, and features. But what if there were a jet that offered all these things, at a price point well below other models? There’s no doubt it’d get a second look from buyers. This is exactly why people can’t stop talking about the new HondaJet Elite.
New in 2019, the HondaJet Elite is a six-seater private jet that’s ready to set the standard for light aircraft. According to Honda, it’s the “fastest, furthest, and highest-flying plane in its class.” And it’s priced at a paltry $5.25 million.
Get to know the HondaJet Elite
The beauty of the HondaJet Elite isn’t that it’s something boldly new and unique. Rather, it’s the familiar made better. For those acquainted with the likes of Embraer’s Phenom 300 or Cessna’s Citation Excel/XLS, the HondaJet Elite isn’t bold new territory. It simply does more with less!
The craft features a revolutionary over-the-wing engine mount configuration, as well as a composite fuselage and Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) fuselage nose and wing. These innovations give the aircraft big punch in a little package. Measuring 42.62 feet, with a wingspan of 39.76 feet, the HondaJet is certainly smaller than other light aircraft in its class.
But what it lacks in size the HondaJet Elite makes up for in capability.
The jet clocks in with a range of 1,437 nautical miles, jetting past the 2,100 nautical mile range of the Citation Excel/XLS and well beyond the range of the Phenom 300’s 1,971 nautical radius. Taking off from Denver International Airport (DEN), the HondaJet is able to reach virtually any major metropolitan hub in the United States.
In addition to its impressive range, the HondaJet Elite also boasts some of the best navigation technologies available today. Pilots can take the helm of an automated Garmin® G3000 avionics suite, equipped with everything from visual weight displays for fuel, baggage, and passengers, to ergonomic cockpit controls for improved maneuverability and safety.
Simply put, the HondaJet Elite has everything you expect from a luxury light aircraft, neatly packed into a smaller jet at a lower price point.
Cost is a big differentiator
The cost of a private jet ranges anywhere from $3 million to $90 million, depending on what you’re buying. A simple turboprop that’s a few years on the market won’t come close to the cost of a brand-new, decked-out Bombardier Global 7500. Tack on the cost of fuel, maintenance, registration, inspections, and more, and the cost of ownership only rises. The bigger the jet, the higher the costs.
The HondaJet Elite is revolutionary not only in its size and capabilities but also in its price point. Coming in at just $5.25 million new, it offers buyers an extremely attractive proposition: a state-of-the-art jet, at the price of a turboprop. Compare this to the list price of an Embraer Phenom 300 at $8.76 million, and it’s quickly evident why the HondaJet Elite is such a big deal. It may just be the first “affordable” jet to hit the market, and it’s not a bad investment at that!
The expert jet brokers at L & L International are here to help you acquire the perfect jet. Need to sell your jet? We can assist with that, too. Contact the private aviation professionals online, at sales@L-Lint.com, or at +1 (305) 754-3313.
When an aircraft suffers a fatal crash, it’s a terrible tragedy. There are so few air travel fatalities in a given year that it immediately becomes a front-page headline. But when the same model jet is involved in successive fatal crashes, it becomes much more than a tragedy. It’s a scandal. That’s exactly what Boeing is facing right now as its 737 MAX 8 jetliner sits halted on the tarmac worldwide.
The situation so far
In October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed in Indonesia, killing 189. Then, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed in March, killing all 157 people onboard. Between these two devastating crashes, several other reported issues with Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 airliner were reported, thankfully with less catastrophic results. Industry professionals and investigative journalists quickly found the links between them: the 737 MAX 8, a tripped sensor module, and a nosedive pilots struggled to correct.
Fast forward to today and Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets are grounded worldwide. The cause? It all boils down to an issue with the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) and Boeing’s irresponsible approach to training pilots on how to correct premature sensor triggers.
How is private aviation affected?
The grounding of a commercial aircraft doesn’t usually have much bearing on private aviation, other than to call into question the risk of other affected models from that manufacturer. Grounding Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 is a slightly different scenario.
