Intrastate escapes by private jet is the stress-free way to travel in 2021.
Australia has been dubbed world class in its response to handling the COVID pandemic. Despite this, local outbreaks have seen borders slammed shut giving residents minimal time to get home.
In January Airly facilitated multiple last minute chartered flights to get residents home because of state border closures. These closures were implemented after a handful of cases.
Avoid the stress and anxiety, stay local.
Here are our team’s top intrastate escapes by private jet.
The most popular destination for our members and charter clients has been Byron Bay. Our members tend to stay at Elements of Byron, if not their own holiday house.
Winter is coming and the snow resorts are preparing for a bumper 2021 snow season.
Members tend to stay at Rockpool Lodge at Thredbo but there are other great accommodation options at both Thredbo and Perisher.
The best way to get to the NSW snow fields is to fly by private jet to Cooma and your member care team will be able to facilitate a seamless transfer to the resort. A 4 seat light jet to Cooma starts from $10,120* including a single night stay.
NSW Far South Coast
Towns such as Merimbula, Tathra (pictured), Bermagui and Narooma can provide a more quaint escape compared to Byron Bay.
Accommodation is plentiful with our pick being Coast Resort in Merimbula.
The far south coast can be accessed via Moruya or Merimbula Airports with prices starting from $10,120* for a 4 seat light jet including a single night stay.
Victoria
Port Fairy
Port Fairy is a quiet village on the Great Ocean Road with stunning Air BnB’s, beautiful beaches, a historic port and growing food and arts scene.
It’s a little left field, but we find Port Fairy an incredible spot to recharge.
Port Fairy can be accessed via Warrnambool Airport with a 4 seat light jet priced from $7,500*.
Mount Hotham
Much like the NSW snow fields, the Victorian snow fields should also see a bumper year with travellers staying local this snow season.
Our members prefer to stay at Zirkys Mount Hotham. A 4 seat light jet would be priced from $5,000* same-day return or stay as long as you like from $8,950*.
No cargo is more precious than your beloved furry cat or pooch.
Often we’re asked about the process of pets flying on private aircraft. Is it allowed? Does it cost extra? How does it work?
Today, we’ll answer all your questions.
Can I take my pet on a private jet?
In short, most of the time you can take your pet with you when flying private. It is, however, subject to the owner’s approval.
Some owners are more than happy to take pets while others will want to know the breed and additional information about the pet.
Does it cost extra?
Additional fees for cleaning may apply but comes down to the operator. Said fees will be set out clearly on your private jet quote.
How does it work?
You’ve probably realised that owners and operators vary their procedures. In saying that, you’ll generally arrive at the FBO (private jet lounge) with your pet in a secure portable carrier (cage).
Once onboard the aircraft, depending on the owner, you may be able to let your pet out of the portable carrier placing a blanket on your lap or on the floor/seat where he or she is sitting just incase of a midair toilet stop.
How do I book?
Airly is Australia’s fastest growing aviation company with 8,000 users, over 1,000 Lite members and over 200 SHARED program members.
The transport of pets is only available on empty legs or charter which can be booked by downloading our app, contacting us via WhatsApp or email.
At Airly we have always taken your safety seriously and while private jets are always maintained to the highest standards of cleanliness we have added in a few extra precautions for when you fly:
We request all guests flying on shared flights to wear a mask
Passengers will be temperature checked at the lounge before the flight
Use of hand sanitizer pre and post flight
We will also take a 14 day travel history
Some operators also strongly encourage the use of the COVID safe app
An Airly member on a recent Gold Coast – Melbourne flight.
For your peace mind we can also provide whole plane charters if you prefer, please ask us for a quote via the Airly App or WhatsApp.
If you have any concerns about your safety please let us know.
Australia’s fastest growing aviation company, Airly, has announced plans to resume offering members seats on private flights to Byron Bay and Mt Hotham just in time for the July school holidays.
Airly members can opt into an existing flight or initiate a new one on a luxury private jet via the Airly app. The innovative on-demand service, which requires arrival only 15 minutes prior to departure, makes flying private convenient and affordable.
