No Lines, No Overhead Bin Battles: My First Flight on the Semi-Private Jets Rewriting the Rules of Air Travel

For decades, travelers have been forced to choose between commercial airlines and private jets. However, in recent years, bridging the gap between commercial first class and the astronomical costs of full private charters, semi-private aviation has become increasingly popular.

“American aviation became good at moving enormous numbers of people through huge hubs. That model is becoming a victim of its own success. Single points of failure, over-scheduling and crowds are all huge service challenges,” mentions Alex Wilcox, founder and CEO of JSX. “The next opportunity is to value an individual traveler’s time and peace of mind. Luxury isn’t champagne in a lounge, luxury is getting two hours of your life back and not being treated like cattle.”

Additionally, key semi-private carriers have spent the last few years expanding routes in the United States, benefiting both travelers who need options and the smaller destinations themselves that need visitors.

(Courtesy of FlyEpic)

“The rise of semi-private airlines serving smaller regional airports is a win-win for destinations like Oceanside. With public charter air carriers like JSX landing at the Carlsbad McClellan-Palomar Airport just minutes from our beaches, visitors can go from the tarmac to toes in the sand in no time, while avoiding the congestion and traffic often associated with larger airports,” says Leslee Gaul, CEO of Visit Oceanside.

If you’re fed up with crazy airport congestion, lengthy security lines, unpredictable flight disruptions and overly packed cabins, semi-private aviation might be for you. Below is a deeper look at the semi-private air carriers that are reshaping how frequent fliers can skip the traditional airport headache and fly in style without having to buy the entire jet themselves.

JSX

A few months ago, I was invited by JSX to fly on their semi-private jet from Burbank to Scottsdale. Long story short: I’d never had such a pleasurable experience flying before this, and I might just be ruined for regular flying.

I arrived at JSX’s private terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport about 30 minutes before my flight. I walked up straight to the check-in counter (no winding lines!), completed check-in and security in a couple of minutes, dropped off my suitcase, grabbed a latte and some snacks at the lounge, and stepped onto the 30-person plane. There were no blaring intercom announcements, and no crowds jostling for overhead bin space. It was the airport experience of my dreams!

(Courtesy of JSX)

Once onboard, I relaxed in my comfy leather seat with business-class-style legroom, and enjoyed the free Starlink in-flight WiFi, complimentary drinks and light bites. Before I knew it — almost too soon given the luxurious comfort — we had landed in Scottsdale, my suitcase already with me as I walked off the tarmac. I couldn’t believe just how easy and enjoyable the whole experience was.

“JSX was born from a very simple observation: there was this enormous gap between commercial and private aviation. You could spend a few hundred dollars to fly commercially and endure all the infrastructure that comes with it or spend thousands to charter an airplane largely because you didn’t want to deal with the airport. We thought there had to be something in between,” remarks David Drabinsky, president of JSX.

Founded in 2016, JSX is a ‘hop-on’ public charter air carrier, which operates a fleet of regional jets featuring 30 leather seats in a 1x1 or 1x2 layout. Their jets boast spacious legroom and no overhead bins, giving the cabin an airy and expansive feel. JSX operates out of private jet terminals, so travelers can bypass standard commercial airport security lines. Additionally, tickets are competitively priced, with flights starting at $249 each way. JSX connects destinations in California, New York, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.

Other Notable Semi-Private Aviation Players

Tradewind Aviation

(Courtesy of Tradewind Aviation)

Tradewind Aviation offers private charters and scheduled, semi-private book-by-the-seat service throughout the Northeast, Southeast, Bahamas, and Caribbean. All Tradewind itineraries are operated on a fleet of modern Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, providing a luxurious on-board experience. Furthermore, over the past year, in response to growing demand, Tradewind has significantly expanded its scheduled service.

“Semi-private aviation is the ultimate solution for modern travelers who value their time and convenience above all else, but don’t want to incur the expense of a full private charter. Tradewind caters directly to this demand, offering a highly tailored, deeply personal travel experience from start to finish,” notes Jen Lozada, vice president of revenue at Tradewind Aviation. “We re-imagine the airport experience with dedicated concierge-style care, prioritizing convenience and reliability at every turn.”

FlyEpic

(Courtesy of FlyEpic)

One of the newer players in this space, FlyEpic is slowly changing how travelers think about regional flights throughout Western America.

Operating primarily in mountain and resort destinations, the company offers fractional ownership of the Epic E1000 turboprop planes. Their membership model prioritizes short-haul luxury and comfort, giving outdoor enthusiasts and business travelers direct access to hard-to-reach locations.

“What makes FlyEpic different is that we built the entire program around the E1000 and the way people actually travel across the West,” states Toby Woods, founding CEO of FlyEpic. “It’s fast enough to make these shorter flights genuinely transformative, but it can also get into smaller regional and mountain airports that larger aircraft often can’t. Pair that with guaranteed access to the fleet and suddenly places like Tahoe, Bend, Palm Springs or Aspen become easy trips you can make on your own schedule.”

Revaire

(Courtesy of Revaire)

Revaire is an invite-only, private aviation company giving members access to semi-private charter itineraries. It brings a technology-first approach to semi-private travel by using data-matching algorithms to pool private flight demand among members. Revaire matches passengers flying between cities at similar times, so travelers can share the cost of the private aircraft.

“People are constantly flying the same routes on the same days, and they have no way to find each other. That’s the whole problem we solve. We automatically understand where and when our members are traveling using our tech, and we handle the coordination in the background. This has enabled us to create a brand new model for semi-private aviation,” concludes Harrison Epstein, co-founder of Revaire.