October 7, 2023
ECOJETS claims to be the first company to sell private jet card membership programs via Amazon.
You can now buy jet cards for up to $100,000 in private jet travel via the mega-retailer Amazon. ECOJETS, which this summer launched a new travel program giving members discounts via credits to a debit card they can use for anything they want, from luxury shopping to hotel stays and event tickets, is now selling through Jeff Bezos’ everything store. The private jet provider has not made any announcements about the new sales channel, but it is live online and Private Jet Card Comparisons understands a press release may come later this week during the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention that starts today in Las Vegas.
According to its listing on Amazon, three program levels are being offered with Platinum priced at $100,000, Bespoke at $50,000 and Lifestyle, which doesn’t require an upfront deposit. The way it works is you pay Amazon $500, $250 or $125 respectively for the program of your choice, and then you are sent a contract and you transfer funds based on which tier you signed up for. In an exclusive interview, CEO Edgar Costa claimed that ECOJETS is the first company to offer jet cards or private jet memberships through Amazon. He said the company offers escrow options for the deposits, which are used for flight hours
The key difference in each tier is the credits you earn. Platinum members get 15% of their hourly rate in credits. Bespoke members receive 10% in credits, while Lifestyle members don’t get credits from published hourly rates. For all tiers, if you book a qualifying roundtrip, you get a 15% credit from the hourly rate. If you book seven days in advance, you get a 5% credit and if you choose aircraft manufactured before the year 2000, you get another 15% credit. The credits go to a VISA or MasterCard debit card issued by ECOJETS. Members can use the credits like any debit card and without restrictions anywhere either of the payment systems is accepted, Costa told us.
Hourly rates range from $4,975 (plus airport fees and FET) for a Light Jet to $6,350 per hour for a Midsize Jet, $8,800 for a Super Mid and $12,550 for a Heavy Jet. Service area for Platinum and Bespoke members is worldwide and the U.S. for Lifestyle members.
For a Platinum customer taking a roundtrip on a Super Mid, booking seven days in advance from pre-2000 aircraft, total credits would equate to 50% of the retail amount. As an example, for an eight-hour round trip, at the $8,800 hourly rate, the cost would be $70,400 of which $35,200 would be deposited onto the member’s debit card making for an effective hourly rate of $4,400 plus FET and airport fees.
ECOJETS is not the only jet card membership seller to explore non-traditional channels. Wheels Up, which on Friday announced it raised $117.5 million and said it now has a billion dollar Unicorn valuation, made news several years ago when it offered a $3,500 value-added Costco Cash Card for members who signed up through the discount retailer.
For ECOJETS, it also offers members a full concierge service which can arrange restaurant reservations, travel planning, event tickets with payment via credits if the member wishes. To book your flight you go online, enter where you want to go and what time of day by the hour and you get a list of jets you can book. Costa said ECOJETS pulls from 10 different platforms for inventory. He added the API is based on a proprietary algorithm that provides available aircraft and despite guaranteeing rates, the system does not restrict what is being offered to the member.
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