All-You-Can-Fly Surf Air: Is Private Jet Travel Finally Worth it?
At a monthly subscription of $1,750, you can fly all you want on Surf Air. (Photo: Surf Air)
By Mark Murphy
Surf Air,
a new subscription-based airline, has taken flight in California. It
serves secondary markets and offers a unique alternative to traditional
commercial aviation, as well as private aviation.
Instead
of buying an individual airline ticket on a traditional carrier, Surf
Air requires a monthly subscription of $1,750. It gives travelers
unlimited flights in its network, which is currently limited to
California and Las Vegas via a partnership with a different company.
Other perks include free parking, bypassing TSA security, and good seats, as every seat is both a window and an aisle.
The
limited nature of Surf Air is the biggest drawback at this time, since
only Californians can utilize it. It is best for business travelers who
might frequently drive between two markets and now have a different,
cost effective option. In the end it comes down to frequency of travel
to determine if it makes dollar sense.
The
nature of the subscription pricing and the markets that Surf Air serves
will limit the audience for its services. Other than business owners,
Surf Air has been attracting second homeowners who utilize the service
to make the most of their vacation home investment.
(Photo: Surf Air/Facebook)
Is it worth it?
Unless
you fly every week, the economics of Surf Air is worse than flying
airlines like Southwest in the region. The frequency of flights can also
be a drawback when compared with legacy carriers like Southwest.
Compared to traditional private jet travel, though, Surf Air is a
bargain. Private jet travel from companies like NetJets is reserved for
CEO’s of companies and high net worth individuals. A one-way flight
between New Jersey and Florida will start at more than $12,000 for a
small, four-seat jet, putting private jet travel out of reach for even
high earning individuals.
The
NetJets Marquis Card provides 25 hours of flight time on your choice of
jets. For one that utilizes a smaller plane, with less range, the
prices start around $125,000, another reason why Surf Air is an
incredible bargain compared to traditional private jets.
The
big tradeoff with Surf Air vs. private jet travel is sticking to a
schedule instead of simply requesting a plane on a specific day and
time. In that way, it’s not much different than commercial carriers.
The two big differences are the subscription model with the ability to
fly an unlimited number of segments and the markets they serve.
Will Surf Air be a long term success?
It
has filled a gap in this niche market, and as a result the company
plans to expand the fleet and open new routes. So, it might not be long
before we see Surf Air riding the waves in the Northeast and other
markets across the U.S.
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All-You-Can-Fly Surf Air: Is Private Jet Travel Finally Worth it?
At a monthly subscription of $1,750, you can fly all you want on a Surf Air private jet.
I can't see the value of it unless you were maybe commuting 5 to 7 days a week from Los Angeles to either San Francisco or Las Vegas. However, it would be nice not to have to go through TSA because basically you are going by private Aircraft rules.
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