The cost of the seats on the member-only flights from Sydney and Melbourne are comparable to business class.
With the commercial airlines still only planning to be at 40 per cent pre-pandemic capacity by the end of July, and only 46 Sydney to Melbourne flights a week for the foreseeable future, interest in Airly has grown significantly since COVID-19. App-usage is up by 80% and membership has more than doubled since Airly’s popular Sydney / Melbourne flights resumed in May.
“Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen a surge in business travellers using our service to get their businesses moving now that restrictions are easing. With limited local options from the commercial airlines, and no way to holiday overseas, we expect domestic travellers looking to make the most of the upcoming winter break will make up the next wave,” explained Luke Hampshire, Airly’s Co-founder.
“For holiday makers, Airly creates the opportunity to travel in style for very little additional cost compared to flying business class with the commercial airlines. The more members fly with Airly, the more flights become available. Our innovative membership-based approach creates a network effect,” added Luke.
As borders reopen more shared flight opportunities will be offered including the Gold Coast from both Sydney and Melbourne.
While the travel industry has taken a massive hit from the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people using Aussie private jet startup Airly has risen.
Airly, which launched in 2016, is an app-based service where members can book flights on a private jet – either by opting-in to an existing flight, or initiating a new one.
Co-founder Luke Hampshire told Business Insider Australia the service had been busy during the fourth quarter of 2019 until the bushfires hit and travel started declining. Then the coronavirus pandemic struck, initially causing a decline in usage.
But, in recent months, that has changed. Hampshire said usage on the app is up 80%, with the company doubling its membership numbers over the last three months.
Hampshire said flights over the past two weeks have been above average with June “looking very busy”.
“We’re in one of the best positions globally from the COVID perspective,” Hampshire said. “We’re very nimble. We’re able to move quickly, we see the demand, we see the interest [and] we can apply that model to what’s required. Whereas the airlines are slow-moving. They have a lot of assets, they have a lot of moving parts that take time to scale up.”
How Airly works
Hampshire describes Airly as a service that merges the perks of private travel with the predictability of commercial flights. “The big goal has always been how can we make private [flights] accessible and affordable to more sophisticated travellers,” he said.
Airly doesn’t require users to pay ongoing membership fees.
“We don’t want people paying for not using us,” Hampshire said. “So basically we can get members in now with no ongoing fees, let them check the app out, let them initiate a flight risk-free, get them on board and get them flying.” It was a decision the company made once the coronavirus pandemic set in, as a new way to provide value for its members.
Once you download the app and apply for membership, you get to either opt in for an existing flight or initiate a flight.
“What happens is that it sends out a notification to all the other members that the flight’s been initiated,” Hampshire explained. “The big difference for us is that you’re not paying for the whole jet, you’re just paying for what you need. And then we rely on other members to get on board, get involved and to book as well.”
Cost-wise, a flight from Melbourne to Sydney or Sydney to the Gold Coast flight costs $1295 a seat each way.
Most of Airly’s customers are business owners
Airly isn’t a scheduled operation. The company had considered it as a business model in the past but never went ahead with it.
“What we feel is the best option is to let our members decide when they need to go,” he said. “Ironically, they tend to be at similar times, which is helpful. It means you can get more than one group of members on a round trip.”
“Members who didn’t know each other prior to the flight actually become strong connections by the end of the flight,” Hampshire added.
Most of Airly’s current customer base are business owners. “Essential travel hasn’t stopped,” Hampshire said.
He explained that there was a period of time during the start of the pandemic when everyone was isolating – something Airly was advocating for as well. No one was flying through March and part of April before travellers started returning, especially business owners who have to travel to each of their business locations.
“It’s quite a contrast to everyone expecting work from home and Zoom to take over,” Hampshire said. “We’re still seeing those business owners needing to get from A to B.”
As a charter flight company, Airly is capable of doing global flights, including repatriation trips all the way from Europe. However, the company’s core focus is its shared flights – mainly from Sydney to Melbourne.
