SMH... Strange flight offering

[warthog1984]

Reading through "Flying" and dreaming about flying left seat in a jet.

I enjoy Dick Karl's articles a lot, so on a whim I look up the company he's flying for.

Looks interesting, ooh they've got last minute "deals" posted. Cool. Let's see... $536 for a flight from VNY to huh? SMO? Why do they have a flight that is only 12NM long? And why does it cost so much when another deal takes you up most of the eastern seaboard for $1100?

I guess I don't understand aviation.

Just an observation.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Looks interesting, ooh they've got last minute "deals" posted. Cool. Let's see... $536 for a flight from VNY to huh? SMO? Why do they have a flight that is only 12NM long? And why does it cost so much when another deal takes you up most of the eastern seaboard for $1100?

I dunno who Dick Karl is, but it sounds like what you're seeing is repositioning flights for sale. Someone wanted to fly to VNY, someone else wants to fly from SMO. Thus, they need to get an airplane there.

A big outfit like NetJets has airplanes all over the place and generally no need to reposition coast to coast - However, a smaller company may have a need to go pick someone up and bring them home. They won't make money on an $1100 coast to coast charter flight, but since the other guy paid the bill already, the extra $1100 is pure profit.

 

[EdFred]

A big outfit like NetJets has airplanes all over the place and generally no need to reposition coast to coast - However, a smaller company may have a need to go pick someone up and bring them home. They won't make money on an $1100 coast to coast charter flight, but since the other guy paid the bill already, the extra $1100 is pure profit.

I don't see how that answers the question.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I don't see how that answers the question.

Meh... All kinds of people can get a buddy to give 'em a ride home from 12nm away. It's a bit more difficult to get home from a trip up "most of the eastern seaboard" and thus demand might actually be lower.

Or they REALLY didn't want to take anyone on that 12nm trip... But I was mostly explaining where the 12nm trip came from. It's not like someone decided "Hey, I should fly my jet 12nm today and see if anyone will pay for it!"

 

[Z06_Mir]

Sounds like JetSuite. Their shorter legs are almost always a flat fee of that $530 or whatever it is. I almost grabbed one from SDL to VNY the other day, but I had to work. It's how they fill some of their empty legs, I think the cost just barely covers fuel for the trip. Good little company though if you're interested.