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Jay-Z is really stoked on the idea of Uber for private jets

While normally you’d only see politicians, royalty, and Hollywood stars on private jets, JetSmarter caters to the tier below the top.

Jay-Z is really stoked on the idea of Uber for private jets

You can join in on the fun—but it’ll cost you $15k

Imagine hailing a plane right out of the sky as easily as snagging a cab on a city street.

Sounds crazy, but Jay-Z digs the idea. The rap mogul (along with other bigwig venture capitalists) recently invested in JetSmarter, an app that promises to be an Uber for private jets.

The company works on an “empty seats” principle: You pay less to fill a seat that would otherwise be empty on a flight en route to the next client.

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“JetSmarter’s goal is to make private jet travel accessible to the masses, and more than just the privileged .01 percent,” says JetSmarter CEO Sergey Petrossov.

During the past year, JetSmarter has significantly expanded its main focus to increasing its shared, scheduled flights (known as “JetShuttles”) across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. These flights are available in cities such as New York, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Atlanta, London, Paris, Moscow, Dubai, and Milan.

The company charges a cool $15,000 a year to be a member, but that grants you unlimited flights on scheduled shuttle services and seats on “empty leg” flights—the ones that are scheduled to deliver the plane to another city, private customer, or airport.

It’s a hefty price to pay, but “with jet cards or fractional jet ownership, a light to mid-sized jet card can cost you anywhere from $130,000 to $150,000 a year for 25 hours’ worth of flying,” Petrossov explains. “JetSmarter’s starting point is $15,000, so we’ve essentially lowered the entry point for private aviation up to 10 times, allowing many people with a lower net worth to fly privately when they never could before.”

“Our typical user is anyone from CEOs, entrepreneurs, and real estate brokers growing their business to celebrities, models, and others who travel from city to city for different jobs and events,” Petrossov says.

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Still, the truth is the average guy isn’t going to flag down a private jet anytime soon. So here are four more Uber-esque services that are much more realistic.

Get My Boat

Boasting 40,000 boats across 2,000 locations in 140 countries, this app lets you rent watercrafts (including yachts, jet skis, and houseboats) from their private owners. Prices vary.

Tentrr

This app makes camping accessible for city folk on the East Coast by providing guests with everything they need for a night under the stars—including canvas tents, a bed, drinking water, stoves, canoes, and other outdoorsy essentials. All campsites are on private land and run about $125 per night.

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Turo

Rental car companies suck. Waiting on a rideshare can also be a drag. Turo bridges the gap by allowing you to rent a car from a local wherever you are, so you can come and go as you please and never worry about dealing with a commercial car rental nickel and diming you.

Prices for decent rides can run as low as $15 per day.

Vint

Don’t have time to hit the gym? Bring the gym to you. Tell Vint what kind of workout you want, and where you want to do it, and a personal trainer will come join you for a session.

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