New Bets on Private Jets

Charting new routes in the vast airspace between traditional commercial airline travel and private jet ownership, two new enterprises offer fresh - but different - alternatives. Jet-It-Together, a new online community where members match their itineraries with other members to share private jet trips, offers access to more than 1,000 trips at dramatic savings over whole-plane charter. Free membership includes the ability to initiate a trip to share, join another member's trip, be alerted to available flights and access to hundreds of time-sensitive deals due to jet repositioning. Jet-It-Together does not operate flights; it finds, selects and negotiates costs with FAA-certified private charter operators. Visit www.jet-it-together.com.

Coastal Jet Service, by contrast, is a business aviation corporation that has just begun daily non-stop flights between New York and Los Angeles. Passengers can book seats on this private jet service in the same way they would a commercial flight, avoiding both the hassle of commercial travel and the investment, commitment or monthly fees of whole or shared jet ownership. Flights depart Avitat in White Plains, N.Y. and Million Air in Burbank, Calif., where travelers may arrive 15 minutes prior to departure. On board the Citation X, travelers find quiet, spacious, wood-finish cabins. Fully reclining leather club seats are set singly and have individual multimedia stations with TV and DVD; cocktails and gourmet meals are served on the four-hour flights. Morning departures arrive in Los Angeles in time for breakfast appointments; after-lunch departures arrive in New York for dinner meetings. One-way flights are $4,600 plus tax. Visit www.coastaljetservice.com