Jet Rental: Startups aim to make private air travel more accessible

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Until now, flying in a private jet has been a luxury reserved for A-list celebrities and the super-rich. But now it's becoming an experience available to ordinary travelers. That's through services that allow passengers to book seats on private planes that would otherwise be idling on the ground. CGTN's Phil Lavelle reports from Austin, Texas.

Air travel could be heading for a revolution.

"It's absolutely massive."

Private air travel, that is. In the same way, Uber disrupted the taxi and limousine industry. Texas startup Tapjets is hoping to do the same thing in the skies above.

The concept - take the middleman out of the equation. Tapjets says its app lets you order a flight in:

DAVID: "30 seconds."

PHIL: "You can literally book a flight within 30 seconds?"

DAVID: "Absolutely, book a flight in 30 seconds."

Getting private planes up in the air quickly at a fraction of the cost. And making money for their owners.

DAVID MOLINA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT TAPJETS "If an operator is looking to position over for another flight or back from a flight, it gives a chance for an operator to make revenue. So, what they do is instead of making a loss or breaking even, they have a chance to create an extra revenue for themselves."

Apps that let customers take to the skies-without the cramped cabins. Convenient for those with the cash.

Some companies - able to offer flights cheaper than commercial airlines - as low as $500. That's because you're paying for the whole plane, not per seat. Meaning a bunch of friends on one flight can end up paying less than they would for individual tickets. Some companies even offering subscription services. LA's Surfair, for example, offering unlimited flights in California for a flat monthly fee.

PHIL LAVELLE AUSTIN, TEXAS "The question is, what impact will apps like these have on what is an already established airline industry. Especially because we're talking about private planes here, by definition, closed to only the select few. And, that is where Chinese interest comes in."

DAVID MOLINA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT TAPJETS "Our platform is designed mainly for the U.S., but we have seen a lot of registrations overseas, especially in China, asking about flights over here and to overseas and so we see that as an emerging market for us."

PHIL "Are these services really going to give the big airlines anything to worry about?"

BRETT SNYDER "CRANKY FLIER" BLOGGER "No, not really. Most of these services are really trying to fill a niche. They're looking at you know, small areas that they can fill in where they don't think the airlines are really servicing today, so compared to the big airlines, it's a drop in the bucket. It's nothing really."

And so at a time when customers are getting less for their money-less leg room, no complimentary meals, even fees for access to overhead bins. Some commercial airlines making the restrooms smaller to make room for more seats. There is another option that's convenient and in some cases, less costly, with a little extravagance thrown in. Phil Lavelle, CGTN, Austin, Texas.