November 24, 2023
Are you flying to Lehigh Valley Airport, Pennsylvania, or Fort Collins, Colorado? According to Bloomberg and Best Life, American Airlines and United Airlines have replaced your airplane with a bus.
It could mean another boost for private aviation.
“Regional airlines, the airlines that operate the 50 to 75 seat airplanes that we see many airlines operate to small towns, they are really struggling, and airlines have had to scale back or drop service to a lot of smaller communities,” analyst Henry Harteveldt recently told ABC News.
Private jets have always been popular as they access over 5,000 U.S. airports compared to less than 500 that have scheduled airline flights.
By being able to fly nonstop, private jet users often cut travel time in half. They leave from airports closer to where they are starting their trips. They are able to choose airports closer to their destination.
Private flyers can show up for their flights as little as 15 minutes before departure. They can also be away from the airport within minutes of landing.
Another benefit of flying privately is you never have lost luggage.
Recently in the U.K., British Airways said it wasn’t able to load luggage on flights it is operating due to a shortage of ground staff.
Since the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, private aviation has been attracting new customers.
In the early stages, travelers sought private flights to reduce the number of touchpoints.
After that, reduced airline schedules drove more flyers to the private skies.
With airlines now replacing airplanes with buses, it could mean more high-yield travelers looking to private aviation even as prices reach record levels.
