App-based, on-demand Part 135 operation launches at KVUO

I can't decide if that price difference is telling me the DA-62 is an expensive mx hog, or if the PC12 is just that easy to keep up to 135 standard and find pilots for.

But yeah, totally with you on the Pilatus relative value :D
 
If a DA62 bills out for $11.5k for 4 seats at 202mph, then I should be able to get my commercial and rent out my arrow's 3 seats at 160mph for at least $7k, right? :rolleyes:

I'm with the consensus here, PC12 all day.

Those DA62 prices have to drop *SUBSTANTIALLY* (>>50%) for it to look even remotely attractive. Or people in the pacific NW just have enough money not to care about a few k here and there for a day trip!
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Why does one say 600 miles and the other 1000? Or is that not what those numbers are. I'm easily confused
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Not clear. I assumed it was like a mileage program, and those are the credited points to the account.

The "ride" was quoted at 2 hours 9 mins for either plane, which is also strange. I like the DA62 but it's no Pilatus :D
 
Update. You have to pay for the entire plane; the per-seat cost assumes it is full. There is an opportunity here for an after-market broker to find people to fill the extra seats if you don’t have enough pax to fill it yourself. The site is really easy to use and like fruit and fish, the price drops as the flight nears it’s sell by date, many of the 13 Dec flights have halved in cost.
 
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Interesting. I think their management team is a big light on the aviation ops side of things. Maybe the board brings that in? Seems like they have a network already of planes beyond the DA62 and PC12. I priced MDW-GRB and the PC12 figures appear about right based on what I know our plane goes for. I wonder if they generate these quotes or just use some sort of central bidding service?

Also, since when do TBM 700s hold 8 pax? Also also - TBM 700 in that same Green Bay flight is 11k higher? Surge pricing?
 
They show KXWA to KMSP area, about 550 nm, for $9,976 in a Cirrus, $19,493 in a King Air 200, $21,754 in a PC-12, $26,638 in a King Air C90, $31,016 in a Seneca. Those are all listed in the form "$31,016+" with the plus sign at the end. There is no way they are actually managing all those planes. My guess is that they are searching and/or data mining other charter operations and then they will connect you, directly or indirectly, with the actual operator when you book the flight. Maybe the Seneca operator is farther away and that's why it ends up costing more than a Pilatus. I do know of a charter operator with an SR-22 and another with a King Air 200 in the general vicinity. Oddly, I know of one with a Cessna 340 even closer than the King Air folks but that wasn't listed by KinectAir, despite the 340 being a much better choice for this trip than the Cirrus.

Do we have enough popcorn on hand?
 
CLT -> ATL $4234 in Cirrus. I could take all four seats and put it on AA in First Class for half that.
 
If anyone does end up booking a ride on KinectAir, give us a PIREP.
Eager to hear what a $9,011 ride for a 1.25 hour flight in a Seneca feels like...
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Likely just a computer software that takes plane price, speed and distance, makes a number, maybe multiplies it by 1.5 and gives a quote. Quote goes to Kinectic air and if they don't want it they send it to other 135 operators. I don't think this is a real time as they make it look. Cirrus should have a "please inquire" when trying to book more than 1 on longer flights and 2 on shorter flights. it lets you book a Cirrus from Sacramento to Bozeman with 3 pax. 0% chance that is happening.
I'm not saying this is a bad model, it just isn't what they are advertising.
I couldn't imagine the cringe involved trying to fly a Cirrus as a charter. What kind of pilots are they getting to fly non pressurized pistons all over the west coast with strangers with little to no understanding of GA? People who have no clue about airplanes really shouldn't be chartering anything smaller than a C90. PC-12 is the charter king. Massive payload/range flexibility, relatively cheap operate.
 
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TheGolfPilot said:
Likely just a computer software that takes plane price, speed and distance, makes a number, maybe multiplies it by 1.5 and gives a quote. Quote goes to Kinectic air and if they don't want it they send it to other 135 operators. I don't think this is a real time as they make it look. Cirrus should have a "please inquire" when trying to book more than 1 on longer flights and 2 on shorter flights. it lets you book a Cirrus from Sacramento to Bozeman with 3 pax. 0% chance that is happening.
I'm not saying this is a bad model, it just isn't what they are advertising
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How do plane price, speed, and distance justify charging more for a Seneca than a PC-12, or almost double for a King Air C90 over a 350? I think there is more data behind their initial search results such as where a plane would have to ferry from to make the trip. But you're 100% right that it's half-baked.
 
iamtheari said:
How do plane price, speed, and distance justify charging more for a Seneca than a PC-12, or almost double for a King Air C90 over a 350? I think there is more data behind their initial search results such as where a plane would have to ferry from to make the trip. But you're 100% right that it's half-baked.
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This pricing is not off for charter. Aircraft location is probably in that model as well. So it makes sense a seneca will be more than a pc-12 if the location isn't right for the seneca. It is really hard to comprehend people are willing to pay this, but they are and they do. Call your local 135 up and get a quote, you'd be amazed. It is part of the reason illegal charters is such an issue. FAA wants to protect the unknowledgeable "lets charter a private jet!" consumer and 135 is that protection, but it is expensive. If someone spends the time to understand aircraft they can buy into a plane or even setup a legal dry-lease, where they take operational control. Companies in the past have attempted to skirt the 135 by passing operational control to a consumer. One a couple years ago, Blackbird, was working the gray area real hard. FAA shut that down probably a little too late. They had an app real similar to this. But the consumer would "rent" and airplane from an FBO with a rental aircraft and the app would "help them" find a contract pilot.
 
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