
Show HN: Monthly subscription airline with SFO-LAX flights starting at $78 - dannyminutillo
http://www.jumpdriveair.com
======
tlb
Maybe a good idea, but the site does a bad job of selling it.

The front page starts with a big rant about how bad existing airlines are.
That's not how you sell things. You should focus on what you do, which is SFO-
LAX flights through private terminals on a monthly subscription.

The private terminal is a huge win -- it saves a good hour on travel. But
that's buried in the FAQ. You should redesign so that all of the following are
on above the fold on the home page:

\- SFO-LAX

\- Monthly subscription $79/6 flights

\- Private terminal

\- Book online last minute

Don't pretend to be a full-service airline except in the fine print it says
only SFO-LAX. SFO-LAX is exactly what thousands of people need. For people who
need something else, you shouldn't lead them on (but you should let them give
you their email address and desired routes so you can let them know when you
add them.)

~~~
dannyminutillo
Thanks for the great feedback. This was our site's first draft so we really
appreciate your comments. We'll definitely update it and keep your points
above the fold on the homepage. We weren't aware that the private terminals
are such an appealing feature to people, but that aspect has been a feature
that we've been receiving a lot of positive feedback about so we appreciate
you pointing it out. Thank you again and we'll make those changes by tomorrow.

~~~
hirsin
Minor optimization for the phone image? Have it show the next flight that
could reasonably be booked if I had the app installed, rather than one from
2017. As in, if you had this app, you could be on the (it's 2.05 right now)
2:30 pm flight, just press this button. Helps drive the immediacy and ease
home.

~~~
dannyminutillo
Yep, great idea. We were actually thinking about an interface like that.
Thanks for the feedback

------
ohazi
Does this actually exist, or are you gauging interest?

Don't mean to rain on the parade, but you were basically asking if anyone on
HN was interested in helping you build this a month or two ago. [0, 1]

It doesn't seem plausible that you'd be able to arrange terminal space,
airplanes, pilots, insurance, etc. so quickly. Would be happy to be wrong
though, as I fly this route several times per year. Maybe I'm missing
something about how this is all organized.

[0]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15927182](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15927182)

[1]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15785691](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15785691)

~~~
gamblor956
Going to second this comment. I can't find any signs that this company has
even been incorporated, which would be necessary for them to sign the
contracts related to arranging terminal space, airplanes, etc.

Also of note: the first private terminal in the US opened at LAX in May 2017
and charges $2200/month for membership. The LAX regional terminal is AA
only...There are a number of small terminals for regional airlines south of
the main terminal which are already fully occupied for exclusive use of the
renting regional airline. [edit: Imperial Terminal is available for this type
of GA usage. It has no seats and is basically a hangar with space for portable
chairs, and does not provide a TSA checkpoint.].

Looks like this is just intended to drum up interest.

------
koolba
This looks pretty cool. If I was foolish enough to live in the Bay area and
had reason to visit family in the LA area I _might_ sign up for this. If you
have more than two weeks notice you can do better with Southwest though.
They've got OAK-to-BUR (and vice versa) at $55-$67 depending on the day of the
week.

That said, why LAX and SFO? Why not pick cheaper airports like OAK and BUR?
I'd imagine the runway fees would be less too. Plus just driving out of LAX at
a reasonable time of day adds an hour to any itinerary.

EDIT: After reading other comments and skimming through the FAQ I think this
website needs to be re-done. The landing page should say in bold letters "
_Last minute. Private terminal. Zero lines!_ ". Other airlines might match you
on price if booked in advance but they can't win on intangibles like skipping
the sardine line and government mandated TSA massage.

~~~
rconti
I'm constantly tempted by Surf Air as I've lived as close as 2mi from San
Carlos airport (KSQL!) and now live 6mi from it, and my parents live 2 miles
from Palomar Airport (KCRQ) which is a good 30 minute drive (in GOOD traffic;
their commute traffic often puts the Bay Area to shame). Even with the slower
flying time it would save me hours. Unfortunately, I don't "commute", so it's
hard to justify a price nearing $2k a month. I like that these options exist,
though, in case (god forbid) we find ourselves in a family health situation
where regular trips become required.