Despite its commercial status, there are actually twenty-one 737 MAX 8 jets currently on the assembly line for private owners. After this debacle with the 737 MAX 8, private buyers can opt not to take delivery of the jet and instead sell their place on the delivery list to someone else.
There are also a number of private 737 MAX 8 jets already on the tarmac in the form of Boeing’s rebranded Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) MAX. A majority of these jets fly out of Asia-Pacific markets and, like their commercial counterparts, remain grounded until there’s a resolution for the MCAS issue.
Looking at the broader picture
Despite the recent prolific press on Boeing’s failures and the devastation they’ve caused, it’s perhaps the best time to reflect on the safety of air travel, specifically in private aviation. While aircraft crashes are usually front-page news, especially when they involve fatalities, what we don’t hear about are the hundreds of privately chartered flights that take off and land daily all around the world.
It bears reminding that private jets are often chartered by pilots with tens of thousands of hours of commercial flying experience, in aircraft much larger than those in the BizAv market. As a result, there are fewer crashes and fatalities on private charters every year than on scheduled commercial flights.
Hopefully the worst of Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 tragedies are behind us and Boeing has learned an extremely important lesson in the wake of these fatal crashes. It’s expected that a fix for grounded 737 MAX 8 jets will hit the market soon. Certainly, it’s a situation that’s front and center in the mind of all jet owners and anyone stepping onboard a Boeing aircraft. But equally as important to realize is that this is an opportunity to make air travel safer now and for the future.
The expert jet brokers at L & L International are here to help you acquire the perfect jet. Need to sell your jet? We can assist with that, too. Contact the private aviation professionals online, at sales@L-Lint.com, or at +1 (305) 754-3313.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has released its end-of-year report on the state of aircraft shipments for 2018. And while a glance at the first quarter of last year might set the bar low for expectations, the remainder of the year and especially the fourth quarter yielded numbers that paint a healthy picture of private aviation headed into 2019.
Breaking down the GAMA report
While the GAMA report focuses exclusively on aircraft deliveries, there’s a tremendous amount of data to glean from the raw numbers. It’s also a great status indicator for the industry as a whole, since the report focuses on the point of delivery instead of the point of order.
For example, 703 new business jets were delivered to customers in 2018. More impressive was the growth over the year — only about 19% of deliveries took place in the first quarter, as opposed to nearly 37% in the fourth quarter. Total deliveries were also up about 3.8% in 2018 over 2017. The total value of the private aircraft market in 2018 was about $20.6 billion.
Most impressive in this report, however, is data showing a rise in private aviation across all categories: business jets, turboprops, pistons, and helicopters. It’s the first such instance of growth in five years and the strongest surge in deliveries in more than a decade!
Looking closer at the trends
Thanks to the individual categories broken out by the GAMA report, a few trends also make themselves evident:
Textron is the top manufacturer of 2018, according to the report. This is no surprise, as its Citation family of jets has been gaining momentum over the past several years. With 188 total aircraft delivered in 2018, the industry leader is likely to see a strong 2019 as well thanks to its Latitude model, which accounted for 57 of the company’s deliveries last year.
Despite having the most total models delivered, Textron actually comes second to Bombardier in terms of the most popular model of 2018. The Challenger 350 remains the best-selling private jet for the second year in a row (2017, 2018), with 60 deliveries in 2018 — narrowly beating out Textron’s Latitude (57).
Despite growing customer interest in long-range jets — as evidenced by new models such as the Bombardier Global 7500 — there’s actually evidence in the rise of turboprop aircraft. While the low cost of turboprops has always been appealing, 601 new total turboprop deliveries in 2018 signal something more. Turboprops and piston aircraft deliveries both rose 5% last year.
There’s no doubt 2018 was a strong year for all sectors of the private aviation market. The only question now is, Will this momentum continue through 2019 or stall out?
