JumpJet Starts Membership Flying Service

A new company, with offices in Santa Fe and New York, plans to make the cost of flying in a private jet a lot less than owning one.

Jumpjet has announced plans to begin flights May 29 from 12 major cities to a variety of U.S. destinations on a fleet of 16 jets, ranging from an 8-seat Cessna to a 16-passenger Gulfstream.

Customers, who pay a monthly fee, will be able to avoid many airport hassles, including lost luggage, cramped planes and long security lines, at perflight prices comparable to business and first-class commercial airline tickets, the company said. All flights will be direct, and the company plans to serve smaller airports not typically served by larger airlines.

Individual and corporate Jumpjet membership is tiered, with fees that begin at $1,500 and go to $4,000 monthly per person. Each tier sets different requirements for reservation lead time, flights per month, and the number of guests a passenger may bring on the flight for free.

"We'll ask that our passengers arrive 15 minutes before their departure time," Jumpjet founder and CEO Will Ashcroft said. "Your bags will be loaded right onto the plane, and you'll fly straight to the closest airport to your destination."

The company has so far received about 60 applications for membership, Ashcroft said.

The company, which has offices in Santa Fe and White Plains, N.Y., will line up an aircraft of suitable size for each flight, Ashcroft said.

He says the company is targeted to customers who fly a few times a year.

"I think this will be very attractive for a lot of people out there who are tired of paying out all this money to the airlines and not feeling like they're getting much satisfaction back," he said.

At its launch in May, Jumpjet's 12 originating cities will be Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Nev., Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Jumpjet employs about 25 in Santa Fe and New York.

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