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Eclipse Air Charter is launching a new aerial ridesharing program, modelled after Uber X Share and similar apps, with the goal of matching like-minded travellers for affordable jet charters.
The carefully-vetted private membership program is called Eclipse Air Share, and bills itself as a middle path between commercial travel and a full private charter.
“We’re solving the problem of how to make private air travel more affordable while also connecting like-minded individuals or groups,” said Yasmin Alam, the program’s founder and managing director, in a release.
Eclipse Air Share hopes to succeed where other companies have failed by mindfully matching passengers with agreeable travel companions—say, a low-key retired couple heading south for winter, paired with a business executive who values peace and quiet in the cabin.
The goal is to avoid nightmare scenarios — think, a CEO uncomfortably paired with a rowdy bachelor party on the way to Vegas — and ensure a satisfying trip for everyone involved.
Travellers follow a stringent application process that includes a mini-biography, their travel preferences, preferred dates and destinations, and other potential deal-breakers for dissimilar passengers — like whether they intend to travel with pets.
A maximum of two parties will share each chartered flight, the company said. If one group cancels, the flight will still depart with the other group on board.
“Our membership program is the new middle ground,” said Alam.
The company did not say which private aircraft types will be available, but noted it’s launching first in the Canadian market, with trips to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami in Florida; plus Scottsdale, Arizona, the Bahamas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Before each flight, members receive a detailed brief about who they’ll be travelling with. As of this writing, the company is accepting requests for application packages through the program website.
“A lot of the time, our clients are ready to pull the trigger [on a charter flight], but they can’t justify the costs for just two or three people,” said Alam.
“Eclipse Air Share will help alleviate that cost, making it more economical for everyone involved, without compromising the comforts and convenience of a private charter.”