Stratajet, Everywhere You Never Knew You Wanted to Go
Exploring the many facets of ground-breaking Stratajet
The “empty leg” business model is one that is flawed at best. It is often very challenging to find a flight specific to your journey in terms of the locations in which you want to depart and arrive, and more specifically, the times you wish to take-off and land.
Enter Stratajet. Dubbed ‘the world’s most sophisticated comparison site,’ it is the first and only software that allows you to search for, compare and book private jets online within seconds. Founder and CEO Jonny Nicol (a former British Armed Forces officer and pilot) spent over four and a half years of tireless dedication developing a new technology that is quite simply turning the industry on its ear. Stratajet is the world’s first real-time private jet booking platform using the power of technology to give its passengers total control and freedom. Having just added the US as their 43rd country since their April 2016 launch, they are quite simply on fire.
Stratajet has developed an ‘adaptive empty leg’ solution. This approach quite simply diverts the aircraft to suit your schedule, reducing the cost of your private jet charter by up to 75% and maximizing efficiency by minimizing waste of time and fuel. A number of online brokers have been trying to sell passenger-less flights by posting all empty legs in the hope that people will find the one that they want. However, Nicol believes this breaks a key principle of private aviation; that the aircraft needs to work around the individual, not the other way around. “Private aviation gives you a huge amount of flexibility,” he explains. “It enables you to take a lot of stress out of traveling and everything happens on your terms. But as soon as you’re told ‘you have to fly from this airfield at a certain time,’ you’ve got to adapt everything to the aircraft.”
With a system so intelligent that it can search in real-time, every available flight for any journey, Stratajet has the capability to solve the industry’s problem that 40% of private jet flights currently fly with no passengers. By including existing empty legs in its search, and adapting these to suit the passenger, the cost of private jet travel can be reduced, whilst providing operators with a higher profit margin and travelers with the flexibility they so desire.
“We know that the aircraft is going to cost the operator a certain amount to fly empty,” says Nicol, “but if somebody wants to fly a similar route, our technology also allows us to redirect a plane. Constantly working around your needs, it can even find the nearest, most convenient airfield for you and redirect the plane there. For the first time people can see in real-time what private jet is available and what it’s going to cost them.”
To explore the attributes of Stratajet, on a gorgeous fall morning I departed Manhattan at 8:00 a.m. for Teterboro Airport. I was immediately greeted and escorted with absolutely no stops, hassles, or lines onto the Gulfstream IV, “my jet” for this journey. A mere 39 minutes and a glass of Champagne later, I touched down on Martha’s Vineyard for a day of relaxation.
We were greeted by the team from ‘Farm. Field. Sea.’ and transported to the lovely fishing village of Menemsha. Here we lounged seaside and enjoyed some local cheeses and cider while being edified by island oyster farmers, fishmongers and aquaculture experts during an intimate conversation about the seafood native to Martha’s Vineyard. Here we explored how these industries have created new opportunities for the island’s fisherman, and the incredible service oysters do to clean our waters for future generations to enjoy. Taste-testing island oysters, clams and other local seafood delights are a part of the fun provided by ‘Farm. Field. Sea,’ as is learning to shuck oysters just like the locals.
Next it was off the Beach Plum Inn where we gathered around with a glass of wine as we learned the secrets of open fire cooking with our Chef, Jacqueline Foster. The menu included an array of foods all locally sourced, from an island-inspired paella, local vegetables, shellfish, handmade bread and more— all of which were cooked on an open fire.
We then gathered around a communal table, basking in the flavors, the smells and the sounds of our private island asado, enjoying the panoramic views of the ocean and Menemsha Village below and feasting on the vibrant flavors of the season.
After a hearty lunch that would satisfy even the most stringent of epicurean palates, it was off to Lucy Vincent Beach for a late afternoon stroll. In my opinion this is one of the most beautiful beaches adjacent to the East Coast of the US and gazing at the beautiful, large boulders as the sun settled into late afternoon was quite a memorable scene.
Satisfied from an amazing afternoon of relaxation and convening with nature, it was time to head back to Martha’s Vineyard Airport. After an “almost too quick” flight, while enjoying a late afternoon cocktail, I was whisked back into Manhattan in time for dinner with my family. A good day indeed and one that truly articulated what can be enjoyed while having the type of freedom that Stratajet affords. www.stratajet.com
