What It's Like Flying With JSX, the Semi-Private Jet Service With Flights Starting at $249
JSX
At first, the ease is anxiety inducing. What do you mean I need to arrive at the airport only 20 minutes before takeoff?
My frequent-flier brain trained itself long ago to make quick multistep airport arrival calculations: Subtract 15 minutes from the takeoff time for when the gate closes, then another 30 minutes or more for security, and another 20 minutes if I’m checking a bag. If I’m taking a cab from Manhattan to any New York area airport, that’s another two hours to account for traffic, road closures, tunnel backups, bridge closures…you get it.
But today I’m not flying out of LaGuardia. I’m flying with JSX, a pay-per-seat charter operator, from its hangar in Westchester County, New York, to Opa Locka Executive Airport in Miami. By flying out of crowdless private terminals like these, which are typically reserved for jet owners, JSX is able to expedite every step of the preflight process.
Stripped of my normal preflight routine and carefully calculated travel mantras, I’m unsure what to do with myself. Surely, JSX doesn’t actually mean for me to arrive 20 minutes before takeoff? I double-check its emails and then check in on the app—which requires only a single click—and a pop-up window confirms that it does, in fact, really mean 20 minutes.
Somehow I am still convinced that I will miss this flight and also that I have worn the wrong attire for a (semi) private jet. But as last night’s margaritas make their way through my system, I am grateful for the extra two hours of sleep this flight has afforded me.
To distract myself during the hour-long train ride from Manhattan, I play around on the JSX app. While this lifestyle isn’t cheap, it’s not as expensive as I thought it would be. One-way tickets can be as cheap as $249, depending on route and season. I spot some one-way fares between Westchester and Miami as low as $519.
With 20 destinations in the US (plus Cabo San Lucas in Mexico), most JSX flights operate in the Western US. Some connect to major hubs like Denver, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Others fly to smaller cities that aren’t frequently served by major airlines, like Lajitas, Texas; Taos, New Mexico; and Carlsbad, California. From Westchester, JSX flies nonstop seasonal routes to such Florida destinations as Naples (daily flights five days a week), West Palm Beach (daily flights seven days a week), and Boca Raton (daily flights five days a week).
As I pull up to the private hangar in Westchester an hour early, the 20-minute rule starts to make more sense. There are no lines, or crowds, or traffic, or mile-long terminal halls to schlep through. I’m one of the first to arrive.
My fellow fliers begin trickling in half an hour later, and it turns out I have dressed fine. Most people here look like they’ve just rolled out of bed, properly enjoying their minimized travel window and sharing none of my private-jet anxiety.
None of the men are wearing suits, like I expected, and some women are even wearing biker shorts and those expensive rubber shoes that look like Crocs. They check bags of golf clubs and haphazardly taped boxes marked “FRAGILE!” that would never make it through a commercial airport luggage belt alive. Their carry-on luggage, on the other hand, is unmistakably high-end: I spot Prada and Christian Dior purses, and a French bulldog in a Louis Vuitton carrier. (For an extra fee, JSX allows passengers to travel with pets in the cabin, a major perk for those who don’t want to put their animals in the cargo hold of a commercial plane.)
A fair portion of the passengers are families. And yes, some are who you may expect: tweens wearing Aviator Nation sweatpants and Golden Goose sneakers and kids glued to iPhones and iPads. But there is also a child with autism in a wheelchair, for whom the streamlined boarding and security process that JSX provides isn’t a luxury but a travel necessity.
After a quick (and calm) security check, everyone is able to board the plane in under 15 minutes. The seats are comfortable with 34 inches of legroom—equivalent to business class on most airlines—but don't expect lie-flat recline or leather cushions found in first class cabins. There’s no caviar or Champagne, but the food is fresh and the drinks are free, and the Starlink Wi-Fi actually works.
At the end of the day, JSX's value-add is efficiency, not over-the-top luxury. “The whole point of JSX is to make it easier to get around,” says JSX CEO Alex Wilcox. “It's a joyful, simple experience. That's what JSX stands for. And simplicity is the key to making it approachable.”
When it comes time for my flight home from Miami, my brain turns again to calculations, but instead of subtracting hours lost to the airport, I add up all the time I’ve gained. With my two stolen hours of freedom, I decide to walk along the beach and arrive at the terminal not a minute sooner than required.
What to know before you fly
Autism Aware
The chaos of commercial airports and TSA can be an overwhelming environment for veteran travelers, let alone people with sensory processing challenges. JSX airline is the world’s first carrier to be certified “Autism Aware” by Autism Double-Checked, meaning its staff undergo specialized training in autism awareness. A few times a year, the company also hosts practice events where families can experience a mock flight experience—including check-in, boarding, and in-flight service—to help prepare for the real thing. Autism Double-Checked and JSX have partnered to create a guide for travelers with ASD and other cognitive disorders, which you can read here.
Safety
JSX pilots must log a minimum of 800 flight hours to become First Officers, which is the standard for all private jet operators. However, to become a Captain they need a minimum of 1500 flight hours (equal to commercial airline requirements). The FAA recently announced its intent to propose rules that would require public charter operators like JSX to adhere to the same safety requirements as commercial airlines. “If a company is effectively operating as a scheduled airline, the FAA needs to determine whether those operations should follow the same stringent rules as scheduled airlines,” FAA administrator Mike Whitaker said in a June statement.
JSX obtained full regulatory authority and certification in 2015 and has “voluntarily invested millions of dollars to implement procedures that exceed its regulatory requirements, ensuring a safe and secure environment for its customers and crew members,” a spokesperson says.
How to book
JSX flies between private terminals at 20 destinations in the US and Mexico, with seasonal and year-round routes. You can book one-way tickets starting at $249 here.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
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