NEW YORK, NY SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 – Americans are leading the trend toward flying private at Air Charter Service, as many are longing for a much needed post-lock down escape and are beyond ready for a change of scenery. The world’s largest aircraft charter company has reported most inquiry calls are from Americans followed by the British, Canadians, Indians, Spanish, and the Chinese. Travelers who look to book and travel within a just a few days have also increased. Early August figures show a 51% increase on leisure travel bookings globally this year versus 2019 indicating no slowing down for extended summer jaunts.
“Traveler confidence is increasing for end of summer season travel,” said Richard Thompson, president of Air Charter Service Americas. “There’s a pent-up demand for travel and Americans are ready to book and travel quickly. That’s one of the great things about private jets – they adhere to your schedule. There is no waiting and clients can be instantly gratified. If it’s Wednesday and a client wants to fly out the next day for a long weekend, they can do it seamlessly.”
The Lure of Private Jet Travel
The pandemic has greatly impacted the global demand and number of routes for commercial airline flights, and many travelers see the positives of flying privately. New customers looking to escape to an exclusive retreat or just crave extra safety and well-being have been driving demand for private flying, with forty four percent of bookings during July 2020 being from first-time private jet customers. However, traveling privately does come with a cost. Based on data from the last year and a half, the average cost of a flight was $29,350 for a single leg (one way). With global restrictions changing by the week, repatriation flights also shot up 521% compared to last year as travelers faced minimal options to get back to their home country quickly or to leave a specific country.
The Return of the Business Traveler
The second half of the summer looked better for business travel, too. Data shows 44% of bookings in July were for business travel purposes with clients traveling to Bahamas, Canada, Colombia and Turkey. According to data from Air Charter Service, most international flights booked from the United States have been for business travel reasons.
Top Destinations
The top requested destinations for Americans have mainly been domestic U.S. (Chicago, Teterboro, Los Angeles, Seattle and East Hamptons), followed by international travel, on a much smaller scale, as U.S. travel restrictions remain in place. The top five international destinations based on global bookings have been to US, Spain, France, UK, and Italy.
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About Air Charter Service
Air Charter Service (ACS) is the world’s largest global aircraft charter broker with 27 worldwide offices, spanning all six major continents and offers private jet, group charter and cargo services. Founded in 1990 by Chairman by Chris Leach and CEO Justin Bowman in the basement of a house, the company now employs more than 450 staff worldwide. Global headquarters are in London with ten offices throughout North America. ACS arranges more than 23,000 charter flights annually, offering clients a dedicated point of contact, a bespoke experience with top hygiene practices, privacy, and flexibility to arrange a personalized solution for your travel needs. For flights in different regions across the globe, Air Charter Service taps its international network for world-class service and expert local knowledge. ACS also offers the Empyrean Jet Card for flyers who need great flexibility and access to aircraft at set hourly costs. For more information about Air Charter Service, please visit www.aircharterserviceusa.com.