With the development of the Sharing Economy, the marketplaces have started taking advantages of the situation to increase their revenue by offering new alternatives to the customers who are seeking new something. Airbnb, Uber, Couchsurfing, and Upwork are a few examples of the sharing marketplaces that are successfully operating within the sharing economy. Now people are thinking that when they could share many things, why can’t they share flights? So, this idea helps flight sharing marketplaces come into being.
Actually, flight sharing is the sharing of the costs of non-commercial general aviation aircraft flights between a licensed pilot and their passengers. The concept may have come as a new concept even for passionate travelers. With the rise of the Internet, numerous online marketplaces have appeared to coordinate the meeting of private pilots with enthusiastic passengers for particular flights.
Examples of flight-sharing marketplaces
Among all other flight sharing platforms, Wingly and Coavmi are two good examples which run their operation throughout Europe. Almost similar to Uber or Lyft, these travel marketplaces have created accessible platforms for the users to search for flights, contact the pilots and secure their seats on their desired shared flights in a simple, safe and secure manner. Create your flight-sharing marketplace and become one of them who create such simple, safe and thrilling experience for people.
When this new flight sharing concept is getting increasingly popular in Europe and new safety regulation and financial investments are helping this new market to flourish, in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided to outlaw flight sharing and ban any advertising activities by such platforms to the public.
How a flight-sharing marketplace works?
Flying is expensive. You may a passenger hunting for affordable deals on airplane tickets to fly for sightseeing or other purposes, or you may be a private pilot who keeps a plane as a hobby to use when you need. But, both the price of traveling and maintaining it as a hobby can be excessively expensive for many. However, it is compulsory for the pilots that they usually have to accumulate a minimum number of flight hours, landings and take-offs in a single year in order to keep their license. An investigation says that a pilot who flies 100 hours a year has to spend about $225.30 per hour when all costs are accounted for. This is, of course, a costly practice for a private pilot. In Europe, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has encouraged the flight sharing enterprise by publishing a safety charter, solidifying the principles, responsibilities, and values on both the pilots’ and passengers’ part while sharing flights. As of April 2017, six online marketplaces had signed the charter. These online marketplaces are Wingly, Coavmi, BBPlane, FlyBook, Flyt.club, and Flytaxi
Wingly is the largest European flight sharing marketplace at the present time. Here the private pilots offer their planned flights in order that interested passengers can easily book a flight and share it with them. This marketplace offers Sightseeing as well as en-route flights. This is a low-cost travel marketplace. The pilots not only share their passion but also the costs of the flights, which gives them the possibility to substantially reduce their cost per flight hour and allows passengers to travel on the cheap across the country like never before.
Now the private aviation, especially in small aircrafts, is no more reserved for the upper 1% of the population; rather anyone can share it and fly sightseeing and traveling. Both passengers and pilots can meet on the platform, discuss everything related to the journey and any guests can book any destination and any route. For instance, you may be interested to watch a beautiful view and landscape, or just want to see your loved ones, or go from one place to another for your business purposes, or you may need a last minute trip, whatever it is you can have all these and even enjoy all kinds of leisure flights.
Usually, on flight sharing, the planes used are light aircraft ranging from 2 to 6 seats. These flights are used just for private purposes, no commercial flights are available. Again, the pilot is not compelled to undertake any flight when the conditions are not favorable and even the flight can be canceled. If such a situation happens, the passenger must get fully refunded. But there should be a cause for the flight being canceled such as it may be due to bad weather. As it is a peer-to-peer activity to share a good time, flight sharing marketplaces like Wingly usually have a protocol agreed to by both parties before the flight.
These flight sharing marketplaces are dependable because they ensure the valid flight credentials of the pilots and the users give the pilots a rating which makes the pilots’ positions in the ranking. So the passengers can easily identify a pilot who is trustworthy and for the pilots to do the same for the passengers they would be interested to take on board with them.
Benefits of a flight-sharing marketplace
Though flight–sharing activity is very popular nowadays, flying in a small aircraft is, for most of us, still an unfamiliar experience. However, a flight-sharing marketplace like Wingly offers a lot of benefits such as low-cost travel option, safe and legal, one can come closer to the beautiful landscapes than in a commercial airplane, share a good time, take amazing photos, etc. A few benefits are described here.
1 Low-cost travel option
This is the first reason and perhaps the most important one to choose flight-sharing! As the expenses are shared between the pilot and the passengers, going on a flight has become more accessible now than ever. It may be £50 on average to share a one hour flight.
2 Share a good time
You can spend time sightseeing, go to closer to the beautiful landscapes than in a commercial airplane, and take amazing photos. Flights are flexible allowing the pilot and the passengers to share a moment to fly for the both of them. It’s really a thrilling experience.
3 Private flight
In a public flight, there are usually different disturbances, noses, etc. But flying for fun and flying as a mean of transportation are 2 different things. In the flight-sharing, you will get the chance to sit at the front row seat in order to see the greatness of nature and the architectural beauty of cities. You may get to enjoy having the plane to yourself or shared with your family and friends.
4 Fly to and over the most superb places!
You will get the chance to go to even places where big planes don’t have access to. It’s possible only in flight sharing. It will take you to remote places like mysterious islands or colossal mountains if you want to explore!
Create your flight-sharing marketplace and become one of them who create such simple, safe and thrilling experience for people. It is obviously a travel marketplace that will connect both pilots and passengers and can bring revenue for you as a marketplace owner.
