Security Concerns Aid Private Charter Firms

NEW YORK -- Concern about security at major U.S. airports and the prospect of waiting in long lines make flying business jets more appealing these days, according to firms that manage private jet charters.

"Initially, there was a flurry of activity after Sept. 11 in getting people back home," said Jane McBride, chairwoman of FlightTime, a Waltham, Mass.-based company that operates jets and books private charters.

"Also, membership for our Freedom Plan has increased," added McBride. "Within two weeks [of the terrorist attacks], we had 10 to 20 members sign up."

FlightTime's Freedom Plan is similar to fractional ownership, except not quite as expensive, said McBride.

Instead of making a large, up-front capital commitment and signing a multiyear contract -- as is the case with most fractional ownership programs, said McBride -- companies simply buy time.

Fifty hours on a Citation, an eight-seat jet, could cost a company $350,000 under a traditional fractional ownership program, according to McBride.

But the going rate under the Freedom Plan is $82,000, plus an additional "occupied-hour" fee of $1,400 for each hour the plane is in use.

For that price, travelers get ground transportation to and from the aircraft -- as long as they live within a 20-mile radius of the airport -- and a catered meal on the plane.

Adam Webster, founder and chief executive officer of Air Webster, a charter broker in Brunswick, Maine, acknowledged that private aircraft charters aren't for everyone, but that those who have the means are more likely to pay for the service now.

"There are people that can't fathom dealing with the increased delays and hassles at [commercial airports]," Webster said.

"We were growing anyway because of the ineptitude of the airlines and the mess you face at most large airports," he added.

Another prominent factor that will contribute to growth in private jet travel is the elimination of some shuttle routes by the major airlines as they strive to cut costs.

"Some companies need to travel routes like Boston to Allentown, Pa., and there's no way to get there directly on an airline," Webster said. "Because of decreasing airline schedules, more people are probing charters."

In light of the events of Sept. 11, charter brokers have taken steps to increase security.

FlightTime and Skyjet announced that travel arrangers must submit a manifest when booking and that travelers must show a photo ID before boarding the plane.