If emerging trends in the aviation industry are anything to go by, then the private flying sector will witness a growth in the next twenty years that is 10 times any the industry has observed in the last 50 years. Very light jets (VLJs) are raring to go and will have an impact on all aspects of private flying from full ownership, to fractional jets, charter, jet cards and the nascent air-taxi business. The rollout is already underway with the delivery of the first very light jet into a fractional program at Jet-Alliance.

Making a cost effective and educated choice is all important when traveling by private aircraft. The right choice, based on your needs including your typical travel patterns and budget, takes a little research to fully understand the options. We'll cover each of the private flying options in outline form here, with links to more information.

A fractional jet card is an alternate, albeit popular method of experiencing the benefits of private aviation. Jet cards give members access to 20 to 50 hours of flying time. Their popularity has opened up private flying to a whole new type of traveler. Someone who recognizes the inherent advantages of flying on the fractional fleets but who doesn't want to tie up the capital to become a fractional owner.

Several companies offer jet charter cards. These companies may either have their own aircraft fleets or may charter aircraft on the open market to meet the flying needs of their members. Jet charter cards provide most of the benefits of fractional jet cards to members, but at lower entry costs. Members experience the benefits of flying privately at some of the most competitive rates in the industry.

The latest statistics from the Department of Transportation show an increasing number of bags being lost by the commercial airlines. In addition only about 75% of commercial flights arrive on time. With these statistics it may now be the time to start looking into flying privately.

Yesterday Jet-Alliance reported that it had received delivery of the the first Eclipse 500 very light jet (VLJ). The company is offering fractional ownership for about $100,000 for a 1/16th share (50 hours of flying) and has orders for several more of the planes to build up it's fleet.

When Raytheon recently announced the sale of its aircraft business unit - manufacturer of Hawker and Beechcraft planes - it also made it clear that its fractional ownership business Flight Options, LLC was not part of the sale.

PlaneSense currently has 25 Pilatus PC-12s in it's fractional aircraft program and according to the New Hampshire Union Leader will increase this to 37 aircraft over the next year. This puts it in the top 6 fractional aircraft programs in the US.

Rumors continue to swirl about the sale of Raytheon's aircraft division, the manufacturer of Beechcraft and Hawker planes. Raytheon has been looking to sell this division for quite some time, since it doesn't quite fit with Raytheon's other defence contracting business units.

Aircraft charter has been around for a long time. It allows you to make use of a given plane for a given journey without any other long term commitment. There are thousands of aircraft available for charter, covering all sizes of planes from single engine turboprops to large executive jets. There are also a large number of air charter companies, who each provide their own level of service.

There are many reasons to use private jets. The main general reasons that we hear most often are listed below. The specific pros and cons of the different forms of private aircraft travel are discussed in our articles on each travel type.

Buying a share in a fractional jet follows the same basic principal as fractional real estate. You are paying for part ownership of a plane, and thus an allocated amount of time in the aircraft. This usually ranges between 50 - 400 hours per year, depending on the size of the share. However, there is one main difference between fractional jets and fractional real estate.

The 2007 American Express Global Business Travel Forecast predicts that air fares worldwide are expected to increase next year.

American Express predicts a three to five percent increase in domestic economy fares, and a three to seven percent rise in international business-class fares. These come after several years of increasing airfare prices.

The companies below all provide fractional aircraft ownership. You'll find companies offering ownership in all types of planes from heavy executive jets to single engined turboprops. The table includes the geographic area that the fractional program is available in.

Yesterday Bombardier and Jet Solutions announced the pricing for the FlexJet Jet Cards. The price varies with:

1. the aircraft you want to fly,
2. the number of days in the year you would like to be able to travel. So with a smaller number of days you essentially say you're willing to avoid the peak travel days and the price drops.
3. the number of hours of travel you would like to purchase.