Others predict a lag in the used jet market, which will push prospective buyers into the realm of new jets.
There’s also the newest wave of jets to consider, which includes the already best-selling Bombardier Global 7500 and the Cessna Citation Longitude. Each of these jets is the pinnacle of modern technology and appealing to owners who want the newest and best option.
The general consensus is that the private aviation market will continue to bolster itself in 2019. It could very well be a record-setting year, with so many favorable tailwinds blowing.
The expert jet brokers at L & L International are here to help you acquire the perfect jet. Need to sell your jet? We can assist with that, too. Contact the private aviation professionals online, at sales@L-Lint.com, or at +1 (305) 754-3313.
A jet engine is one of the most complex mechanical marvels in the world. With the recent successful test of Rolls-Royce’s developmental UltraFan engine, the future of jet engines just got even more sophisticated. UltraFan technology is staunchly positioned as the future for aviation propulsion. After this test, that future has become a little clearer.
A lineage of proven excellence
Rolls-Royce’s UltraFan is the third iteration of its Trent family of turbofan engines. The Trent 700 debuted in 1990, followed by numerous variations through to the premier of the Advance in 2018 (target launch 2021). The UltraFan is slated for a 2025 launch date.
Along the way Rolls-Royce has also put out variations on the original Trent design, including the most recent Trent 7000 in 2015.
Source: rolls-royce.com
The first successful test
The UltraFan promises to be leaps and bounds ahead of the original Trent design. In February 2019, engineers got a sneak peek at just how much better.
At its facility in Derby, U.K., Rolls-Royce engineers assembled all composite elements of the UltraFan’s Advanced Low-Pressure System (ALPS) for the very first time. This included the fan blades, fan case, and annulus fillers. The entire setup was tested on a donor engine, and the entire process benefitted from IntelligentEngine vision — the company’s digital software that measures the exact parameters of each fan blade during testing.
This is the first time all core elements of the UltraFan have been assembled and tested as a whole.
An environmentally friendly reduction in NOx emissions (as much as 90%)
Noise reduction by up to 65%, resulting in a 15dB drop in noise pollution
Through its innovative new technologies, lightweight design, and unparalleled build quality, the UltraFan is poised to tackle everything from operating costs and environmental concerns to noise pollution and aircraft availability concerns.
Roadmap to the skies
All the excitement around the UltraFan engine needs tempering. According to Rolls-Royce’s roadmap, we’re at least five to six years away from seeing it on a jet, much less in the air. That said, there is a clear and present roadmap to the skies for the UltraFan.
That roadmap started with this first successful test and is most likely to culminate with the launch of a re-tooled Airbus A350 in 2025. In between these two points, the UltraFan will likely see ground testing in 2021 and production shortly thereafter. Even beyond the 2025 intended launch date, Rolls-Royce is already looking as far ahead as 2050 to account for EU flight path goals.
The UltraFan is already a modern engineering marvel, and it hasn’t even left the factory floor. With one test in the books and more not far behind, the future of aviation engines is closer than most realize.
The expert jet brokers at L & L International are here to help you acquire the perfect jet. Need to sell your jet? We can assist with that, too. Contact the private aviation professionals online, at sales@L-Lint.com, or at +1 (305) 754-3313.
How often do you charter a private jet? For most business professionals, the answer is once or twice per year — usually in dire circumstances. Ask this same group how often they fly first class and the answer will be much more frequently. This shines a light on a common misconception: First class isn’t always a cheaper (or better) option than a private charter.
The misconception is an easy one to make. How could chartering an entire jet be more convenient or affordable than lounging in first class on a commercial flight? As it turns out, chartering a jet has become easier, more convenient, and more affordable in the past decade.
The rise of charter options
Jet charters are easier to book than ever before. The availability of jet cards and competitive booking services have made a chartered flight just a few clicks away for most business professionals. In fact, revenue from chartered flights may top $33.8 billion by December 2020!
