In the world of private jet charters, some companies utilize their own fleet, while some merely source aircraft from operators. The American operator XO is unique as it combines the two models. Besides operating its fleet of 43 luxury private jet aircraft, XO allows customers to book jets of all types and sizes through its partnership with private jet operators worldwide.
XO was founded as XOJET in 2006 as a yearly subscription-based private jet charter operator. With a fleet of Cessna Citations and Bombardier Challenger 300s, XOJET soon expanded its operation by partnering with other private jet operators.
After operating as XOJET for years, it merged with JetSmarter in 2019 to form XO. This merger was carried out by another giant of the industry, Thomas Flohr, founder and owner of Vistajet. Flohr now owns XO and operates it in tandem with his own private jet company, Vistajet.
Now XO operates with 43 aircraft of its own, plus Vistajet’s fleet, and over 1,500 aircraft of different sizes and cabin configuration from their partners. XO’s long-range aircraft have a global reach, and their smaller aircraft can land on the smallest of airports.
To date, XO is the only jet charter company that has managed to score first or second place in all ARGUS Platinum safety rating categories
- Thomas Flohr – Chairman Vista Global (Parent Company)
- Kevin Thomas – President & COO
- Todd Hattaway – SVP Maintenance Operations
- Tyler Stubblefield – VP Flight Operations & DO
- Jen Lozada – VP Client Services
- Jill Wilson – Director of Safety
How you can book XO
There are three ways to travel via XO:
- XO Private Charter
XO Private Charter allows passengers to book the whole airplane for themselves. Airplane choices include the 116 aircraft owned by XO and its group of companies, as well as over 1,500 luxury airplanes of all shapes and sizes from XO’s partners. The aircraft flies as per the customer’s schedule, and the whole experience of booking the jet is made simple through the XO app.
- XO Shared Charter
For passengers who want to charter an airplane but don’t want their empty seats to go to waste, XO allows the unique Shared Charter facility to customers. This lets passengers give the empty seats in their chartered plane to other passengers. In exchange, they receive flight credits they can use to offset the cost of future charters.
- XO Fly by the Seat
XO takes sharing charters a step further by allowing passengers to sell individual seats on their charter, as well as buy seats on someone else’s charter. It is easy to create shared flights through XO’s app.
Making private jet chartering economical isn’t the route most companies take. This sets XO apart from most operators.
How you can pay XO
XO passengers can either get a membership or fly without any commitment on a pay-as-you-go basis. However, members enjoy exclusive services and benefits not available to one-time customers.
XO members can select one of the following membership plans:
- Pay-as-you-go
- No membership fee
- No minimum deposit
- No authorized users per account
- Charter pricing is dynamic; plus an additional service fee of $395 applies to all flights
- Seat pricing is dynamic; plus an additional service fee of $395 applies per seat
- No global partner benefits
- No dedicated personal aviation advisor
- No priority fleet access
- You cannot book a Luxe rated aircraft
- No flight rewards for shared shuttle flights
- Plane upgrades not complimentary
- No guaranteed availability on a 24-hour notice
- No free empty leg seats
- No Catering credit
- Rise
- A membership fee of $595/year
- No minimum deposit
- One authorized user per account
- Charter pricing is dynamic. No additional service fees
- Seat pricing is dynamic. No additional service fees
- Partial global partner benefits
- Dedicated personal aviation advisor on charter bookings only
- No priority fleet access
- You cannot book a Luxe rated aircraft
- You can earn free seats as rewards for shared shuttle flights
- Complimentary plane upgrades when available
- Guaranteed availability on a 24-hour notice (only on off-peak days)
- No free empty leg seats
- No Catering credit
- Select Access
- A membership fee of $250/month
- A minimum deposit of $50,000
- Five authorized users per account
- Charter pricing is dynamic. No additional service fees
- Seat pricing is dynamic. No additional service fees
- Full global partner benefits
- Dedicated personal aviation advisor on all bookings
- Priority XO fleet access
- You can book a Luxe rated aircraft
- You can earn free seats as rewards for shared shuttle flights
- Complimentary plane upgrades when available
- Guaranteed availability on a 24-hour notice (only on off-peak days)
