Exclusive | JSX and Aero offer private jet-style service for as little as $149 one way

The last time Daniel Dana had to travel from New York to Miami, he opted to avoid the usual stress of major airports and take an Uber to Teterboro, heading to a dedicated terminal very shortly before his flight was scheduled to depart.

Dana, 25, isn’t a new mogul: The young content creator paid just $615 for his trip with JSX, a small carrier offering the kind of perks normally reserved for private jet passengers, but at a fraction of the cost.

No mood-destroying stress of long TSA lines, no crowded waiting areas filled with door lice – passengers flying the growing air carrier can show up as little as 20 minutes before takeoff, flash their ID, pass a simple TSA-approved security check, hand over their luggage to be placed directly in the hold, and board a small, outfitted jet, complete with just a handful of leather seats and service. personalized.

“No lines, no crazy security checks, no delays. A much more personalized experience, without the chaos of a big airport too – it’s so much more efficient,” Dana enthused to the Post about her experience with JSX, which transports New Yorkers from Teterboro and White Plains to Florida, the West Coast and more.

The airline has become a popular alternative to regular commercial service among those with a few extra dollars in their travel budget — or those looking to treat themselves to something better than a premium seat on a major airline at sometimes comparable prices.

On board, the exclusive experience continued, Dana said: free fruit and cheese plates and olives, free cocktails and the pleasure of being one of only about 20 people on her flight.

“Everyone seemed to get along – like you really wanted to get to know your neighbor,” Dana recalls – categorizing the unique experience as “a perfect hybrid of commercial and private, without the cost.”

Yes, it was a bit expensive — well above the $450 or more you’d pay for a rush-hour New York-Miami round trip on a scheduled carrier — he later explained to his 62,000 Instagram followers. But “you pay for the experience and the time you save,” he stressed.

They take off

Dana is one of many would-be jet setters who are taking advantage of a whole new way to travel without breaking the bank, said Skift editor Sarah Kopit, who told the Post that semi-private operators like JSX are currently experiencing a boom.

And why not — JSX flights typically start at just $199 for short trips between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, an easy upgrade from the usual $130-plus for business first class on that route — a current promotion for flights from Santa Monica Airport sounds even lower, at just $149.

“Semi-private is a natural byproduct of a travel economy in which affluent consumers will pay a lot for time, freedom and predictability,” Kopit told the Post. “Providers have cracked the code by removing the worst aspects of commercial flying – security lines, airport chaos, 90-minute buffers – without requiring real funds for private jets.

“They’ve built a premium tier for the wealthy but not yet billionaire class – and that segment is only growing,” Kopit continued. “As long as the rich continue to get richer – and they will – the halo around the semi-private sector will continue to expand. »

Gary Leff, a veteran travel expert and author of the website View from the Wing, agreed – saying JSX gives passengers the unique opportunity to “fly in a fully first-class product to and from private terminals” – without the required budget of a millionaire.

“It’s a better flying experience that eliminates the hassle of the airport and treats you well the whole way,” Leff told the Post. “This includes checked bags, first class seats, drinks, Starlink Wi-Fi… It’s like sitting at home in line.”

JSX, first launched in 2016, currently flies up to 140 public charter flights per day to 28 – soon to be 29 – destinations in the United States and Mexico, using 51 Embraer ERJ-135 and -145 jets and two ATR turboprops.

The airline’s hybrid model means it “doesn’t have a lot of real comparable competitors in the United States,” Skift editor-in-chief Gordon Smith told the Post — the closest comparison would be Aero, another popular semi-private carrier, based in Los Angeles’ Teterboro — Van Nuys Airport — and serving primarily destinations on the West Coast, as well as New York.

Airline flights are much more expensive, often well over $1,000 each way. Regardless, this is still, in many cases, equal to or much less than the cost of a first-class ticket on a major carrier.

“Beyond that, consumers are essentially choosing between a traditional private jet operator – like NetJets, Flexjet or Vista – or regular scheduled services from large commercial carriers,” Smith added.

But there is a trap

As expected, the industry’s major players are not happy with the idea of ​​anonymous startups stealing their high-end businesses, Leff said, saying some operators even view JSX as a “threat.”

“Customers who [normally] paying for a better experience at American and Southwest would rather fly JSX and have comfort and less hassle in their travel,” he said – noting that those airlines actually tried to put the carrier out of business in 2023, ultimately unsuccessfully.

Their main gripe, Leff said, was how, operating as a public charter, JSX is able to avoid the industry-standard “1,500-hour rule,” Leff said — it requires pilots to spend that number of hours in flight before acquiring an airline transport pilot certificate (ATP) — and it allows pilots to fly after age 65, something commercial carriers cannot do.

And while the little JSX with its few dozen planes may not yet be conquering the skies, carriers like Aero entering the fray and managing to stick around – the latter launched in 2019 – show that the idea is here to stay, at least for now.

As you’d expect with starting fares near $1,000 each way, Aero offers an even more elevated experience, offering luxury amenities like 16 oversized Italian leather seats in a 1-1 seat configuration and gourmet meals from Los Angeles favorites Erewhon and Flora Farms on select flights.

Improved service

Benji Stawski, a New York-based travel writer and personal finance expert who has flown both JSX and Aero, told the Post that Aero feels even more like a private jet, with its “sleek black Italian leather seats, mood lighting, noise-reducing suede walls and generally edgier cabin.”

“JSX is still comfortable, but the focus is more on convenience and time saving,” Stawski continued, “while Aero leans toward a more first-class experience and truly feels like sharing a private jet.”

“If the price was comparable, I would definitely choose Aero, but there is a very significant price difference,” Stawski continued.

“From a time and convenience standpoint, (Aero) is very similar to JSX,” Nina Ruggiero, senior editorial director of Los Angeles-based Travel + Leisure who has flown with JSX and Aero, told the Post. “It’s just a luxury experience… The plane is a little more elegant, and it’s more about the style of your trip.”

Those heading to Europe can’t get the private terminal treatment without the usual astronomical prices, at least not yet, but for now there’s La Compagnie, which flies to Paris and other major European destinations from Newark – with an extended business class cabin, aboard two A321neo jets and fares as low as $2,400 round trip.

And while Leff doesn’t necessarily see these carriers as the future of air travel, he noted that they are “a niche player that is showing that it is possible to travel better by plane,” at an affordable price.

“It’s not that they’re going to take over air travel or that air travel is going to be more like them,” Leff said. “But it highlights that air travel doesn’t have to be as painful as it is today.”