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What It’s Like to Fly Semiprivate on JSX

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Would you leap on the chance to fly “personal” for the worth of a standard airline seat? That is the expertise JetSuiteX promised when it launched in 2016. Now often called merely JSX, the general public constitution airline has since expanded to dozens of routes alongside the West Coast and is increasing eastward.

However what does flying semiprivate truly imply? Is JSX well worth the further price? I booked a flight on JSX from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to take a look at the expertise. This is an summary of my expertise and what it is advisable learn about flying JSX.

JSX routes

JSX continues to be primarily a West Coast airline centered in California, Nevada and Arizona. Nonetheless, it has been incrementally increasing eastward. In 2020, JSX launched routes in and round Texas. And in November 2021, JSX added Miami flights to Dallas and Westchester County close to New York Metropolis.

Nonetheless, between pandemic cutbacks and speedy enlargement, the JSX route map is continually altering. So, ensure to take a look at JSX’s The place We Fly web page for the most recent route map.

JSX fares, charges and bag insurance policies

JSX affords two forms of fares: Hop On and All In. Hop On is JSX’s cheaper fare sort — with charges for adjustments, cancellations and seat assignments. Improve to an All In fare to realize the pliability to vary or cancel your ticket for no charges.

Nonetheless, the worth distinction might be steep. On some routes and dates, Hop On fares might be simply $109 every approach whereas All In fares are $499 every.

Change charges: JSX fees a $50 charge to vary or cancel Hop On fares for journey credit score. All In fares haven’t any change or cancellation charges. Both approach, you will want to vary or cancel at the very least an hour earlier than departure to keep away from forfeiting your ticket.

Baggage: Hop On fares embrace two checked baggage of as much as 50 kilos every plus a small private merchandise, reminiscent of a handbag or backpack. All In fares get a 3rd free checked bag as much as 50 kilos. For each fare sorts, further and chubby baggage price $50 every.

Seat assignments: Vacationers on Hop On fares must pay $10 to $30 to ebook a seat project forward of check-in. All In flyers get free seat choice.

Different charges: JSX fees a $20 charge per passenger for flights booked over the cellphone. Apart from this, there are not any different charges to notice. JSX would not cost a pet charge, and drinks and snacks are complimentary.

Different issues to learn about JSX

  • Pets fly free: JSX permits small canine and cats to fly freed from cost, so long as they keep in a small (13″ x 11″ x 17″) pet service below the seat in entrance of you for the flight.

  • Unaccompanied minors: Vacationers below 14 years outdated aren’t capable of journey alone on JSX. Vacationers ages 14 to 18 can journey alone however can not accompany somebody below 14.

JSX plane and seating

JSX flies Embraer ERJ-135 and ERJ-145 plane. These are smaller plane which can be sometimes utilized by bigger airways to function regional flights in smaller markets.

JSX’s FAA certification limits JSX to 30 seats on every plane. Which means there might be awkwardly massive gaps at the back and front of some plane.

The onboard expertise will rely upon the place you are flying. On most JSX flights, plane are organized with 10 rows of seats in a 1-2 association — that means one seat on one facet and two seats on the opposite facet. Due to this, you may rub elbows with one other passenger on full flights.

Picture by JT Genter

Nonetheless, JSX’s Texas-based ERJ-145 plane are organized in 15 rows with one seat on both facet of the aisle. Which means you will not have to fret about having a neighbor on these flights.

Seats are organized with 35 to 36 inches of pitch. That is sufficient for many passengers to have sufficient legroom. Nonetheless, it is much less pitch than you will discover in enterprise or top notch on many airways.

Picture by JT Genter

Earn miles when flying JSX

JSX would not have its personal loyalty program. As a substitute, JSX companions with JetBlue’s TrueBlue program for mileage earnings on flights. The incomes price is easy. You will earn 150 TrueBlue factors on Hop On fares and 250 TrueBlue factors on All In fares.

JSX onboard expertise

To take a look at the JSX expertise for myself, I “hopped on” a JSX flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. I booked the one-way flight for simply $109 one-way eight days earlier than departure.

After I flew in November 2021, JSX was transforming its Las Vegas lounge. So the JSX check-in desk and the departure lounge had been briefly contained in the close by 5 Star Helicopter Excursions constructing. JSX had ample signage to level vacationers in the best path.

Examine-in brokers had been pleasant and rapidly issued my boarding cross — assigning me a window seat with out me even having to ask. The whole thing of the safety measures consisted of the check-in agent asking if I had any prohibited objects and swabbing my driver’s license and backpack for explosives.

Picture by JT Genter

The departure lounge provided espresso, tea and quite a lot of seating choices. The JSX lounge Wi-Fi speeds aren’t going to win any awards — 4.66 mbps obtain, 5.23 mbps add — but it surely was free and had very low lag.

Boarding was introduced quarter-hour earlier than departure. It could’ve been a little bit of a stroll to the airplane from the non permanent lounge. So, JSX drove passengers to the aircraft by way of a personal bus — which felt a bit extreme for the 5 passengers on our flight. Passengers had been requested to drop their checked baggage on the baggage cart subsequent to the bus.

Picture by JT Genter

The solo flight attendant welcomed passengers on board. Our flight left the JSX hangar a couple of minutes early. After a brief taxi, we took off earlier than we even hit the scheduled departure time.

The flight attendant served drinks and snacks through the 43-minute flight. The plastic cups and packaged snacks from a snack basket felt a bit in need of what you may anticipate when flying personal. However, for the worth I paid, it was completely fantastic. No further drinks or snacks had been provided.

Picture by JT Genter

Arrival was simply as seamless as departure. It took simply minutes from landing to arriving on the Signature flight providers parking spot. Then it solely took a few minutes to deplane, choose up baggage from the again of the plane and stroll by way of the Signature terminal to the pickup space.

Advantages of flying JSX

There are numerous perks to flying semiprivate, however the facet that stood out probably the most to me was the time financial savings. JSX requires that you just arrive on the airport solely 20 minutes earlier than departure. And even that is not strictly enforced. On my flight from Vegas to Los Angeles, a passenger arrived on the terminal inside 20 minutes of departure and nonetheless made the flight.

You will additionally save time on arrival. It took solely 10 minutes from after we landed at LAX for me to get curbside for my experience. On a business flight, you are fortunate for those who’re off the aircraft in 10 minutes. Then, you continue to must get by way of the terminal, anticipate checked baggage and doubtlessly must take a shuttle to get to the rideshare pickup spot.

Additionally, relying on the place you are flying, the JSX terminals may additionally get you the place you wish to go quicker than the business airport terminal. For instance, in Las Vegas, the JSX terminal is situated a lot nearer to The Strip than the business airport terminal.

Picture by JT Genter

Flying on JSX additionally reduces numerous the trouble of flying. The passenger who checked in late for my flight had restricted mobility on account of current spinal surgical procedure. For him, flying JSX meant getting dropped off on the entrance of the JSX terminal and solely needing to stroll just a few hundred toes to check-in, then get to the switch bus and get on the aircraft. To fly business between Las Vegas and Los Angeles would have required much more trouble and transfers all through the method.

Should you’re contemplating flying JSX

On most routes and dates, you are prone to discover cheaper airfare on a business airline. However it’s arduous to beat the comfort of flying JSX. Between the personal terminals, spacious seats, pleasant service, and free snacks and drinks, the worth distinction must be value it for a lot of vacationers.

Plus, with money-saving perks like two free checked baggage and no pet charges, it’d truly be cheaper for some vacationers to fly JSX than a traditional airline.

High picture courtesy of JSX.

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