Like ride-sharing has disrupted car transportation, the availability of chartered flights is disrupting air travel. The effects are similar: lower booking costs, widespread appeal, and more reasons to choose private transportation, rather than settle for public.
With the rise of charter options, the first and biggest variable affected is the number of first-class seats booked each year.
But what about the cost?
Trip cost is the first (and only) variable many people consider when booking a flight. And many times, even when a chartered flight is priced competitively, it suffers from the perception of luxury. People assume hidden fees and costs beyond what they can see.
The convenience of a flight tailored around your schedule. Even first-class passengers are at the mercy of everyone else on a commercial flight. Chartered jets leave when you’re ready, dramatically reducing pre-travel time and stress.
Speaking of reduced time, travel time itself goes down when you charter a flight. Private jets cruise to altitude much faster than commercial jets and speed to their destination at Mach .80 or .90.
How much leg room are you getting in first class? It’s nothing compared to what you’ll get on a chartered jet. Plus, you’ll benefit from loads of other amenities no amount of money can buy on a commercial flight.
All these things contribute to the cost of a private charter. But instead of looking at cost alone, look at value. Consider that the cost of a first-class ticket is roughly one-third of a charter’s cost — then look at what you’re getting. Time, convenience, and luxury pay for themselves very quickly.
Also consider variables such as the number of people flying and when you’re booking a flight. Try booking four first-class tickets two days before a flight and compare that cost to a private charter! The difference in cost is likely to be marginal, with the benefits in favor of chartering.
Take to the skies in style
There’s a lot to love about flying first class. But it’s nothing compared to chartering a flight! Don’t assume a private charter is unrealistic for your travel plans until you truly stack up the variables. Remember, there’s a reason people buy private jets! The cost of air travel can add up fast if you’re always in the air, flying first class. Sometimes, the best solution is one tailored to your needs.
The expert jet brokers at L & L International are here to help you acquire the perfect jet. Need to sell your jet? We can assist with that, too. Contact the private aviation professionals online, at sales@L-Lint.com, or at +1 (305) 754-3313.
Bombardier has never been one to disappoint when it comes to producing the best of the best. For decades, this manufacturer has continually set new benchmarks not only in what’s possible from private aircraft but also in what’s expected of them. With the recent launch of the Bombardier Global 7500, the company has yet again inked its name in history with a record-setting, industry-changing jet.
A look at the Global 7500
The Global 7500 is a perfect marriage of practicality and luxury. It’s designed for the world of business on a global scale, catering to the luxury demands of the business elite.
The aircraft itself features a cabin segmented into four separate areas, great for business or leisure. The Nuage seat completely redefines comfort, enabling deep recline potential and plenty of neck and lumbar support. Turbo heating and cooling ensure total comfort at all times. Best of all, the cabin is completely controlled by touch technologies! In addition, it accommodates 19 comfortably.
On its luxury and aesthetic merits alone, the Global 7500 is a must-have for any owner seeking the pinnacle of excellence.
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It passes more than just the eye test
Those familiar with Bombardier jets know they do a whole lot more than look great on the tarmac. The Global 7500 is no exception. In fact, this jet is now the owner of a world record: the world’s longest flight by a purpose-built business jet. It clocked 8,152 nautical miles from Singapore to Phoenix, direct. What’s more, it landed with 4,300 pounds of fuel — more than enough for an additional 90 minutes of flight time!
The record-setting flight shows off truly phenomenal potential by the Global 7500. The Singapore to Phoenix flight is just one example of its range. In a press release by the company, David Coleal, President of Bombardier Business Aircraft, lauded the jet:
“The Global 7500 aircraft was built to break all the records. It achieved the industry’s longest mission ever in business aviation after only two months in service. We’ve demonstrated its unequaled long-range and high-speed capabilities, but also its ability to break records confidently with healthy fuel reserves remaining, once again, confirming its unsurpassed performance to customers.”
