LIers booking charter flights to avoid virus exposure, execs say
Daniel Hirschhorn, left, and Joseph Catanese, founders of the air brokerage company Luxury Aircraft Solutions, say virus fears have led to a 10% increase in business. Credit: John Paraskevas
For companies on the Island that charter flights on private jets, the coronavirus is good for business — Long Islanders' worry about contracting the illness has led to a 10% jump in bookings, executives said.
Daniel Hirschhorn, co-founder of Ronkonkoma-based Luxury Aircraft Solutions, which connects clients with private jet charters, said thanks to the scare, his company has raked in about half a million dollars in additional business in the last couple of weeks.
"Some people have called in requesting quotes for the first time and others are repeat customers, who fly private domestically but usually opt for commercial flights when traveling internationally," he said.
"They have the means and are seeking to minimize their exposure to the virus as much as possible," Hirschhorn said. "They don't want to be in a confined area, with about 150 or so people, sharing a restroom and touching the same armrests or seat covers, during a flight of about seven to eight hours. They want peace of mind despite the high price tag."
Commercial airlines are on the opposite end of this equation, bracing for losses as people refrain from traveling or cancel existing flights.
At Alerion Aviation, a charter business with facilities in Farmingdale and West Palm Beach, Florida, the 'coronavirus effect' has brought mixed results.
In the past week, the company has been flooded with inquiries and quote requests, and experienced a 5% increase in bookings by high net worth individuals trying to limit their exposure to the virus, CEO Bob Seidel said.
Charter customers "don't want to be in a confined area, with about 150 or so people, sharing a restroom and touching the same armrests or seat covers," one executive said. Credit: Barry Sloan
Alerion charges $3,600 per flight hour for an eight-passenger jet, and about $6,500 per hour for a 16-passenger jet.
But the firm has also had a string of virus-related cancelations, Seidel said. A client recently canceled a trip to Venice, Italy, and several others traveling to regions where the virus is reportedly active have done the same.
"At the same time, I've also gotten calls from clients who have decided to buy airplanes," he said. "These are customers who were maybe toying with the idea ... and the coronavirus, for them, was the last straw."
Seidel said he has worked on three such deals, involving used planes priced at $4 million to $8 million.
