Travel Quarantines haven’t been without their squabbles. Ever changing border advice has thrown chaos into countless travel plans, capsizing the chances of a broader travel recovery, at least for now. It’s cost airlines, hotels, tours, restaurants and pubs millions, yet all the while, one sector thrived in the turbulence: private jets.
When plans to quarantine travelers from certain destinations were announced, or entry restrictions changed, sometimes with only hours to get in before measures took effect, airfares surged, flights sold out, and plans were thrown into disarray.
But for a select few, private jets provided an efficient way of beating the rush, literally and figuratively. And of course, the private immigration facilities and car directly to the plane certainly don’t hurt either.
As airlines take a beating and brace for the worst of travel’s low season, private jet companies are booming, taking advantage of increased demand from customers who don’t want to rub elbows with anyone.
One such company, PrivateFly, shared data which indicates that demand for private jets went up 300% in the hours after new quarantine announcements in the UK were put into place.
With each changing quarantine announcement, airlines are forced to cancel flights, or have customers walk out on future holidays, often killing demand for months to come. Airlines lack the flexibility to simply pivot plans, and private jet operators are enjoying their unique selling points more than ever, particularly with flexibility.
PrivateFly notes unique selling points, which are winning more business than ever. Those with trips already scheduled can change the destination or nature of their trip in a matter of hours, practically up until the moments before take off. You’ve got the jet, so adding or subtracting passengers is no problem either. Speaking to the shift in last minute quarantine announcements, Adam Twidell, CEO of PrivateFly says…
“We’ve also had a number of enquiries from clients booked to travel to these destinations in the coming weeks to change their travel plans in order to avoid quarantine zones. We can arrange flights at very short notice with the flexibility to change route at the last minute, however, availability is limited as the spike in demand coincides with what is already the peak summer season for private leisure travel.”
Adam Twidell, CEO PrivateFly
Basically, demand is so booming, the greatest obstacle for potential passengers at the moment would be finding a jet that isn’t already being hailed by someone else looking to skip the queue. Private jets also offer something else right now, which no airline can, Private jet travel bypasses shared spaces entirely, and does not necessarily break any social distancing guidelines, with complete control over passenger numbers. Even any immigration formalities are typically carried out in private.
One thing is for sure, the travel industry can’t quite claim that quarantine measures are ruining the entire travel business, just most of it. Private jets have never been more in demand.
