Fly on a private jet and other lavish aircraft for a fraction of the cost. Blackbird is a groundbreaking service that arranges upscale travel options in California, Nevada and New York with an app on your smartphone.
Blackbird believes “the time we have is precious and we should make the most of every moment. Let’s encounter new experiences. Let’s get there our way. Let’s take to the skies — because by freeing ourselves from the road, we can see the world from a whole new perspective.”
CEO Rudd Davis founded the company with Head of Technology Jamie Loberman. While Blackbird Air Inc. does not own, maintain or operate any aircraft, the company acts as an agent in arranging flights with cheaper airfares.
Blackbird offers three services Hitch, Reserve, and Charter. Hitch offers flights for as little as $50 and is meant for passengers with flexible schedules. Customers can fly on a smaller private airplane by splitting the cost with other additional passengers or simply “hitching a ride” with an empty jet that’s already on its way to a destination. You also have the option to handpick your pilot before taking flight as long as the pilot is Blackbird-approved.
Reserve begins at $225 and allows passengers to book a seat on a scheduled flight without having to wait in line. Instead of arriving two hours early for your flight, just show up 15 minutes in advance and skip the line. Another feature of Reserve is the ability to ride in first-class cabins.
Charter allows passengers to book a private plane on their your own terms for a starting price of $999 with a pay-per-mile price structure. On the West Coast there are four different private planes available: the Diamond DA-62, Pilatus PC-12, Phenom 300 and the Challenger 300. The choices give customers options that range from six to nine seats at a price between $10 and $31 per mile.
On the East Coast, Charter offers a variety of five private planes including the Pilatus PC-12, Caravan Amphibian, Bell 206, Phenom 300 and the Challenger 300. The price is slightly increased from $17 to $39 per mile flown. These planes range from four to nine seats.
All of Blackbird’s customers fly on recently inspected luxury planes with an FAA-licensed pilot. Blackbird’s charter partners all have impeccable safety records and a deep understanding of their local airports.
The main goal behind Blackbird is to put empty seats to good use on shared private trips while reducing the price of travel. Additional services are expected soon in Florida.
