We are seeing some intriguing travel trends emerging as the world begins to adapt to their new normals. As noted by Stratos CEO Joel Thomas in a previous blog article, there are more first-time private jet travelers than before. It’s not surprising, considering the disruptions in the commercial airline industry.

In the beginning, private jet travel was a quick way to evacuate colleagues and family when travel restrictions were initially being enacted. Now that some of those restrictions have been modified, we are seeing new trends in on-demand jet travel, including more people flying with kids or bringing pets on private jet charters.

Here are three recent aviation trends worth mentioning:

Trend 1: Flying With Kids

The number of young travelers on private jets is up from last year’s stats.

Families flying with kids have always been welcome on Stratos Jet Charters. We take pride in ensuring that all our passengers are safe and relaxed, regardless of their age. And though we see surges in family travel in summer and around the winter holidays, this year has been different. Our industry peers recently reported that passengers under the age of 16 jumped from 12 percent to 18 percent between April and June.

And it makes sense. Schools were closed, and families wanted to be together during the lockdown period. Commercial travel was restricted, so flying with kids on a private jet became a viable alternative.  And we predict this trend to continue as we’re confident that once families have experienced the safety, bio-security, and flexibility of on-demand jet travel, they will choose Stratos for their next family flight.

Trend 2: Flying with Pets

Pet Friendly Jet Charter Flights

Traveling with pets in tow has been more popular this year than last.

Again, this comes as no surprise. During the first few months of the lockdown period, pet owners opted to fly with their pets on private charters. Having a furry companion nearby during lockdown made the idea much more appealing. Unsurprisingly, the pet-travel numbers jumped from 4 percent to 6 percent between April and June. 

And like our other trends, this may signal the beginning of a trend for future travel. Like flying with kids, traveling with pets on a charter is usually much easier than on a commercial flight. Passenger groups are smaller, space is ample and pets can usually travel with their owners in the cabin. If you are planning to fly with a pet, here is a link with some guidelines for everyone’s safety.        

Trend 3: Bigger Jets, Less Contact

At this time last year, small jets made up 40 percent of all private jet charters, while long-range and super-midsize jets made up 32 percent. But from April to June 2020, some jet brokers reported that super-midsize aircraft were carrying 48 percent of the flights. 

In our opinion, two factors contributed to this shift.

First, with a private jet charter, you book a whole aircraft, not just one seat. So if you need to fly ten employees home during a pandemic, you can choose a larger aircraft to simplify social distancing.

Secondly, since both domestic and international airports had limited operations during the crisis, there were fewer places to land safely. Booking a long-range jet would ensure that if your first airport was unavailable, you could still carry on to a secondary destination.

If you are interested in the different size categories and rates for aircraft in our network, we recommend our Stratos Jet Types page. You can compare aircraft by size, range, rates, and other features.

We’re still learning the lessons created in recent months. Some of these trends may disappear in a few months, or they may signal the “new normal” for on-demand aviation. In either case, Stratos Jet Charters has the resilience, adaptability, and service to meet your travel needs. Whether you are booking executive travel or flying with kids this fall, your safety and comfort are our priority.

 

To try the amazing luxury and safety of a private jet charter, call Stratos Jets—888-593-9066.