Airport hassles spur rise of private flights

Lionel Andre recently found a new way to deal with the hassle of big airports and big airlines, namely, avoid them altogether.

Alerts Andre, 30, a business analyst with Siebel Systems Inc., lives in South Boston, barely 3 miles from Logan International Airport, but since June he's been heading almost every week to Hanscom Field in Bedford to fly to New Jersey. Andre takes Linear Air LLC, a new private-plane service that flies four days a week to Teterboro, N.J., across the river from New York City.

Flying takes longer in the 10-seat Cessna Caravan turboprop than in a commercial jet, but the overall trip can be shorter when factoring in security lines and other traffic at Logan. At $438 round trip, it can cost roughly the same as a commercial flight. Pretzels and cookies are served, Andre can spread out to work on his laptop, and valet parking at Hanscom can make it a 10-foot walk from the plane to his car.

''It's superconvenient, and it's really first-class treatment," Andre said.

Andre is among a growing group of business travelers and affluent vacationers who have flocked to new ways of flying to avoid the frustrations of big airports, long security lines, and enervating commutes to and from the flight.


http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/10/02/airport_hassles_spur_rise_of_private_flights/">link

Is this telling us - if you are rich you can skip security check at airport?

because really, what is the difference between buying a ticket on a commercial airline and purchasing a ticket from a "private" airline...money.

Siebel execs, to my experience, have more money than God.

Which is a lot. ;)

that would just be unrealistic. They can't be expected to wait in lines with all the common folk.

New Deal like and democratic.

Where's Frank Capra when you need him?

I'm just sayin'.

verification before you board...including verifying your name and a wand job......but its not as invasive.

... Arab terrorists. :puke: :puke:

Up until 2003 or so I flew 4-6 times annually, most years. Not major business class travel, but I was a regular flyer. I just don't do it anymore. Even before 9/11 the air travel experience had begun to utterly suck, especially for coach-class travelers. But since then? I'd rather find alternative means of travel, or simply structure my plans around travel that doesn't involve the airlines. I no longer attend professional meetings, for example, unless they're within a convenient day's driving distance, and as gas prices increase I'll likely stop even those.

I would prefer to drive .. I can stop when I like, eat when I want, and even if gas is expensive, I am not in that big of a hurry these days..

Driving to tahiti was out of the question though:)

It seems that they crash more often than commercial flights. Granted, its still a small number of crashes but I'm still kinda paranoid.

actually been showing up for at least two, maybe three years now. If I had the money I'd fly charters like this.

And they're only marginally less safe than commercial airlines. It's the private pilots, the general aviation types that crash quite regularly. Think John Kennedy jr, an inexperienced pilot who flew in conditions he couldn't handle. The guys who fly the above mentioned kinds of planes are much, much better trained.

are only for commercial airlines. There is a minimal security check for private aviation, including smaller charter flights (which usually leave from smaller airports.) So yes, anyone willing or able, to fly on charters can avoid the long lines.

The plane I fly is owned by a relatively small company that doesn't sell tickets...

:)

" The 14-year-old air charter service and fixed-base operator breaks ground next week on a $2 million-plus, 14,000- square-foot executive terminal and corporate headquarters."

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0930/local/stories/01local.htm

This makes me sick. Big sign at small airport "Million Air" says to me, "Screw you poor folks".

heck, if I were rich I guess I'd have my own place too.