While Airly can provide charter flights for one-off destinations, its shared flights aim to capture the most popular routes. They do seasonal flights to destinations like Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast, as well as options later in June for the snow season.
The company considers itself a supplementary service rather than a competitor to commercial airlines
Airly has coronavirus preventative measures in place
Airly uses the Embraer range of aircraft – a four-seat option called a Phenom 100 and the eight-seater Phenom 300. Hampshire said having these planes provides consistency for passengers because “we don’t want to be throwing 10 different aircraft at members.”
The eight seat Phenom 300
“They’re the perfect jet for us,” Hampshire said. “They’re capable of carrying a lot of luggage, they’re extremely economical, they’re the most carbon efficient jet available in Australia and it’s just a very comfortable ride for your one to two to three-hour flights.”
Hampshire also went through the measures Airly is taking to prevent coronavirus on flights.
Each passenger is required to provide a 14-day travel history before the flight. On the day of the flight, there are temperature checks at the door, and passengers are encouraged to use hand sanitiser. On shared flights, you’ll be required to use face masks, especially when there’s more than one group of members boarding.
While Airly had under 100 members for “a long period of time” through 2019, it now has more than 180 members. It wants to become the first point of call for people looking for a flight.
“The big goal now is to aggressively expand with our investors and keep increasing flights and as borders open we get Australia moving,” Hampshire said. “Right now it’s business travellers [and] we can’t wait until we can start moving leisure travellers around again.”
Airly’s vision has always been to make private jet travel more accessible and affordable.
Unfortunately some things about COVID-19 are here to stay for a while, hand washing, hand sanitiser, social distancing, DYI projects, work from home and restricted travel options.
On the other hand, restrictions are easing and if the furthest you have travelled in recent days is the letterbox, no doubt some of you are itching to get going and get your business moving again.
What precautions can you take to ensure you stay safe while travelling?
Wearing a mask on planes
Temperature checks at airports
Social distancing on planes such as buying a second seat
Cleaning your seat armrests and tray tables
Travel on a private jet for the same price as business class.
Our new membership structure makes private air travel more affordable so you can.
Upgrade to an Airly Membership in-app now with no ongoing fees.
In these uncertain times our new private jet membership with no ongoing fees gives you something to rely on.
With Virgin under a cloud and Qantas operating at 5% of its pre-pandemic capacity commercial flights are scarce, making it hard for you to get to where you need to go to get your business up and moving again.
A membership with Airly gives you access to shared flights on private jets across the eastern seaboard at a price that is comparable with business class.
To support Australian businesses we are waiving all membership fees until July and our new membership structure will have no ongoing fees.
So whether you need travel for yourself or for your entire team Airly will have a private flight solution for you, from single seats to a whole plane.
To learn more about our membership click the image below.
And if you think our program is perfect for you, apply in-app!
As a private travel club, your Airly membership makes private air travel accessible and affordable.
Private jet charter is available at any time, stay tuned for great options on empty legs but with few commercial flights available demand for an Airly membership is growing.
So here are a few things to consider when looking for a seat on a shared flight:
1. Check for activated flights before initiating a new one; which leads to 2. Flexible travel times; 3. Initiate flights early to give us more time to find fellow jet setters; 4. Refer Airly to colleagues and associates. The more members Airly has the more planes we can offer and the more benefits you receive.
Referring Airly to your friends with our new app is so simple. You’ll have a unique code, and with a simple click of ‘Share’ you can SMS, email or copy and paste the link.
To help, we have waived membership fees until at least July. Our new program won’t have ongoing fees either.
It’s been the hardest quarter for Australian businesses in living memory.
We have all had to change the way we live and work and that includes changing the way we travel.
Not everything can be done by video conference and as the country opens up again we know you have a backlog of items on your to do list.
We also know that in the current environment, even if you manage to book a commercial flight, airport queues are the last thing you feel like dealing with.
So whether you need travel for yourself or for your entire team Airly will have a private jet solution for you, from single seats to a whole plane.
If you’d like to speak more about our membership, additional COVID-19 in-flight measures or to book an on-demand charter contact us via WhatsApp and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
