Loyal fans of the hit Bravo TV show Real Housewives of New York City might have seen the recent episode in which Jill Zarin, fabrics maven and city socialite, requests that her husband get her a plane to take her daughter to a health spa in Martha’s Vineyard. While Bravo frequently played Zarin’s matter-of-fact delivery to her husband (“I’m going to need you to get me a plane.”) on show promos, only those who saw the entire show witnessed her husband Bobby’s equally casual response, ("Okay, we can have lunch out there.") complete with the proverbial shoulder shrug.

 

For affluent Americans, private air travel is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity, says James Butler, CEO of Shaircraft Solutions, LLC, a Bethesda, MD-based firm providing private travel consulting services. As commercial services grow frustratingly difficult to navigate, everyone from wealthy young families with children to rich retired Boomers with a yen to roam is looking into the benefits of private air travel.

 

Butler told demo dirt the reasons behind the growing popularity of private air travel among America’s affluent, its newest developments, and its increasing accessibility to more and more travelers.

 

demo dirt: Why are people opting to fly privately? What is fueling the interest and growth of private travel?

 

Butler: Most importantly, flying on commercial airlines is a hassle from beginning to end. You have to arrive several hours early for the flight, deal with terror threats, undergo undignified searches [among other things]. Now there are new restrictions on carry-on luggage, so more bags get checked, causing an avalanche of lost luggage.

 

When you fly privately, there is no waiting for delayed flights or looking for lost luggage. You fly where you want, when you want, there no red-eye [flights], and you have your luggage with you.

Security not a concern when know who is piloting the plane, who is on it, and what is in the luggage. You experience peace of mind, which in today’s world is priceless. Head and shoulders, it is a better experience.

 

demo dirt: Did a particular event or observation inspire you to start Shaircraft, or was it a culmination of events?

 

Butler: My first experience with private air travel was in 1997 in my law practice with my representation of professional golfer, Scott Hoch, and other clients who started looking at this more and more. I could see that private air travel was primed for rapid growth, and that I could add value for my clients by helping them avoid costly mistakes. After a year of investigation and researching I launched Shaircraft Solutions, combining my legal background and aviation expertise in one consulting company.

 

It has been a lot of fun to be part of this democratization of air travel as more and more people are able to fly privately. It is kind of like how at first very few people had computers. What’s developing with private jets—the lower price points, different amenities—means more people can fly privately, and it is on the rise. As commercial air travel has become more of a hassle and less attractive, traveling privately has become less of a luxury, and more of a necessity.

 

demo dirt: What does the success of Shaircraft tell you about affluence in America? How rich does one have to be afford it?

 

Butler: In all candor, it is still for extremely high-net worth individuals and businesses, but more and more the cost is coming down. New very light jets cost about a $1.5 million or a $1.25 million, rather than $4 million or $8 million. This means that all of a sudden [that price for a jet] becomes likes a mortgage on a second home. It will take time, but as Boomers retire, and [people enjoy] a lot of disposable income, [private air travel will increase] as the desire to travel and be safe and comfortable grows. And, flying on commercial airlines is just so terrible.

 

The demand is going to be there, and cost and supply hopefully will be there. Once people fly privately, it is hard to go back to the Delta counter. I heard about a study of former CEOs, and of all the perks and benefits, the one they miss most is the private plane.

 

demo dirt: Describe your typical client’s profile.

 

Butler: There’s no typical client, but we work with a lot of businesses, investment banks, and companies with offices or properties in different parts of country. We also work with high-net worth retirees, as well as people who have done well and not retired, but want to take vacations with their kids and fly privately, for Christmas, spring break, or the summer. These clients may have a second home, and not necessarily take 20 trips a year, but maybe five or six. You have retired Boomers who say, “I don’t get to see my kids much,” so they arrange to fly in their grown kids for Christmas.

 

demo dirt: How does your clientele break down in terms of demographics?

 

Butler: Demographically, we have a variety of clients, but not a lot of young adults. We tend to have a few in their thirties, more in their 40s, more in their 50s and 60s and even in their 70s. Today I spoke with a client who is 79!

 

Back in the Internet days when people were dotcomming and making millions of dollars, we had a lot of young people [saying] “My friend has a jet, I want a jet.”  Then, of course, the Internet bubble burst in the early 2000’s.

 

demo dirt: What can all classes of the public, including those who are affluent and those who are not, look forward to in the world of private air travel? What new developments will happen to sustain this level of interest and growth?

 

Butler: We’re seeing very light jets becoming less expensive, and a rise in air taxi services, which is a hybrid of scheduled and private air travel. For instance, you can book a set to Nantucket, or to Martha’s Vineyard. Also, there are jet cards and block charter programs in which you buy a certain number of flight hours. And, of course, there is fractional ownership in which you can actually own a share of a plane.

 

There will be more business models in the future. The industry is not settled, and there are now lots of ways to get into it. We’ll see who’s going to succeed.

 

 

James Butler is an attorney and the CEO of Shaircraft Solutions (www.shaircraft.com), a Bethesda, MD-based consulting firm advising elite travelers on all aspects of private air travel from charter and jet card programs to fractional ownership and whole aircraft investments. Shaircraft analyzes clients' private aviation needs, identifies suitable programs and negotiates with the many aircraft providers to get clients the best deal. Shaircraft recently launched Shaircraft Connections ( http://www.shaircraft.com/forum/index.shtml), – an exclusive Web forum for private air travelers.

 

Since founding Shaircraft in 1997, James has become a well-respected private aviation authority. He writes a regular column for Business Jet Traveler magazine on fractional jet ownership called "Inside Fractionals" and is regularly interviewed by major media including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and CNN. He can be reached at jbutler@shaircraft.com.