Low-cost airlines arrived to “democratize” air transportation. Catch a Jet can be said to be trying to do something similar with executive aviation. They offer flights in a private jet with savings of up to 75% compared to the fares that are handled in this niche market that is growing like crazy, especially in Mallorca. They define it as affordable luxury.
In recent days it was possible to book a flight between the island and Germany for 950 euros for six people. Per head it was less than 160 euro per flight. This is what Catch a Jet promises, luxury for “everyone”.
How is this possible? Well, because it is about booking private planes that fly empty, that is, they have been hired by those who can afford it at market price and when they go to pick up the customer or once they have left them at their destination -they have been chartered for a single journey- they have no passengers on board and this application seeks to make them profitable.
Every year they operate around 300,000 private jet flights without passengers to or from Europe, because for example they return to their home base after dropping off a customer. And that’s why Dutch Chris Kuiper has launched this Netherlands-based start-up.
Kuiper is a commercial pilot. “Talking to his friends” who are business aviation pilots he noticed that 40% of flights go without occupants. He did some market research and thus this app was born.
Catch a Jet sells itself as a company that makes “smart use of Empty Leg flights by private jet operators”, which translates into “affordable opportunities for everyone to fly private jets for a significantly reduced price”.
Spain, and especially Mallorca or Ibiza, are in their sights, in addition to Barcelona or Madrid, because they are among the top twenty most operated routes in Europe, explains Pedro Sarriera, of Catch a Jet.
The team behind the application has been working for the last five months connecting with the main business jet operators and on the technological side.
Booking a private jet – How does it work?
“We are mainly focused on the European market,” explains Sarriera, who stresses that they are only a marketplace that puts operators in contact with passengers. He also clarifies that they do not sell single seats but the whole plane. “You can travel alone, with your friends, with your pet…. And going back to the example of the flight between Mallorca and Germany at a bargain price for 950 euros at the usual rate you would pay about 3,000 euros”.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.