Yet another company wants to start selling semiprivate jet flights
If you ever feel the urge to search for private jet charters online, there's a good chance you'll come across Jettly. It's essentially the Kayak of private jet flights.
Jettly is an "open marketplace" private aviation booking platform that connects passengers directly to charter operators — no brokers or other middlemen. You can search for flights online and instantly get quotes from over 1,500 operators worldwide. You can even filter searches by aircraft type, safety ratings, inflight amenities and more. Better yet, this direct-to-consumer model means no hidden fees and there are no minimum deposits for memberships.
Now, the company wants to expand its services. In an exclusive interview with TPG, Jettly CEO Justin Crabbe revealed that the company applied to become a Part 135 operator so that it could start selling seats on shared charters, in addition to traditional private jet charters.
"With demand for private air travel at unprecedented levels worldwide coupled with the seemingly ever-increasing inconveniences associated with commercial air travel, the opportunity has never been greater to transition to a democratized solution providing the masses with convenient access to private aircraft and private air travel at attractive prices," Crabbe told TPG.
Semiprivate flights are nothing new. In fact, they've become quite popular in recent years with a number of companies offering "private" flights by the seat, including Aero, Blade, JSX, XO, Wheels Up and more. Some are more glamorous than others, but the concept is the same for each: Enjoy the comfort and convenience of private jet travel but at significantly lower prices by sharing the plane (and subsequently the cost) with strangers. The biggest passenger-facing implications of flying under Part 135 regulations are that there can be up to 30 seats and flights are allowed to operate out of private terminals.
In explaining the new offering to TPG, Crabbe told us, "Jettly will apply the same social, sharing economy approach to private air travel, enabling travelers to capitalize on available seats on existing flights — or create a flight of their own and crowdsource the seats they don't need, to the rest of the Jettly community."
Related: The cheapest ways to get the private jet experience
The most popular routes for semiprivate flights today are between New York and South Florida, so that's where Jettly would launch its shared service — along with some shorter routes within the Northeast. Seats on these flights usually range between $2,000 and $3,000 with Blade and XO, but Jettly hopes to shave a couple of hundred dollars off by continuing to offer "wholesale prices" to by-the-seat customers.
Crabbe explained that customers should expect to pay the true per-seat cost as if they were chartering the entire jet. Meanwhile, competitors generally charge customers a premium for booking shared flights.
Jettly also hopes to cut costs by using smaller, more economical planes for shared flights. For instance, Crabbe is a fan of Cirrus' Vision Jet G2+. It can accommodate up to five adults — one being the pilot — and has a range of up to 1,467 miles.
As of now, the plan is for Jettly to rely on its network of over 20,000 partner aircraft for shared flights rather than actually acquire its own, dedicated fleet.
Related: This company wants to make small-group private jet travel more efficient
As is the case today, you won't need a membership to book shared flights. That said, it will likely make sense to get one since they generally offset the 10% nonmember booking fee.
Memberships start at $370 per month and, unlike most other private jet membership programs, can be canceled at any time. Paid members also get a range of other perks, including the opportunity to participate in Jettly's loyalty program Jet Miles, onboard catering credits, free Uber Black transfers and more. That said, all Jettly customers have access to the same flight availability, regardless of whether you're a paid member or not.
Although the pandemic fueled a surge in demand for private air travel, Crabbe is confident that the demand is here to stay. Crabbe shared that Jettly currently sits between 15,000 to 20,000 requested flights each month. During the December holiday rush, it received as many as 3,000 requests in a single day.
"There's no shortage in demand," Crabbe explained. "There's just a shortage of aircraft."
If all goes according to plan and there are no delays with the Part 135 approval process, Jettly's shared service should launch by December of this year.
"We're all very excited as we enter this next chapter and believe the next few years will continue to show tremendous growth for the company both here in North America and abroad," Crabbe said.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees