Car pooling at 30,000 ft: Is this the new way to fly post-COVID-19?
Avoiding shaking hands, carrying hand sanitizer and physical distancing might not be the only changes to how society functions after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flügy, an online travel company, believes that once restrictions are relaxed, or lifted completely, how people explore the world and fly to their favourite destinations will shift dramatically too.
They launched a travel app, which allows pre-screened travellers from a local community to board private charter flights in regional airports and fly direct to remote destinations not covered by commercial airlines.
Aaron Bergan, CEO of Flügy, said the app will ensure people travel in a socially responsible way, while avoiding expensive and time-consuming connections, and reducing their carbon footprint at the same time.
He added: “Right now we all need to be responsible and practice physical distancing but the experts say this virus is here for a while yet, so sooner or later we’re going to go stir crazy unless we have a practical and safe way to go out and explore again.
“Airlines have cut routes but the good news is that there is a surplus of planes available for charter. This is the time to reset how we think about travel. When the restrictions are lifted we can get back to living without reverting to the old ways of travelling. This is like carpooling, but at 30,000 ft in the air.”
So, how does it work?
On the app, travellers vote where they would like to visit. When enough people commit to a trending destination and align schedules, Flügy contacts an airline to rent one of their aircrafts for a charter flight.
Then, they send a quote to travellers. The cost of the flight depends on how many people are on the plane — the more seats filled, the cheaper the flight per person.
For example, if a mid-size aircraft costs $8,000/hr to rent, which sounds expensive, that’s actually only $80/hr each for 100 passengers on board.
A few examples of the cost of journeys:
Los Angeles to Zion National Park, Utah $179 per person for a 1hr 55 minute flight
Miami to Tikal, Guatemala $312 per person for a two-hour flight
Berlin to Meteora, Greece $345 per person for a two-hour flight
Once a destination has been decided, Flügy sets up a chat room so members can arrange seating, accommodation on arrival, and activities during the stay. Users pay the quoted price, the money is deposited in an insured bank, and the bank pays the airline directly.
Travellers all return to their original destination together. The company says that process means travellers reduce their carbon footprint because you’re taking fewer flights.
One aviation expert believes this method of travelling, while “possible,” will only become a niche part of the airline travel market after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donald Gray, chair of the Aviation and Aerospace Group at Blakes LLP, Canada’s largest aviation and aerospace law practice, said: “I don’t think it [COVID-19] will change the way people travel too much. When 9/11 and SARS occurred, that pretty much shut down the airline industry and a lot of people said they would never fly again.
“But, over time, people want to take holidays and travel for business so the airline industry will bounce back. It might not look exactly the same as before, as some companies may not make it through the crisis, but there will still be pent-up demand for travel once this is over.”
Referencing the “carpooling” method, he added: “It is a challenging business and most tour operators book these charter flights months in advance — airlines just do not have aircraft sitting on the ground.
“Travelling on charter flights is safer to avoid infection because you would reduce contact with other people, but if you could afford it, everyone would do it.”
