Why Pay More for Private Jet Travel?

The Jet Linx OpenSeat Exchange Offers Cost-saving Solutions with a Flight Sharing App.

Nearly 40,000 seats sat open on private jets in the previous year. Realizing this, Jet Linx President and CEO Jamie Walker wanted to improve client access to private jet travel while lowering the costs. The OpenSeat Exchange is the newest program available to Jet Linx clients. It will allow more than 2,000 Jet Card members and aircraft owners an exclusive opportunity to buy or sell seats. The system will operate on a per-flight, per-seat basis.

“It’s a secure, trusted, peer-to-peer exchange of open seats within the Jet Linx community. It’s a great value add to our app, and it improves, enriches, and elevates the Jet Linx private travel experience,” said Walker. The program aims to bring together like-minded passengers while curbing some of the costs related to private jet travel. This flight sharing option is accessible exclusively through the Jet Linx Mobile App, which received an overhaul in 2020. With the new flight sharing app, Jet Linx clients can now do a multitude of things to make their experience more hassle free. Jet Card members can now book flights, secure ground transportation, make itinerary and manifest changes, and access One Way specials. With the OpenSeat Exchange, they can also buy or sell seats from their mobile devices.

Although a flight sharing app is not a novel concept in the private aviation industry, the Jet Linx model stands out. For starters, the OpenSeat Exchange is a members-only feature. Unlike JetSmarter, which was a service accessible by anyone, the OpenSeat Exchange program is available only to the Jet Linx member and owner network. This means that only other members of our local Base communities can claim seats. The OpenSeat Exchange operates directly out of the Jet Linx Mobile App. You must first have access to the App if you want to buy or sell a seat. This ensures only Jet Linx clients participate in the program.

Open seats are released to Jet Card members only when the booking member agrees and confirms within the OpenSeat Exchange App.

Brad Drew, Senior Vice President of Sales at Jet Linx, explained other differences seen in the OpenSeat Exchange. “First, you have airline shuttles, where an operator posts a flight and anyone can reserve a seat. Next, you have social flying, where other flyers post flights and state that they’re willing to take other members. This might sound appealing, but it’s not run through an operator. Booking members often cancel flights if they are unhappy with the number of people signed up.” Drew continued, “The OpenSeat Exchange goes a step further. Flights are classified as FAA scheduled flights. Once a member states that they will accept other members on the flight, it will depart regardless of the number of passengers on board.”

Drew also added, “The other thing many people don’t consider is that Jet Linx does the heavy lifting for the booking members. Jet Linx handles the financial responsibilities for flight notifications. The seamless automation of the flight sharing process is a part of our Forbes Five Star service.”

The OpenSeat Exchange offers a real-time look at available Jet Linx flights across the country. When selected, it offers automated notifications to both the original booking party and the client requesting seats. This ensures follow-up and anonymity in the process. Once a flight is added to the inventory, the original booking member can anonymously decline or accept passengers for a given flight. It’s important to note that only the booking member can view the identity of potential passengers. Identities of passengers remain confidential until a booking member accepts a request and releases their open seats. As always, Jet Linx services place privacy first.

The OpenSeat Exchange represents a significant milestone in offering a more robust Mobile App, and overall Jet Card program experience, for clients. If you’re seeking to improve productivity for your business or to elevate your personal travel lifestyle, contact a Jet Card salesperson today!