Two new companies let you hop a private jet for less
— -- It may not seem like the best time to launch a company catering to the private business flier.
Business travel is down. Companies have been pressured by an angry public to sell their corporate fleets. And at a time when environmental responsibility is critical to many consumers, few CEOs want to be called out for leaving a big carbon footprint.
But at least two new ventures are turning those challenges into selling points, offering services that allow you to fly private but preserve cash, the climate and possibly your corporate reputation.
Greenjets and CoGoJets help bring together travelers willing to share a ride — and the cost — of a private plane. They also will find the aircraft the passengers need.
Leisure travelers are part of their clientele. But the companies believe the business community can be their source of success, as executives seek to get where they need to go without being dependent on commercial flight schedules, try to save money and avoid angering shareholders outraged by corporate excess during the economic downturn.
"I think the socioeconomic and political climate for this … right now is spot on," says Dean Rotchin, 45, president of Greenjets, based in West Palm Beach, Fla. "We're seeing people looking at alternative solutions, being able to still access private airports and private jet experiences but doing it in a way that's more responsible."
There's little doubt business air travel is in a slump. The use of private planes for business trips is down about 30% compared with the same time last year, according to the National Business Aviation Association.
Corporations have been getting rid of their jets to cut costs and to dodge the firestorm that erupted last year in response to perceived corporate greed and recklessness. Outrage reached fever pitch in November, when the CEOs of Detroit's automakers —Ford, Chrysler and General Motors— flew on corporate planes to ask Congress for a multibillion-dollar bailout.
