Aviation Expert Doug Gollan on Finding the Best Jet Card
Sometimes, no matter how smart, connected, and well-resourced you are, you simply need an expert—and not just any expert, but the rarefied insider other specialists call when they need help. Luckily, Robb Report has a roster of such world-class pros on speed dial. We’re even rolling out a highly curated directory of heavy hitters across categories: the Masters of Luxury.
This month, it’s Doug Gollan, founder and editor in chief of Private Jet Card Comparisons. The company has helped more than 7,000 clients—including many new to private aviation—navigate the dizzying landscape of 500-plus jet-card and fractional programs on the market. Locating the right one can be a challenge. Here’s how fliers can unravel the tangle of programs and unfamiliar aviation terms.
Have a conundrum you’d like to see solved? Email askrobb@robbreport.com.
The Expert
Name: Doug Gollan
Occupation: Founder and editor in chief of Private Jet Card Comparisons
HQ: Miami
Specialty: Matching clients with best private-flight programs
The Big Question
Jet cards fell out of favor during Covid, when demand outstripped available aircraft and major providers such as NetJets suspended their card programs. Now they’re back in a big way, offering fewer peak days and shorter lead times for booking. Gollan has added a half dozen new programs to his database this year. “Most people love jet cards because you prepay for a year and they’re easy to use—on some apps, by text message, or even an email, you can book a flight in seconds,” he explains. “It also eliminates the dynamic pricing of ad hoc charter. You know what you’re paying.” While capped pricing and guaranteed availability make card programs attractive, he cautions that buyers still need to read the fine print: Final costs include fuel surcharges, taxi-time fees, repositioning costs, and minimum daily charges, even if it’s a short hop. “Finding the right program is a combination of financial planning and Match.com,” says Gollan, who has designed a questionnaire for subscribers that compares each offering in detail. The client’s home airport, anticipated flight hours per year, and destinations separate the cards, as do levels of flexibility. “Can you avoid peak days, which carry more restrictions and often surcharges, or do you absolutely have to travel on holidays for family events?” Pets, Wi-Fi, aircraft age, and number of passengers factor into the final short list.
Speed Round
What is the most interesting card model you’ve seen lately?
“Capped hourly rates. It gives you the upside protection and budgeting of fixed rates, but you can also get lower rates for off-peak days or on well-traveled routes where repositioning costs are lower: the best of both worlds.”
What are the red flags?
“If a provider’s rates are way below the next two or three lowest providers, that’s something to look out for. Also, be wary of claims of revolutionizing the market with programs and websites positioning themselves as platforms to buy and sell individual seats or other programs’ jet cards or fractional hours. It pays to go over any contract’s details so you know what you’re buying.”
Can my regular attorney handle it?
“Hire an attorney who specializes in aviation law. They get into the nitty-gritty of contracts that can run 30 pages for jet cards. And for fractional ownership, it’s multiple contracts. Amanda Applegate at Soar Aviation, a former in-house attorney at NetJets, is a good name for your Rolodex.”
What’s often misunderstood when switching from commercial to private?
“The terminology: primary and extended service area, daily minimum, taxi time, peak day, callouts—it goes on and on. Even ‘round-trip’ in private aviation means leaving and coming back to the same place with the same aircraft and crew. Otherwise, you’re buying two one-way charter flights that are often nonrefundable.
Can I expect standard Wi-Fi?
“No, you need to request it or make sure your program guarantees it.”
Either | Or
“A chicken sandwich might cost $10 at your favorite deli, but it will cost you $177 for an onboard caterer that charges for special prep and packaging and $100 for the airport-delivery fee.”
“Aspen has a more European feel, and the airport’s right in town.”
“For flights over an hour, light jets are faster and quieter and fly over weather instead of around.”
“Most headaches happen on peak days, like longer waits for aircraft replacements or refueling delays, and program terms are more restrictive. If you can avoid them, do.”
“A company that has been around has figured out the kinks. But both new and established firms go out of business. It’s a tough industry to make money in.”
