The magazine goes to American Express Centurion and Platinum cardmembers. All four private jet companies are repeat winners from last year’s inaugural contest
The editors of Departures magazine have released their picks for its Legends Awards.
In the private aviation category, the winners are NetJets, Wheels Up, Delta Private Jets, and VistaJet.
Columbus, Ohio-based NetJets is a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. It is the inventor of the fractional private jet ownership concept by founder and former chairman Richard Santulli who sold the company to Berkshire Hathaway in 1998 for $725 million.
NetJets then entered the jet card space with its 2010 acquisition of Marquis Jet partners (Review private jet fractional and membership company M&A activity with our PRIVATE AVIATION DEAL BOOK.).
Until 2021, it branded its jet card under the Marquis Jet banner. Today, the company’s offerings include private travel solutions from fractional ownership and leasing to an extensive line-up of jet cards and whole aircraft sales. About 50% of fractional and lease customers start with its jet card program.
NetJets currently offers the Phenom 300, Citation XLS, Citation Sovereign, Challenger 350, Challenger 650, and Gulfstream 450 for its jet card, fractional ownership, and lease programs. Additionally, it offers the Citation Latitude, Global 5000, 6000, and 7500 for leases and fractional ownership.
In 2021, it flew approximately 444,000 passengers and operated 313,000 flights.
NetJets is included in the Private Jet Card Comparisons’ database of over 50 jet card providers, enabling you to compare programs in minutes.
When was it founded?
The predecessor company of NetJets, Executive Jet Aviation, was founded in1964. In 1987 then CEO Richard Santulli launched the first fractional ownership program for private jets and renamed the company as NetJets.
Who owns NetJets?
Berkshire Hathaway
Who is the CEO?
Adam Johnson
How areaircraft sourced?
Its fractional ownership fleet and, additionally, during peak periods, aircraft managed via Executive Jet Management.
There are no initiation and membership fees for its jet card programs
What is theentry-level program?
Jet cards start at 25 hours with the entry-level Embraer Phenom 300. While jet cards are on hiatus, 25-hour leases start at $10,205 per hour based on a 3-year contract. .It also offers the Citation Excel/XLS, Sovereign, Latitude, Challenger 350, and Challenger 650 in the U.S. program. In 2021, NetJets Europe launched a pay-as-you-go membership option, that is currently on hiatus.
Do NetJets’ cards provide guaranteed availability?
Yes, with 45 blackout days in the U.S. for 25-hour leases, and 90 blackout days in Europe on jet cards.