April 11, 2024
Boston-based charter broker Magellan Jets is offering a new jet card targeting corporate accounts with a non-peak callout of 10 hours.
Before the Covid surge in demand in 2021, there were around a dozen jet cards with non-peak callouts of 12 hours or less and fixed hourly rates, including from Magellan Jets. Until yesterday, there were zero.
For corporate accounts or anyone, the only answer if you needed to book at less than 24 hours was fractional ownership or dynamic pricing solutions.
The Boston-based charter broker on its website calls Magellan Business “the best corporate jet card program, guaranteed.”
Depending on what you need, it could be correct.
Before we get to the good stuff, let’s hit the caveats.
You need to buy 100 hours per year on a one-or-three-year basis, although generous multiple same-day users may make that hill a bit less steep.
The other possible hurdle is the daily minimums.
Light and Midsize jets are 90 minutes, plus taxi time, although you can use one-third of your hours on these categories at 60 minutes, plus taxi time.
Super Midsize daily minimums are 114 minutes, plus taxi time.
Large cabin jet daily minimums are 138 minutes, plus taxi time.
You will find Magellan Business quite useful if your flying clears those hurdles.
For companies who want specific types, Magellan Business uses premium aircraft.
The light jet is the Phenom 300, the midsize jets are the Hawker 800, and the super midsize is the Challenger 300.
Large cabin aircraft are either the Gulfstream G450 or G550.
WiFi, catering, deicing, and carbon offsets are all included. There are no fuel surcharges.
If you sign up for a three-year term, the non-peak callout is 10 hours, while one-year buyers must book at least 12 hours before departure.
There are only 20 peak days at both levels – Magellan calls them advance booking days.
The international extended service area includes fixed hourly rates at premiums of 10-to-25% and spans from select Canadian cities to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
You get a 12- or 36-month rate lock. Both programs are refundable, less a 15% restocking fee, so they are a relatively low commitment for what you get.
For single year buyers they can access up to eight aircraft on the same day,
Three-year subscribers can book an unlimited number of aircraft.
In other words, if 100 hours sounds like a lot, the program works well for companies that have multiple users traveling to different places on the same day.
So, what’s the pricing?
President Anthony Tivnan says, “Magellan Business equips corporations with a jet travel advantage like never before. It embodies an unmatched blend of safety, efficiency, and tailored client experiences. We ensure our corporate patrons can move swiftly and smoothly, just as their businesses demand.”
Magellan Business is not new in terms of the terms, but it is a throwback to the pre-Summer 2021 days of 10-and-12-hour callouts.
It also fills a needed need of companies and individuals who need short callouts, can’t avoid a lot of peak days, but aren’t sure of their travel needs that they are ready to commit to a five-year fractional contract.
In August, Magellan launched a 15-hour jet card.
It also has several membership options, including pay-as-you-go.
In January, it opened its own private terminal at Hanscom Field, the 19th-busiest private jet airport, just outside Boston.
The privately held company said it hit the $120 million sales mark in 2022.
Paid subscribers can compare Magellan Business against over 900 fractional and jet card programs in our database.
