JSX

It's so much more civilized!

It's not quite like flying private, but you're much less worn out and you end up with so much more time. You can fly and get right back to work.

Assuming JSX flies where you want to. And that's not many places.

It used to just be a west coast thing, but now there are flights from the New York metropolitan area to Florida, and I'd recommend you try it.

Check out the routes here:

jsx.com

Now the bottom line is the major airlines are trying to cancel JSX, claiming that it is skirting regulations and is employing pilots with a lot less experience. Which I didn't think much of until I landed in Rocky Mountain Airport but didn't. We almost touched down and then the pilot pulled back up. Sure, it was raining, but that does not usually make a difference. And then we flew straight for a long time and went on this very, very long arc, that had me anxious something was wrong with the plane.

But there wasn't. I asked the pilot as I got off. He was so young I was stunned. He said something about weather and...

That's as much as I got.

So if you live in L.A. you've been hearing about JSX for years now. It almost seems too good to be true. The private jet experience at economy prices. Well, not always that cheap, but not that expensive. As a a matter of fact, if you're renting a car, it works out the same, because car rental prices are jacked up at the big airports, to pay for all the taxes and fees. Now you can rent a car right at the minor airport you fly into, but I don't recommend that, unless money really means nothing to you, the prices are stratospheric, especially if it's a multi-day trip. I always take an Uber to a local joint, but the funny thing is at Rocky Mountain you can drop the car off at the airport, don't push me on the logic.

As for car rental...

You've got to have an American Express Platinum card. Maybe other premium credit cards have the same perks, but I get this Amex card free with this account I have. I'm not going to sit here and rationalize the normal $695 price, but the bottom line is if you work it, you can get all that money back through perks.

Not that I'm a points guy. Life's too short. I learned this from my mother, who refused to cut coupons. I'm not saying I'm trashing my points, but I'm not constantly trying to add to my total, by shopping here and there, they constantly send out e-mail re bonuses.

But with an Amex card you get instant status at multiple car rental joints, and you can sign up for this plan wherein you get primary insurance on your rental car, from dollar one, for a flat rate of somewhere between $19.95 to $24.95 per trip. PER TRIP/RENTAL! Up to 42 days! You sign up for this perk and every time you rent the charge is activated, with no additional effort, which means you can drive headache free. Check out the details here:

feeservices.americanexpress.com/premium/car-rental-insurance-coverage/home.do

Now if you're a road warrior you already know all this, and much more. You're probably laughing right now. Okay. But I don't fly every week, at least most of the time. And normally it's on someone else's dime and I'm not renting a car.

So back to JSX. They only fly from secondary airports. Although the hub in L.A. is in Burbank. So if you're closer to LAX, you're SOL, or have to drive further.

And believe me, the whole experience is not luxurious. You wait in a hangar, literally. Although other airports are more decked out. But not as good as an Amex Platinum lounge at the regular airport.

But that's okay. Because check-in is insignificant, you're not treated like you're going to blow up the plane.

And here's the kicker...

YOU CAN CHECK IN UP TO 15 MINUTES BEFORE TAKEOFF!

Read that again. You're not blowing your whole day before you even get on the plane.

As for the plane...

It's a jet. An Embraer. Built in Brazil, but not the kind I read about crashing while I was on today's flight. Yes, JSX has free WiFi, and it's not glacial.

And on the plane...

There is no overhead bin. Seats are more akin to a commuter jet than even an economy seat on a major. And on one side you can feel the curve of the plane by your feet. The aircraft is not that small, there are thirty seats. But I don't want you to think you're living it up. It's all about convenience, and time.

You can only take one item on the plane, although two bags are checked free.

And the bags are available within minutes of landing. Sometimes right by the ramp.

So, the only time you're really burning is when you're in the air, which in many cases is shorter than the time you spend getting to and fro from a conventional airport.

Now the thing about flying is it's become a game. How cheap can you get your ticket. When in most cases, paying just a bit more delivers peace of mind. Like on Southwest...

I love Southwest. It keeps changing, but for around twenty bucks you go to the front of the line and can get on early...

After all the pre-boarding, which is offensive. How many of these people are really handicapped? I've read about fliers getting on the plane via wheelchair and getting off walking with no problem.

And then there's the saving issue.

One person in the group pays extra and saves seats. I had an incident regarding this. I went to put my computer bag in the overhead bin, right by a divider so it wouldn't slide, and the person in the row in front of me slammed the door shut before I could put my bag in.

Then she did it again.

I couldn't figure out what was going on, the bin was empty.

Then she said she was saving it.

This pissed me off.

There was a bit of a kerfuffle. Someone called the flight attendant. And when told the story she said, and I quote, "You can put your bag wherever you want."

That solved the problem, but not really.

I like an aisle seat. If you pay the twenty bucks or so you always get one, because a lot of the pre-boarders stick together, as do people with a lower number.

But abuses of the system have made Southwest change its policy, now you're going to have to reserve your seat. It used to be equitable, Southwest was like a flying bus, the attendants were irreverent, but the public ruined it, everybody wants an edge, no one can abide by the rules, whereas the rules used to work so well on Southwest.

On JSX... Doesn't matter if you're first on the plane or last, because with no bins, there's no storage issue. Once again, the process is civilized.

Oh, did I mention you can take your pet on JSX?

I'm not a pet person, but for many this is mega-important. There were three dogs on today's flight. Very well behaved, I didn't hear a peep, but could this ultimately be a problem?

So the bottom line is the average person isn't going to pay the little bit extra for JSX. They just can't rationalize it.

And to tell you the truth, on some routes I've had a hard time myself.

But now, after today's flight, I'm now going to take JSX whenever it's available. For peace of mind if nothing else. It's a no-stress event.

Maybe it's getting older. When you're young you'll wait in line for hours, you'll camp out. When you're old you want no hassle. You've done it the old way, and after decades you feel entitled.

You should check out JSX.

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