As you can see from the photos it's a very small jet. No including the pilots, it seats only three. That's the core of the air taxi concept.
DayJet - Air Taxi Service - Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet
Rather than chartering an entire plane, which I could never afford, you charter a single seat. The planes will operate between DayPorts. The first five DayPorts are in Florida. They include: Lakeland, Gainesville, Pensacola, Boca Raton and Tallahassee. The DayPorts are cities that aren't normally served by commercial airlines, or if they are the costs and travel times are somewhat out of whack. DayJet's flight costs are based on the window of flexibility you provide DayJet. The maximum window is 5.5 hours.
For example if I say, "I need to fly from Lakeland to Tallahassee tomorrow at 10am" then that's not flexible. As such I would pay the highest rate for the seat. However, if I say, "I need to be in Tallahassee tomorrow morning." and build in a maximum of 5.5 hours into my schedule then I pay the lowest fare.
How much are we talking? DayJet staff has told me the rate variation for the Lakeland to Tallahassee flight is projected to be between $290 and $800 per leg depending on the flexibility. For a round-trip to Tallahassee that would be just under $600.00 if I am flexible with my departure/arrival times. It might be a bit pricey, but everything is relative and the X factor is time.
Currently a trip to Tallahassee takes me about 5 hours via car, so round trip that's 10 hours in a car. With DayJet the flight is a little over an hour. Compare a little over two hours with ten. If I can 'work/bill' for any of that saved time then the jet has almost paid for itself. That's big the allure of 'corporate jet' travel, by saving time (and billing for it) that is normally lost at the airport, you make up for the price difference.
DayJet - Air Taxi Service - Eclipse 500 Very Light JetLet's look at travel costs. I bill clients for mileage. Roundtrip to Tally is 590 miles or at $.48 cents per mile that's $283.20. Throw in an overnight stay and a meal or two and you might get close to the cost of the fare.
To compare with commercial airlines, a round-trip ticket on Delta from Orlando to Tallahassee is anywhere from $390.00 to $450.00 depending on when you book. Of course with that you get all the fun of commercial air travel. A drive to the airport, security, delays, etc. For me the drive to Orlando airport is at least 45 minutes. Throw in security and the fact that you have to arrive at least 30-45 minutes prior and, well you know. With DayJet I drive less than twenty minutes to Lakeland Linder airport and then walk on a plane, with at most two other people.
When DayJet talks about their fares the usually make the comparison to business class fares, which for most flights are considerably higher than coach. For a run like Orlando to Tallahassee there are no business fares since you're flying on an RJ.
Will they make it? The market will obviously decide. I see them making the majority of their trips to-from Tallahassee in support of the legislature, lobbyists and other related government activity. Most of those folks have the budgets to cover the costs for flight costs.
DayJet plans to operate in the Florida market to prove their concept and iron out any bugs. From there they plan to expand across the Southeast, then on to the rest of the country.
Will I use it? I plan on it. I'll make a few trips and then re-evaluate the cost/benefit. The key is doing something constructive with the time you're saving by not messing around with commercial air travel and all the hassles.
