After years of waiting, the digitization of on-demand charters may finally be gaining altitude. Start-ups like FlyHouse, Jettly, and Levo.aero—along with established players such as Wheels Up and XO—have rolled out apps that promise access to a private jet in as little as 30 seconds. Speed is only part of the pitch. These platforms also tout more-competitive pricing and greater transparency than the traditional system, which can be maddeningly opaque. The latter typically involves calling a broker to discuss travel needs, budgets, and schedules, after which the broker checks in with aircraft owners, managers, or clearinghouses. Finding the right aircraft this way can take anywhere from several hours to several days, and the prices can often be estimates rather than firm quotes. FlyHouse’s solution is to remove brokers or aircraft-management companies from the equation entirely. Users enter flight details directly into its app, which runs a reverse auction from a vetted directory of aircraft. The result..
