Anyone can sell or invent a new jet card. There are lots of choices. In fact, some are significantly less than the price of NetJets. But what you can’t create out of thin air is additional qualified crews, maintenance technicians, hangars, aircraft or even landing slots.

It appears that NetJets is being sensible about how much capacity it really has. In fact, a NetJets fractional owner recently told us about a totally different category of aircraft that had to be provided for one of his flights.

For the basics, there are brokers who sell jet cards that source aircraft from independent operators and there are the larger operators (direct carriers) who may also sell jet cards.

Most private flyers use brokers for flexibility and personalized service. And in many cases, they will find you the best aircraft and offer more choices. An operator can be limited to their own fleet of aircraft.

With the NetJets announcement, a large group of flyers are currently looking at their options. And as mentioned above, even the NetJets fractional owner having to take a flight on a surprise aircraft, has some questions.

We’ve seen a significant increase in recent inquiries from people who already have jet cards or are considering one, asking the same questions. Are there better options other than jet cards or on-demand charters?

First off, there are some good jet card products on the market. It would not be a fair statement to say all are bad. But they do all share certain restrictions and issues. Most notably, blackout dates and pricing transparency.

If you’re being asked to pay $100,000 to as much as $500,000 up front, I think you should understand exactly what you’re buying.

I’ve spent over 15 years working in all aspects of aviation, including more than a decade working my way from ground operations into management and corporate responsibilities at a Part 135 operator. This tends to make me sometimes look at these things from the operational side.

Let’s look at the blackout dates first. If you have an annual pass to a theme park or resort, you understand what these are all about.

The first tier, or lowest level, 25-hour jet card from NetJets (Card275 or One Card), starts at about $225,000. That’s about $9,000 per hour to fly on a Phenom 300 or Citation. But there are 90 blackout dates.

So, based on that class aircraft your travel distance is restricted to around 2,000+/- miles. That means a trip to ski in Colorado or for fun in Las Vegas may require a fuel stop if you’re flying from the east coast. So, what about just getting an upgraded aircraft for a longer distance flight?

As flight advisors, we ask some important questions, such as what are the destinations you intend on flying to and how often?

This goes back to the whole premise of why you may want a jet card or not. If you don’t know the answers to those two basic questions, then a jet card may not be right for you.

Getting back to the upgrade cost for that longer range flight. If you’re using an upgraded NetJets jet card (Card320) then that starts around $330,000 for the same 25 hours with all the restrictions.

And if you just want to upgrade for that one flight, that $9,000 per hour now jumps up $20,000 per hour or more. That 25-hour card now becomes more like a 10-hour card. This is where flight cost transparency and flexibility come in.

When thinking about private aviation most people are under the impression that there are only two ways to fly, a jet card or on demand. But there is a 3rd option.

This is sometimes referred to as a deposit account. It is unique in that it can give you all the flexibility of an on-demand charter flight, including aircraft choice and without blackout dates.

Allied Jet Agency backed by Stratos Jets, offers the ClearSky program. It literally has all the benefits of a jet card but none of the restrictions. And perhaps one of the most important benefits is complete price transparency.

It’s simple, you will see the actual (wholesale) cost that the operator is charging for your flight. The only fee is a 12% management fee, that’s it.

What about the benefits, for starters there are no blackout dates, you have short flight notice, choice of aircraft and full AOG insurance. And let’s not forget safety. We’re an ARGUS Certified Broker using operators who follow the strictest safety protocols, including WYVERN.

In addition to all those benefits, you’ll get an experienced flight advisor, so you’re not just ordering a flight. Why is that important?

Let’s say six people going from New York to Nantucket might need one solution. And those same six people going from New York to California will need something completely different.

Or you’re taking a shorter flight from Tampa to the Bahamas, there a turboprop is probably the smartest solution.

Or you need a last-minute flight at 10:30 pm that needs to leave right away. These are just a couple of reasons why clients choose Allied and ClearSky.

Through Stratos Jets, every flight we arrange goes through due diligence at the trip level. That includes operating authority, operator review, aircraft, crew qualifications, insurance and other safety information.

Allied Jet Agency’s ClearSky uses the same Stratos safety infrastructure, including continuous operator vetting and insurance verification. And we’ll make our findings available to a client. Again, more transparency.

Regardless of whether we’re looking at ARGUS information or reviewing a crew against WYVERN standards, that information is all available for our clients. Education is important.

Or knowing If that aircraft carries $50 million or $100 million in liability coverage, I want the client to have the certificate of insurance.

And if something doesn’t look right, we talk about it. That’s what an advisor is supposed to do.

And remember as a Stratos Jet franchise, we’re part of one of the largest and most established private aviation companies in the world. We know where our priorities belong, and we’re not going to compromise that simply to take money from clients.

If you’re looking to get the best of all worlds when it comes to private aviation charters, this is clearly the best option, ClearSky.

Please reach out to me personally (631) 681-7180 at or send me an email at antonio@alliedjetagency.com

NetJets Is Sending a Message about Jet Cards

By: Antonio Ferrara

Founder & CEO, Stratos Jets – The Allied Jet Agency