I love the sharing economy. Uber and Lyft make life easier. Need a car? There's an app for that. I've also told you on the radio show about a company that allows business travelers to rent out their cars while on business trips. The business person parks at the airport, a traveler rents their car, returns it, the car is cleaned, then the business traveler returns and...instead of paying a hefty long-term parking fee...actually has a check for the rental.
Is THIS the next step?
Imagine hopping on a private plane to whisk you to your vacation. That could soon happen and be affordable!
The ride-booking app called BlackBird has been described as Uber with private planes. The startup just announced yesterday that it had secured ten million in funding from venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates. The company has been crafting its business model and plan since 2016. The company also smartly hired the vice president of Lyft as its COO. Nicely done!
The app will let you pick where you want to go, then pick the specific plane you want to take you, based on the price you're willing to pay. The final step is choosing from a list of hundreds of pilots, then meeting at the airport and you're off. Blackbird's website says all pilots are FAA commercially certified with at least 500 hours of flight time, among other qualifications.
BlackBird flies out of a number of smaller airports in California and New York and plans operations in Florida later this year. The app is available on iPhones and Android devices.
I understand that the BIG states often get services first...but can I get a private jet out of Des Moines International soon?