- No free empty leg seats
- No Catering credit
- Signature Access
- A membership fee of $500/month
- A minimum deposit of $100,000
- Ten authorized users per account
- Charter pricing is dynamic. No additional service fees
- Seat pricing is dynamic. No additional service fees
- Full global partner benefits
- Dedicated personal aviation advisor on all bookings
- Priority XO fleet access
- You can book a Luxe rated aircraft
- You can earn free seats as rewards for shared shuttle flights
- Complimentary plane upgrades when available
- Guaranteed availability on a 24-hour notice (even on peak days)
- Free empty leg seats
- Up to $250 per leg catering credit
- Elite Access
- A membership fee of $1,000/month
- A minimum deposit of $100,000
- Ten authorized users per account
- Charter pricing is fixed. No additional service fees
- Seat pricing is dynamic. No additional service fees
- Full global partner benefits
- Dedicated personal aviation advisor on all bookings
- Priority XO fleet access
- You can book a Luxe rated aircraft
- You can earn free seats as rewards for shared shuttle flights
- Complimentary plane upgrades when available
- Guaranteed availability on a 24-hour notice (even on peak days)
- Free empty leg seats
- Up to $250 per leg catering credit
XO’s vast network of private jet operators, coupled with the aircraft owned by the group, allows the private jet operator to fly all over the world. Their dedicated fleet of modern, sleek, and super-fast aircraft sets them ahead of their competition while providing customers the highest quality air travel.
Apart from that, a wide selection of aircraft is available to XO customers through its partners. These include:
- Small turboprops: most economical for short-haul flights.
- Small turbojets: best for landing at small airports with difficult access
- Super-light jets: for carrying up to 8 passengers on longer flights
- Light jets: best comfort for small groups and short flights
- Midsized jets: extended range and more capacity than light jets
- Super midsized jets: best for longer flights with 8-10 passengers
- Heavy jets: best for intercontinental travel with medium-sized groups
- Ultra-long range jets: for even longer flights with medium-sized groups
- VIP Airliners: commercial-sized jets to carry from 19 to over 100 passengers
For XO members, they have insider access to some of the most exclusive amenities, experiences, and lifestyle services. Their continuously growing circle of brand, service, and experience partners give XO members the best when it comes to luxury. These include hotels, exotic experiences, beaches, executive transportation, ski resorts, health services, food & drinks, and many more.
At the time of its acquisition, XOJET was raking in over $100 million in sales. That too from aircraft they didn’t even own. On the other side, JetSmarter had increased its sales from $24 million in 2015 to $44 million in 2016. It was all set to gain a sizeable lead over competitors by 2019. However, after some severe accusations of mishandling customer complaints, JetSmarter fell from grace and was acquired, along with XOJETS, by Vista Global.
XO is committed to the customers’ safety. It has managed to earn the respect of the industry due to its safety and reliability. XO has won aviation safety awards such as ARGUS Platinum, Wyvern Wingman, and ISBAO stage III.
While conventional private jet travel is far from economical, XO allows passengers to save as much money as possible through their Seat Sharing and Shared Charter plans. These can earn passengers massive discounts – sometimes they can fly cheaper than on a commercial flight.
XO keeps customers up to date about the latest deals and cheap luxury flights. A link on their website has all the best deals available at any time. You can score a private jet ticket for as low as $120! Check out the best deals here.
Thomas Flohr, the owner of XO’s parent company, has big plans for XO after adding another batch of Cessna Citation Ultra jets to the XO fleet earlier this year. As private jet operators continue to recover and prosper after the global pandemic’s initial shock, XO has done exceptionally well, doubling its membership in an explosive growth observed in April.
Being a combination of two popular charter services, and with the additional support from a successful private jet operator in the form of Vistajet, XO has the means to serve a vast customer base. Their economic pricing, customer-centric services, luxurious services, variety of airplanes, and attractive membership plans make XO an easy pick for anyone wishing to travel in a luxury jet anywhere in the world.
