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Backed by Guy Oseary and run by Brian Corbett, the invitation-only app lets members host, join or propose shared private flights. Its real proposition is not price, but who sits across the aisle.
SEA & SKY · PRIVATE AVIATION
In private aviation, the greatest waste is rarely fuel. It is the empty seat.
Anyone who spends time in FBO lounges knows the scene. A passenger arrives, runs into an acquaintance in the departure lounge and discovers, too late, that both are bound for the same place on different aircraft. Two charters where one would have done. FlyWith, a new invitation-only app, has been built to occupy precisely that gap between coordination and opportunity.
The premise is simple: members share flights before they board. The platform handles payment, aircraft selection and the logistics in between, and divides the cost among people who, in many cases, already know one another. “We call it serendipity: knowing where your friends are going before they go,” says Brian Corbett, FlyWith’s chief executive. “With the app, you might discover a trip you hadn’t even considered.”
The idea came from Guy Oseary, the longtime manager of Madonna and U2 and co-founder of the venture firm Sound Ventures, who invited Corbett to lead the project. Corbett arrived with a background in luxury hospitality, at Inspirato and Exclusive Resorts, and in airport infrastructure, having run Ross Aviation. His first reaction was disbelief at how obvious the gap seemed: “Are you sure this doesn’t exist already? It makes so much sense.” It did not.
The social component is the heart of the proposition, whether among friends or as a professional introduction at 40,000 feet. According to the company’s own research, around 40 per cent of frequent private flyers say they would be interested in sharing. The app organises that appetite into three modes:
“FlyWith doesn’t replace the ways our members already access private aviation. We complement those models for the moments when sharing the experience and the cost makes more sense.”
Brian Corbett, CEO, FlyWith
The fleet comes through a partnership with Executive Jet Management, part of the NetJets group: super-midsize and large-cabin aircraft, typically configured for eight to ten passengers. Corbett describes the venture as filling a “white space” in the industry, and is careful to say what it is not. Owners, fractional holders, jet-card members and charter clients remain exactly that; FlyWith sits alongside them.
There remains the question of sharing a cabin with strangers. FlyWith’s answer is curation. Membership is built with private clubs and communities such as Discovery Land Company, Zero Bond, Crane Club and The Bird Streets Club, which make the first selection, and a strict code of conduct applies before, during and after each flight. Corbett does not expect friction, though the company says it is prepared to measure it if it arises.
The interface borrows the ease of a booking app. Available flights appear on the home screen, ready to join. Profiles carry privacy levels, visible to all members or only to contacts added by hand. To build a flight of one’s own, the “Book” tab asks for date, airports and departure time; a quote and confirmation of availability follow within a few taps.
Members have been testing the model since the summer, and the first pilot flights are complete. “Our integrations with partners were seamless, even on specific requests such as glass bottles and no plastic on board,” says Corbett. Pricing varies by flight and is disclosed only to invited members. For now the operation is concentrated in North America, with international expansion planned once the home market is consolidated.
The luxury of private aviation has always been not depending on anyone. The next may be choosing, precisely, who flies beside you, and discovering that the empty seat was an invitation all along.
Details and further reading: FlyWith is by invitation only, with membership drawn from partner clubs; pricing varies by flight. Operator: Executive Jet Management. Background: FlyWith profile, Private Jet Card Comparisons.
Instagram: @guyoseary and @netjets.
GABRIEL SILVEIRADO, FOR WAYFARER.
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