For individuals in the market to charter a private jet, the options are far from scarce. There are several operators of business jets within the US, and even more brokers that sell charters operated by other companies. The competition is intense, which means that rivals must differentiate themselves.

In a sense, private aviation brokers all sell the same product, meaning that they need to distinguish themselves in part through the experience of buying the product, and XO is a perfect example. XO operates some of its own flights, while also acting as a broker for charters operated by third parties. However, where XO looks to differentiate itself is in the booking experience.

Historically, XO advertised itself as the ‘Uber’ of private jets, prioritizing convenience and simplicity by providing ‘on-demand’ flights/seats. What’s more, XO’s marketing positions the company as being more affordable than similar private jet brokers/operators. However, while it might not be the most expensive company in its industry, XO’s flights are still far out of reach for the vast majority of people today.

The Cost To Be An XO Member

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XO is a subsidiary of Vista, one of the world’s leading private aviation services companies, and it is specifically meant to be Vista’s ‘accessible’ brand. XO sells flight charters as well as individual seats on shared flights, which can be booked online or via the XO app, and the company’s booking portal is essentially an on-demand marketplace for private jet flights. Notably, whereas most private jet companies charge fixed hourly rates, XO flights are dynamically priced, similar to airline tickets or Uber rides.

But anyone can buy an airline ticket, while a base Uber account doesn’t cost anything. Meanwhile, a customer creating an account with XO needs to drop a minimum $100,000 deposit for a base-level XO Membership. Meanwhile, the XO Reserve tier requires a $250,000 deposit, while both also charge members $995 per year in membership fees. The deposits are fully refundable, but XO is still asking for massive sums of money from its customers.

Considering that XO is largely positioned as a more affordable option for private jet travel, even within Vista, this seems to run counter to how the company is generally viewed. XO has a unique pricing model and streamlined booking process, but it’s not always cheaper than other competitors. This is true regarding the fees and deposit, but also with XO’s dynamic pricing, since this means that rates for charters can fluctuate dramatically between certain days.

Prices For An XO Flight

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Because XO prices its charter flights dynamically, it’s difficult to predict how much a charter flight with the company will cost since it’s variable. Other companies operate with set hourly rates based on aircraft type, rather than setting prices based on demand. However, prices generally start at around $15,000 for a one-way light jet charter, but can balloon up to nearly $40,000 between New York and Miami. What’s curious about this is that it’s not necessarily cheaper than the competition.

Generally, most private charter brokers charge between $5,000 and $20,000 per hour. On the two-and-a-half-hour flight between New York and Miami, prices will usually range from $10,000 to well over $40,000. In other words, while XO may be slightly cheaper than some competitors, prices are overall fairly similar. What’s more, XO’s prices are more volatile than the fixed rates typically set by other private jet brokers, so XO’s fares can rise above those of competing brokers.

As a whole, XO’s fares are in line with what the rest of the industry charges on routes of this length. While its charter rates can drop below what other companies charge, it’s hardly disrupting private aviation in this regard. As such, it’s difficult to say that XO is making private aviation meaningfully more accessible, especially given the cost of the deposit. When it comes to charters, the overall cost to customers is fairly similar to a jet card membership offered by rival companies.

The Way To Fly XO For Cheap

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Uniquely, XO offers typical aircraft charters, but it also sells tickets on flights shared with other customers. Essentially, the company sells individual seats on a flight operated by a private jet, similar to commercial airlines. XO sells tickets on a select number of ‘shuttle’ routes, including those between the New York metropolitan area and South Florida. Ticket prices range from under $1,500 one way to roughly $3,000, depending on demand for a particular flight and a customer’s membership status.

Considering that most first class tickets between New York and Florida can be had for under $500, XO still asks for a significant premium. However, the onboard experience of flying in a private jet is a unique novelty with greater comfort and luxury. What’s more, traveling with XO as one of multiple passengers allows you to experience the true benefits of flying private for a much lower price, in that the ground experience is significantly easier than traveling with the airlines.

Flying private means that you can fly whenever you want out of FBOs, rather than needing to arrive at an airport terminal two hours before departure. This means no dealing with check-in desks and skipping the TSA. While passengers traveling on a shared flight are beholden to XO’s schedules, the company’s flights depart from FBOs at smaller airports. This significantly streamlines the ground experience, allowing passengers to show up minutes before their flight rather than hours.

The Expensive Prices Associated With Flying Private

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XO positions itself as being more accessible than other private jet brokers, but its services are still extremely expensive. For the most part, chartering a private jet will almost always cost five figures, with longer flights and larger aircraft costing more money. The true bargains in the private aviation charter market are turboprops, which aren’t significantly smaller than light or very light jets and aren’t dramatically slower on shorter flights. Typically, a turboprop can be chartered for less than $10,000 per hour.

Because premium travel demand is currently at an all-time high and charters continue to be expensive, several companies have emerged selling a ‘near private jet experience’. XO’s shared flights are essentially just that, since it’s selling multiple tickets on a flight operated by a business jet. Meanwhile, companies like Tradewind Aviation differentiate themselves by using Pilatus PC-12 turboprops to serve short routes with strong premium demand out of FBOs, which is the real benefit of private flying.

Among the massive number of private jet brokers, Blade Air Mobility has emerged as one of the most notable. It sells charters on planes flown by other operators, but Blade also operates luxury helicopter flights between city centers and major international airports in some areas. This most notably includes New York, where it flies helicopters from Manhattan heliports to New York JFK Airport and Newark, while also connecting popular points in the larger metropolitan area to cater to the ultra-wealthy.

Equivalents To XO’s Shared Flights

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JSX is well known for providing a ‘semi-private’ experience on the ground and in the air. Notably, however, it does not operate a single purpose-built business jet, with its fleet instead being made up of used ATR and Embraer ERJ regional airliners. These planes are configured with large, spacious seats, while the airline also operates out of FBOs. While ticket prices are high compared to large commercial airlines, they’re far more affordable than chartering a jet or XO’s shared flight tickets.

Aero is another company in the US with a similar business model to JSX. While most of Aero’s fleet is made up of used Embraer ERJ airliners with refurbished interiors, it also flies the Gulfstream GIV and Embraer Legacy 600. These are purpose-built business jets with opulent interiors that you’d expect from a business jet, and Aero sells tickets on these planes just like it does with the Embraers. While Aero’s flights can be pricier than JSX, you can still often find tickets for under $1,000 one-way.

Companies like JSX and Aero can operate out of FBOs largely due to regulatory quirks, in that they sell tickets as Part 380 companies on flights that they technically charter from another company (typically a wholly owned subsidiary) that operates under Part 135. While the FAA is looking to address the current regulatory structure that allows these companies to operate as public charters, they arguably remain the best way to fly private on a budget today.