With most of the globe open to a direct flight, Bombardier is giving international travelers an easier way to get to where they’re going. Potentially popular flight tracks include the ability to go from Miami to Dubai, New York to Hong Kong, Los Angeles to New Delhi, and more — all direct!
A growing trend in long-range aviation
Bombardier’s Global 7500 may hold the record for longest flight today, but it’s a record that’ll undoubtedly face challengers soon.
Bombardier’s own Global 8000 (which has faced delays) is expected to deliver flight mileage equal to its name. Gulfstream’s G650ER — which can log 7,500 nautical miles comfortably — has made a similar trip (Singapore to San Francisco) at a faster clip. Other manufacturers are also focusing on long-range jets, following the trend of global travel demands.
The world is getting smaller, especially for jet owners. Doing business across countries on a global scale is less of a burden than ever, thanks to jets that have little trouble traversing long distances. It’s a trend we’re likely to see more of, and Bombardier’s Global 7500 won’t be the last jet to break a distance record.
Contact the experts at L & L International if you need assistance acquiring or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1 (305) 754-3313, or visit us online.
Climate change is more than a political debate topic. It’s a headwind many industries have to face, regardless of which side of the political aisle they fall on. Weather is changing. Instances of severe and inclement conditions become more frequent with each passing year. For those in the aviation industry, it’s a trend that can’t be ignored.
The problem with weather
It’s not a surprise when flights are grounded due to a blizzard or when gale-force winds cause delays. In fact, planning for these conditions has become routine thanks to predictive meteorological technologies. Unfortunately, as our capability to predict weather has improved, the unpredictability of weather has started to outpace it.
It’s easy to predict a snowstorm a few days off. It’s not as easy to predict temperatures so hot they bring an entire airport to a standstill! And things are only getting worse. Issues such as high-altitude icing from subzero temperatures and violent thunderstorms at cruising altitudes are grounding more aircraft by the year. Worse still, these upper-altitude weather anomalies demand in-flight adjustments, impacting everything from designated flight paths to total airtime.
It’s easy to think about severe weather as hurricanes and blizzards. For aviation, inclement weather is anything unpredictable — which, these days, is a lot.
Weather’s effects on flight, on the ground and in the air
Battling back against the headwinds of inclement weather means looking at where it most affects aviation. The lion’s share of problems come before a jet even leaves the runway. However, there are also weather-related setbacks that need consideration in-flight.
Uncertain high-altitude weather conditions may ground flights out of precaution or dictate new routes, displacing optimal logistics and making flying more expensive.
Thinner air due to changing climate makes it harder for aircraft to generate lift. This means reducing weight to fly accordingly or paying higher fuel costs to get airborne.
Airports located at or below sea level, near a body of water, may experience flooding that grounds aircraft. See LaGuardia’s past troubles with flood waters.
High-altitude temperatures are changing, strengthening the jet stream. This means more turbulence and rockier travel when conditions are less than ideal.
The ripple effects of these problems spread ever-outward. They all result in inconveniences, higher costs, skewed logistics, and other such problems.
Keeping aviation ahead of the weather
Beating the many obstacles of inclement weather takes a two-pronged approach. First, the aviation industry needs to pitch in against global warming and climate change. Second, private fliers must find flexibility within the charter model.
Private jet owners can do their part. If available, using biofuels to reduce emissions is a simple first step. Flight sharing is another, to reduce the number of total charters. Finally, using pilots with experience in fuel saving plays a critical role in reducing emissions.
Climate change is bigger than the aviation industry, but it has tremendous bearing on its trajectory. Realizing the dire need to adapt to more severe and inclement weather anomalies will help private jet owners be more conscious. In addition, it will offer small comfort as they try to understand why their flight is grounded yet again, even if the skies appear clear.
The expert jet brokers at L & L International are here to help you acquire the perfect jet. Need to sell your jet? We can assist with that, too. Contact the private aviation professionals online, at sales@L-Lint.com, or at +1 (305) 754-3313.
