by Brian Sumers, Condé Nast Traveler
Photo: Thomas Iannaccone/Courtesy of CNP Montrose
On a private jet, no less!
Private jet company JetSuite usually caters to the travel whims of the rich and powerful, but it's celebrating the Super Bowl's 50th anniversary with an unbeatable deal: Over two days next month, you can charter a four- or six-seat jet for $50. That's for an entire plane--and it includes tax.
Here's how it works: On February 5 and 6 (and likely in the afternoon) JetSuite will list on its website the routes that will be available for travel the following day--Saturday and Sunday of Super Bowl weekend--at the promotional price. Book quickly and you'll fly on an Embraer Phenom 100 or a Citation CJ3, each with leather seats, wood trim, and substantial legroom, especially if you leave some seats empty.
Flexibility is key. JetSuite is only making available planes that would otherwise fly empty, what the company calls "repositioning" legs. JetSuite generally has five to ten of those per day--most days you can buy an empty leg for as little as $536 --but no one knows the routes in advance. On a recent afternoon, JetSuite offered only two such legs: Charleston to Raleigh/Durham, and Las Vegas to Santa Ana, California. If a last-minute option works for your schedule, you may have some control over when you depart, but probably not much, as the plane will need to arrive on time to pick up passengers paying full price. (Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas on the six-seat Citation CJ3 can cost more than $7,000.)
There is no way to tell what airport the flight will be departing from, or where it's headed," a spokeswoman told us. "This is the true fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants travel."
The routes should post between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. EST each day. To make sure you don't miss your chance, visit JetSuite's website and sign up for text or email notifications. Even if you do miss it, don't despair: On July 4, JetSuite usually offers an even cheaper promotion--a whole plane for $4.
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