March 24, 2024
In a surprise move, Flexjet, which quietly moved ahead with the European launch of its shared ownership program last November, has now quietly added a jet card to its private jet solutions portfolio.
There was no official announcement. However, Marine Eugene, Flexjet’s managing director for Europe, tells Private Jet Card Comparisons there have already been sales. We first heard about it from Eugene, who mentioned the jet card in passing during a recent virtual trade panel discussion.
The 25-hour jet card on the Embraer Legacy 500 responded to customers not ready to step into its Praetor 600 shared ownership offer. Eugene says there is “a pipeline of customers” for its new jet card product.
Eugene, who spent nearly 15 years at NetJets Europe before moving to lead Flexjet’s European expansion in 2019, sees the jet card as a gateway to shares and leases. About 50% of NetJets fractional owners start with its card program.
Described as “an all-inclusive way to fly Europe’s newest fleet,” Flexjet is pricing the eight-seat Legacy 500 at 9,255 euros per hour. It’s configured with a pair of facing club seats 1×1, a seond row of forward facing club seats 1×1, and a two-seat divan. That puts it squarely between NetJets Europe’s midsize Citation XLS and super-midsize Citation Latitude. Both are configured with seven seats. It also competes against VistaJet’s entry-level eight-seat Challenger 350.
Like the Latitude, the Legacy 500 has a stand-up six-foot-high cabin providing a large cabin feel. According to Conklin & de Decker, the midsize jet has a range of 2,963 nautical miles with four passengers.
The Flexjet Europe jet card offers guaranteed availability with a call-out of 24 hours on non-peak days. The program is as available on 35 peak days. Jet card customers can upgrade as available to the Praetor 600, which has a transatlantic range at a 1.3 interchange rate.
| Jet Card | Shared Ownership | Lease | |
| Aircraft | Legacy 500 | Praetor 600 | Praetor 600 |
| Non-Peak Booking | 24 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours |
| Hours Purchased | 25 hours | 50 hours/year | 50 hours/year |
| Term | 30 months | 30 to 60 months | 30 to 60 months |
The Primary Service Area includes all of Western Europe. The Secondary Service area includes Eastern Europe, Russia, North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and parts of the Middle East. The extended area has a 48-hour lead time for reservations.
Flexjet’s 60-minute daily and segment minimums provide an edge over other European programs where minimums range up to 120 minutes.
Deicing and WiFi are included. Funds are valid for 30 months, and there are only 10 airports that carry a surcharge.
The jet card won’t include Flexjet’s Red Label service. Still, the cabin will give customers a feel for the Praetor 600 based on the Legacy 500. The new jet has a longer range and a series of enhancements.
Eugene says the Legacy 500 represents the evolution of European consumers’ demand for more spacious aircraft.
The Flexjet Europe jet card compliments the program launched last summer by sister broker PrivateFly, including light, midsize and large-cabin options.
Asked about the recent launch of a pay-as-you-go jet card from NetJets Europe, Eugene says she is open to new ideas that fit a market need. She sees a hole in off-peak roundtrip pricing. Programs lose customers trading savings for consistency to on-demand charter for those trips.
Currently, the biggest message for the European market is that Flexjet is a major player in the U.S. and brings a reputation for high-touch service, innovation, and dependability across the pond.
Flexjet also offers its Gulfstream G650 by-the-day shared ownership program for users based in the London, England service area. Flexjet is a launch customer for both the G700 and Aerion’s AS2 supersonic private jet.
