Private charters are being hired by not just high-fliers but by regular commercial passengers and families pooling resources for safety, says Sakshi Sharma
The post-pandemic world will spur a new travel segment, that of private charter fliers. And this may not be limited to the upper crust but open up to family groups, who may pool their dedicated budgets to hire an aircraft and fly to their destination and back. Instead of mini-breaks and vacations, there might be that just one big trip that people may splurge on. Companies, who traditionally flew their executives on first-class, are now finding it safer and more economical to fly the same group of people on a private aircraft. Or so an industry study would have us believe.
Unlike commercial airlines, private charters do not require you to pass through lengthy security screening, various touch points or come in contact with fellow travellers. Commercial fliers have over 200 touch points at the airport, while private jets have as little as 30. Instead, it gives you the assurance of exemplary safety record and cleanliness standards. Kanika Tekriwal, CEO and founder, JetSetGo Aviation, tells us that neither do the guests have to arrive early, nor do they have to face security queues at the airport. Without much of a stretch, one can avoid immigration and Customs during international flights and directly get on on-board.
COVID-19 has completely changed the way consumers engage with products and make their purchase decisions. Says Kanika, “Now safety and well-being are coming at a price. But people do not mind spending some extra amount for peace of mind during a break.” She gets up to 20 enquiries a day on chartered flights, 70 per cent of which are from a new customer profile. “We are seeing a lot of requests coming from parents whose children were stuck in colleges or schools and from families who were stuck elsewhere apart from their hometown during the lockdown. There is also a big surge in requests from people who had sick parents or adults stuck in different cities. Also, we received requests from small businessmen who had travelled to close deals and were stuck,” says she. There are some affordable options too like booking a seat rather than booking an entire plane and much more.
There are several companies that offer charter flights for business travellers specifically. For PrivateFly, business aviation really matters as it saves time, both on the ground and in the air. EvoJets is another such company that specialises in arranging corporate air travel solutions that help businesses. There are various modern private business jets that come fully equipped with the latest business amenities, such as wireless internet and satellite phones. Some even have private boardrooms to conduct important meetings in-flight. Not only this, charter companies even organise business dinners which allow the traveller to optimally utilise his travel time.
Travel choices are going to be need-based more than indulgence, for example a family event, as per Nishant Pitti, EaseMyTrip CEO and co-founder. Says he, “Part of the new mindset of the jet set is now centered around social distancing, one of the essential guidelines for inhibiting the spread of COVID-19. So even though the travel sector as a whole is currently down, private jet demand is much stronger than it was before.” Varesh Chopra, Regional Director, South Asia and Middle East, Cosmos Vacations, tells us that leisure travel may see temporary stress on demand due to changed personal financial dynamics but will probably mutate to a larger family outing.
