cheryl
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Meet the Bubble Charter, the All-in-One Package That Makes Luxury Travel More Streamlined Than Ever - Robb Report
Think private jets, buyouts and a new concept known as the bubble charter.
As the Covid-19 pandemic took hold this spring, the number of travelers Stateside plummeted almost 90 percent compared to the same time last year, slumping to levels not seen since the pre-jet age of the 1950s. Danger, fear and uncertainty made a summer trip seem unseemly, out of reach or both. But as summer arrived, the travel industry responded creatively, launching new initiatives that made vacationing both appealing and easy again: Think private jets, buyouts and a new concept known as the bubble charter.
There has been a predictable surge of interest in charter flying, especially among new customers. Sentient Jet has sold over 5,000 hours since May, more than 50 percent of those to first-time fractional fliers helped in part by tax reductions, in place through the end of 2020, via the CARES Act. Most firms have introduced stringent hygiene protocols, both on board and on the ground; see, for example, the Jet Linx partnership with ViaClean Technologies, which offers a cleaning technology that provides antimicrobial protection to surfaces for up to three months. Destinations that rely on charters have made contingency plans, too. The Mustique Company created its own ad hoc airline for the summer, operating nonstop flights from New York to Saint Vincent—at a cost of about $6,000 per person round-trip—while the island of St. Barts has invested millions of dollars in testing machines. (While test results will be released within 24 hours, those who want to avoid any amount of quarantine should provide a negative test result from up to three days prior to arrival.) And though the Eden Rock hotel isn’t opening for the summer, its villa rental arm is operating as usual.
Think private jets, buyouts and a new concept known as the bubble charter.
As the Covid-19 pandemic took hold this spring, the number of travelers Stateside plummeted almost 90 percent compared to the same time last year, slumping to levels not seen since the pre-jet age of the 1950s. Danger, fear and uncertainty made a summer trip seem unseemly, out of reach or both. But as summer arrived, the travel industry responded creatively, launching new initiatives that made vacationing both appealing and easy again: Think private jets, buyouts and a new concept known as the bubble charter.
There has been a predictable surge of interest in charter flying, especially among new customers. Sentient Jet has sold over 5,000 hours since May, more than 50 percent of those to first-time fractional fliers helped in part by tax reductions, in place through the end of 2020, via the CARES Act. Most firms have introduced stringent hygiene protocols, both on board and on the ground; see, for example, the Jet Linx partnership with ViaClean Technologies, which offers a cleaning technology that provides antimicrobial protection to surfaces for up to three months. Destinations that rely on charters have made contingency plans, too. The Mustique Company created its own ad hoc airline for the summer, operating nonstop flights from New York to Saint Vincent—at a cost of about $6,000 per person round-trip—while the island of St. Barts has invested millions of dollars in testing machines. (While test results will be released within 24 hours, those who want to avoid any amount of quarantine should provide a negative test result from up to three days prior to arrival.) And though the Eden Rock hotel isn’t opening for the summer, its villa rental arm is operating as usual.