Many of us dread the process of taking a flight, especially when it comes to all the time spent
passing through the airport.
At the same time, many of us are looking for new and interesting ways to travel and use
your points.
This includes flying on more exclusive and private options, which is why I think you’ll
find today’s topic to be interesting.
Hey, how’s it going everyone?
It’s Ernest from Trip Astute.
In this video, I’m going to share how you can get a private jet-like experience through
JetSuiteX using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
The holiday season is here, so I know many of you are traveling or planning to travel
to visit friends and family.
If any of you have been watching the HBO show Succession, you’ve probably been intrigued
by private jets and helicopters.
At least I know I have.
But for many of us, the thought of traveling like the Roys seems far too expensive and
unattainable.
So, I was a bit excited to find out that I might be able to get a similar experience
… and even better, use points to pay for it.
Before I discuss how, if you’re new here, welcome to our channel.
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and more enjoyable.
Traveling can be stressful and expensive, so we’re looking for ways to help you maximize
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Earlier this year, JetSuiteX and JetBlue announced a partnership allowing travelers to book JetSuiteX
flights through JetBlue.
If you’re not familiar with JetSuiteX, it’s a private charter plane service that operates
in select cities.
As of this video, they mostly operate on west coast and southwest cities and generally can
be found at smaller airports.
For example, in Los Angeles, they fly out of Burbank airport, which is only four miles
away from my apartment, which equates to about a 15 to 20-minute ride over.
LAX, on the other hand, is about 24 miles away from me and can take one to two hours
depending on the traffic.
The main benefit of flying on a private charter plane is that you get to bypass most of the
annoying aspects of airports.
You’ll depart from a private hangar, and you don’t have to go through all the normal
TSA security checks and protocols.
The airline promises less lines, less time waiting for your flight, and more legroom.
In fact, they say that you only need to arrive 20 minutes before your flight to check-in
and pass their security!
So, it’s not going to be a complete private jet experience like you would see on Succession.
Though with only 30 seats on board, two free checked bags, and a complimentary cocktail,
you’re going to be getting a more business-class like experience.
The company also claims that its fleet will be getting high-speed wifi sometime in 2020.
You can book directly through the JetSuiteX website, JetBlue, or travel portals like Expedia.
Though if you’re looking to book a flight with points, then you’ll want to check out
the Chase Travel Portal.
Due to the partnership with JetBlue, JetSuiteX flights show up when you search for flights
on the portal.
Though the flights are listed under JetBlue.Because of the partnership, you’ll notice that the
flights are serviced by JetSuiteX.
This means that you can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1.25 or 1.5 cents
per point, depending on which version of the Sapphire card that you have.
1.25 or 1.5 cents isn’t a fantastic redemption rate, but it’s not horrible either.
In fact, 1.5 cents is the minimum rate that I will redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points
since I have the Sapphire Reserve.
Some of you might be asking, “what about American Express Membership Rewards points?
Aren’t they a travel partner with JetBlue as well?”.
The answer is yes.
However, even though you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate
Rewards points to JetBlue, they won’t let you book these partner flights with points.
So the only option for booking with points is to use a travel portal.
That may change in the future, but for now, using Chase Ultimate Rewards is the better
option.
You can use the American Express Travel Portal as well, but your redemption rate will only
be one cent per point.
Now you might be wondering, “is it worth it?”
I think it really depends on what you want from your travel.
For example, I probably would still opt to fly on a budget carrier for a short flight,
but that’s only because I would rather save points toward more travel.
For most things in my life, I’m usually more inclined to pick quality over quantity.
But for airline flights, I want to travel more and further.
I’ll occasionally splurge on business class tickets, but it’s mostly for longer flights
so I can sleep on the plane.
However, if you’re saving an two hours or more per flight by using JetSuiteX, then it
might be worth the extra cost.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that the ticket prices are reasonable.
I expected the cash price to be much higher for these tickets.
For example, if I were to fly from Burbank to Oakland in the middle of January, the round
trip flight come out to around $200.
The same flight on Southwest booked today would be around $150.
And when I compare the cost of my last flight to Oakland for work, it was around $250.
So it seems within range and not completely outrageous, especially when you consider the
perks and time savings.
Though one concern I might have with booking JetSuiteX for work is the perception that
might be associated with it.
For example, most companies have a policy of no business class for shorter flights.
However, keep in mind that you can book through JetBlue, so it won’t seem as obvious and
it still lists the flight as economy class.
I feel like someone would have to be paying special attention to notice that the flight
is actually a JetSuiteX flight.
Lastly, I wanted to share a couple of tips to keep in mind if you’re planning to book
a flight on JetSuiteX.
1.
Research logistics on where to check-in: Since you’re not going through the normal terminals
at the airport for JetSuiteX flights, you’ll want to look up where you need to go.
Also, it helps to see what parking and rental options are available.
Most of this information can be found on the JetSuiteX website under the Where We Fly tab.
One thing that I think could be confusing is getting from a rental car drop-off lot
to a JetSuiteX hangar.
Depending on the airport, you might be able to find a shuttle, but you’ll likely need
to factor in an Uber or Lyft ride over.
2.
Consider using a service like Freebird: One of the biggest risks of flying a smaller airline
operator is the limited number of flights per day in the event that your booking is
canceled or delayed.
In fact, when I looked at reviews for JetSuiteX on TripAdvisor, most of the complaints were
focused on canceled flights and having to rebook on another airline at a higher price.
That’s where a service like Freebird can be handy.
For less than $20 per flight, you can get rebooked with no additional fees as soon as
you find out that your flight is canceled or delayed over four hours.
For more information, check out our video on Freedbird.
It might add some peace of mind in case you’re concerned about delays or cancelations.
3.
Consider booking through the Blackbird Air app: I’ve been meaning to do a video on
the Blackbird Air app.
It’s basically like Uber for private jets and planes.
You can use it to get matched up with a commercial pilot who can provide a more personalized
and private flight experience for your travel itinerary.
Blackbird Air allows you to book flights on JetSuiteX as well, and you can often find
promo codes and discounts for using the app, especially if you’re a new user.
Just do a search for Blackbird Air Promo Code and you’ll find a bunch of discount codes
out there.
It might be a good way to try out the service without using your precious points.
And finally, 4.
Manage your expectations: I know I was joking earlier about flying like the Roys from Succession.
Despite it being a smaller jet, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to have a private
luxury experience.
With 30 seats on the planes, you’ll likely be sharing the flight with others.
So make sure you manage your expectations.
You might not be lounging in a cushy sofa drinking champagne at 35,000 feet, but you’ll
still be getting a more comfortable experience than you would from most commercial airlines.
Have you flown on JetSuiteX?
If so, what has been your experience?
If I get a chance to try it out on a future trip, I’ll do a video on my trip and what
the end-to-end experience is like.
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Until next time, travel safe and travel smart.