The inventor of the Jet Card 20 years later finds itself atop the growing category it created
(Updated Dec. 27, 2019) Founded in 1999, Sentient Jet lays claim as inventor of the jet card. Twenty years later the company is no longer a start-up trying to prove a concept, but with 6,000 members a category leader, by our estimates definitely in the top three in revenues out of more than 50 providers. It’s also is part of the Directional Aviation family of companies which includes flight providers Flexjet, Skyjet and PrivateFly (acquired in September) as well Nextant Aerospace (remanufacturing of business jets), Sojourn Aviation (aircraft sales), N1 (aircraft engine parts), Air Services (off-wing services), and Constant Aviation (aircraft modifications and structural repairs). In 2017, Ken Ricci, privately held Directional’s chairman told Forbes the company had $2.5 billion in sales and around 3,000 employees. Sentient and Skyjet revenues were north of $300 million last year.
Kenn Ricci, Chairman Michael Rossi, Chief Financial Officer Andrew Collins, CEO Peter Ockerbloom, Executive Vice President, Sales and Client Development Adam Hohulin, Vice President of Operations Charles Starkowsky, Chief Safety Officer Kirsten Lamotte, Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Events Alan Walsh, Vice President of Client Services and Experience
Headquarters
Braintree, MA
Jet Card Hourly Rates
Light jet hourly rates start from $6,975 per hour, plus FET and Fuel
Founded in 1999, Sentient Jet is credited as the inventor of the jet card. It has been part of Kenn Ricci’s Directional Aviation family of companies since 2012.
Sister units in OneSky Flight, LLC, include fractional share operator Flexjet, helicopter operator Halo, and charter brokers PrivateFly and FXAIR. Other holdings include jet re-manufacturer Nextant Aerospace and jet sales company Sojourn Aviation and Constant Aviation. More recently, it has become active in the helicopter space with a new brand Halo. (Review private jet membership company M&A activity with our PRIVATE AVIATION DEAL BOOK.).
The company is based in Braintree, Massachusetts. Its service area for fixed one-way rates includes the Continental U.S., the Caribbean, and Mexico. In 2021, it launched fixed one-way rates to Europe, In Europe, it offers members fixed rate jet card pricing via an interchange arrangement with PrivateFly.
Sentient Jet offers a significant roster of lifestyle and event partnerships providing over $175,00 in benefits for cardholders.
It sells in increments of 25 hours and offers light jets, midsize jets, super-midsize, and large-cabin programs. Members can upgrade and downgrade the cabin category based on published rates on a trip-by-trip basis.
Sentient Jet is included in Private Jet Card Comparisons’ database of over 50 jet card providers, enabling you to compare programs in minutes.
When was it founded?
1999
Who owns Sentient?
Directional Aviation's OneSky Flight LLC unit
Who is the CEO?
Andrew Collins
How are the aircraft sourced?
Charter
What are the initiation and membership fees?
None
How much does Sentient Jet cost?
Jet cards start at $174,375 plus FET, for 25 hours on a light jet, not including fuel surcharges
Do they provide guaranteed availability?
Yes
Is the hourly rate guaranteed?
Yes
Can jet card holders/members use multiple aircraft at the same time?