When you step onto a private jet, you’re not likely holding a boarding pass. Instead, the key to the sky on a private charter is a jet card. And with the rise in private aviation accessibility, custom jet cards are quickly becoming the hot new trend. What’s all the rage about? For frequent fliers, a custom jet card is a great way to get what you want, when you want it.
A quick history
Jet cards became a necessity at the inception of brokered chartering. Because each charter involved different fees and rates, jet cards were introduced as a way to simplify things. And because chartering a flight can involve as many as 60+ different variables, jet cards were a quick way to set terms for holders. Simply put: They set fixed hourly rates and concrete terms.
Fast forward to today, and there’s an abundance of jet cards, offered by different broker services. Over 250 of them, actually! All of them operate roughly the same, with minor variations in how they’re used — for example, prepaying for hourly rate discounts versus jet-specific cards or cards valid for specific seating.
Now, the next iteration of jet cards seems to be upon us. Frequent fliers are buying cards that give them the options they want, the flexibility they need, and a value that’s too good to pass up.
Everything’s better when it’s custom
The custom jet card really made its debut in 2018, when industry leaders like Air Charter Service, DashJet, Jet Algo, and Prive Jets launched customizable programs. Each of the programs is generally similar, but thanks to customer-centric customization options, there are a wealth of possibilities for each. Some of the variables up for negotiation include:
Guaranteed availability
Fixed rates based on cost or usage
Custom service area rates
Lead time discounts
Fixed-rate charters and legs
Depending on how or where you fly, a custom jet card can be well worth the investment. And what an investment it might end up being! Depending on the variables you want to haggle over, custom cards can range between $20,000 and $150,000.
For someone who flies frequently, knows their schedule in advance, or charters the same route over and over, a custom jet card will likely pay for itself. For those with unpredictable flight schedules, choosing an available jet card may be the smarter option.
Pay close attention to what you’re getting
Because there are so many options available when it comes to charters, customizing a jet card can be a gamble if you don’t know exactly what you need. Here are a few critical aspects to consider when customizing a card:
What type of jet do you need? Some cards may not cover turboprops or only cover super-midsized cabins.
Who has your money? Look for card providers that utilize an escrow account instead of taking your funds up front.
Fixed hourly rates or dynamic pricing? If you fly into areas with frequent delays or inclement weather, dynamic pricing may be smarter.
Do you need availability on short notice? Paying more for a custom card may not be worth it unless you’re guaranteed availability.
Where are you flying? If you have a primary service area, a custom jet card may be worth the cost of locking down a low fixed rate.
There are many variables to consider before purchasing a custom jet card. Consider them all and start doing some math to see if things add up in your favor.
Contact the experts at L & L International if you need assistance acquiring or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at +1 (305) 754-3313, or visit us online.
The Global 7500’s recent flight record comes on the heels of another honor for Bombardier, when a Global 7500 flew 8,152 nautical miles on a recent trip and set the record for the longest flight for a private jet. The Global 7500 flew from Singapore to Tucson, Arizona, and landed in 90 minutes with 4,300 pounds of fuel in reserve, meeting NBAA requirements.
Would you pay $25,000 per year to be able to fly on demand, throughout the region? For frequent charter customers and businesses, this is a lot cheaper than buying a private jet. It can even be cheaper than first class flights, depending on the frequency and destination. It’s a cost that makes sense for many customers, and it’s why the “uberization” of 
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has released its end-of-year report on the state of aircraft shipments for 2018. And while a glance at the first quarter of last year might set the bar low for expectations, the remainder of the year and especially the fourth quarter yielded numbers that paint a healthy picture of private aviation headed into 2019.
Bombardier has never been one to disappoint when it comes to producing the best of the best. For decades, this manufacturer has continually set new benchmarks not only in what’s possible from private aircraft but also in what’s expected of them. With the recent launch of the Bombardier Global 7500, the company has yet again inked its name in history with a record-setting, industry-changing jet.
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