As the world’s largest private jet operator phases out the Excel/XLS midsize fleet it will stop selling it in jet card format next month.
NetJets is dropping the Citation Excel/XLS jet card from its lineup.
The world’s largest private jet company will stop selling the popular midsize jet in jet card format effective Dec. 15, 2025.
A spokesperson confirmed the move to Private Jet Card Comparisons.
The Excel/XLS fleet is being phased out as it is replaced by the next-generation Ascend, also from Textron Aviation.
The Ascend offers a flat-floor cabin.
In 2022, NetJets placed options with Textron for up to 1,500 private jets, including the Ascend.
The deal could be worth $30 billion.
As of November, NetJets had 55 Excel/XLS tails in its fleet.
However, that was down from 60 at the beginning of October and nearly 80 at the beginning of 2025.
Above the midsize Excel/XLS sits the Praetor 500, Sovereign, Latitude, then the Longitude, and the Challenger 350.
In October, its Latitude fleet was flat at 253 aircraft.
The Latitude offers both a stand-up cabin and a flat floor.
The Praetor 500 fleet saw two deliveries last month, bringing that fleet to seven tails at the beginning of November.
There were 25 Sovereigns in the fleet, down one at the beginning of November.
However, of the Praetor, Sovereign, and Latitude, only the Latitude is offered in jet card format.
Below the Excel/XLS is the Phenom 300, which is offered as a jet card option.
NetJets has 154 of the top-selling light jets in its fleet.
At the beginning of the year, NetJets replaced the Excel/XLS with the Phenom 300 as the guaranteed aircraft for its Specialty card.
The Specialty Card provides the Phenom 300 for flights under 3.5 hours.
For longer flights, it provides a non-stop capable aircraft seating at least eight passengers.
All flights are offered at a singular fixed rate, providing high value for longer flights, particularly to Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Hawaii.
NetJets expanded its jet card lineup this year with two tiers, 275 and 320.
The higher-priced 320 cards provide 320 days of guaranteed access with 45 blackout dates.
They have 45 additional peak days.
There is no surcharge on those peak days, but the callout is 120 hours instead of 48 hours.
NetJets can also shift departure times by up to 3 hours for operational reasons.
The value-priced 275-card has 90 blackout dates.
95.2% of Private Jet Card Comparisons subscribers who have NetJets fractional shares or jet cards rate the company Excellent/Very good in our latest subscriber survey.
However, 38.7% – likely jet card users – cite Too Many Peak/Blackout dates as a reason they are considering switching.
That compares to only 16.5% across all programs.
NetJets fractional programs only have 10 peak days, however.
The Excel/XLS 275 card is currently $235,000.
It allows you 24 months to use your hours.
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