Man tries out ‘Uber’ for private jets and flies 'like a millionaire' for under $550
Did you know there was an 'Uber' style app for private jets? Me neither.
But one man decided to give it a try and fly like a millionaire for a lot less than he expected.
YouTuber DownieLive, better known as Mike, tried the 'Uber' version of flying.
'They say the app is just like Uber for private jets,' he said. 'We're gonna give it a try.'
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The app is called Airble and it is available on the App Store.
'It is very simple,' Mike demonstrates. 'You type in where you want to go and what dates you want to fly.
'It gives you a list of planes that are available for you on that date and you just pick the one that you want.'
He explains how the app takes advantage of something called Deadhead, which is when a pilot or crew needs to return to their home base after a flight. Usually, since it's only carrying a couple of people, there are a lot of empty seats.
The app takes advantage of this by allowing the public to book these empty seats for a 'hugely discounted price,' according to the YouTuber.
Mike's flight cost him a total of $542.29 for a private jet - taking only an hour to get him from Vancouver to Kelowna.
Which is a pretty good price to eliminate five hours of driving and four additional hours of flying.
He realised he paid only about $150 more than economy class ($398 for a four-hour flight) and saved almost $300 compared to Business Class ($810).
Arriving at the private jet section of the airport - a totally separate area mind you - he lists the benefits of flying privately as you get more than what you pay for the whole travel experience.
There were no queues, no waiting for baggage (since you load it yourself onto the plane), a private lounge, no restrictions on liquids, no waiting for other passengers, and even a personal escort to the plane by the pilot.
Moreover, the plane itself - a Piagio Bounty - is designed a little differently from commercial planes.
Specifically, it has a forward wing that is not seen on conventional planes and the propellers are at the rear of the plane meaning it's a lot quieter on board.
'It also allows us to fly up to 41,000 feet at an impressive speed of 360 knots,' Jeremy the pilot described.
To which the YouTuber classes it as 'jet performance with propeller pricing.'
The pilots set off almost immediately after giving brief safety instructions on what was an extremely 'quiet' and smooth flight.
The YouTuber also noted to his viewers that it wasn't his online fame that gave him this experience but the fact he paid for his ticket.
'Anyone can fly private for $500,' he concluded. That is to say, it's only available in the US and Canada so we in the UK might have to wait to see if the services eventually extend over here.
'I really like that technology has made this possible,' he added. 'We're only here because of this app [Airble].'