~~~
technofiend
You could get into partial plane ownership and fly yourself for far less than
their $1,950/mo fee. The upfront investment is higher since you'll need a
pilot's license. :-)

~~~
rconti
I am actually slightly tempted. It's of course not a cheap option, but I think
one thing putting me off is my impression that, if I rented a plane, I'd be
paying for the rental the entire time it sits on the ground at my destination,
which is hard to swallow.

~~~
technofiend
That's a common misconception. Plane rental is charged by the time the
magnetos are energized which in turn is measured by the Hobbs meter. Having
said that, many places often have a minimum number of hours per day to prevent
someone taking a plane all weekend for two billable hours.

Flying as a hobby is a lot like boating - the happiest day of your life is
when you sell your boat/plane. The second happiest day is when you buy it. It
can be woefully expensive because much like a house it's easy to do just one
more thing / buy just one more gadget and think well if I just spent a little
bit more I could have Y instead of X.

I wouldn't discourage you against taking a discovery flight but I'm saying
this in the interest of full disclosure. Back when I learned to fly there was
a running joke about the $100 hamburger because unless you had specific goals
for your license that's all it was good for - a quick jaunt to the next town
over to keep current and have some grub. Considering rental prices these days
I guess that's more like a $300 hamburger.

If you learn to fly, you'll pay a rate based on the type of airplane and
whether aviation gas is built into the price. After a very quick Google looks
like in California prices start at $130+/hr. You need 35-40 hours* just to get
the first of your licenses which will let you fly a small plane in good
weather. Realistically once you have a ticket any place renting a plane will
want you teach you how to fly the model they're renting you, so tack on a few
hours more to get signed off in the plane you want.

Once you rack up enough club membership dues or hours in a rented plane you'll
start thinking it would just be easier to own. That's when things get really
interesting because you have to decide if this is a hobby or a serious hobby.

*When I got my PP-ASEL, you had two choices - a rigorous, structured 35 hour course or a looser 40 hour minimum course. That's 40 hours of flight time and instruction, not total hours in a classroom. Considering you're a hacker news poster I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you have the disposable income, education and predisposition to dedicate a couple of weeks to doing nothing but learning to fly. If you can manage that I recommend the 35 hour course: it's intensive but the cheapest option because you won't be paying by the hour to train and retrain skills that get rusty by only flying once or twice a week. Flying is very much a mechanical skill and it has to become second nature before you can learn to multitask and take care of all the other things you need to do, otherwise you're perpetually "behind the airplane."

Anyway again if you decide to seriously pursue it I'd say try a discovery
flight first and then dedicate a chunk of time to knock it out. It is the
fastest way to get it done, which means it's the cheapest way to get it done.

~~~
durandal1
Also consider that if you want airline-like regularity, you need an IR
(Instrument Rating), which is sometimes (usually?) harder and more expensive
than the PPL itself. Then you want to consider if you want to fly your family
in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) at night. Many people including
me would only want to this is a twin engine aircraft or at least an aircraft
equipped with a ballistic parachute (this means a Cirrus SR22 or similar).
Anyway, both options is at 2-4x the cost of a the typical $130/h rental.

Not as of a big issue in CA, but in the winter, you also probably want to
cruise above the freezing level, so add to this a FIKI (Flight Into Known Ice)
certified aircraft. Again, more $$$.

In the end though, flying your own aircraft is an immensely gratifying
experience on many levels, and despite all of the caveats above, I wholly
recommend getting your PPL.

Yes, with just your PPL in hand, you might have to wait out some weather or
choose conditions based on your experience and equipment, but as long as you
know those limitations, it's actually not a big deal, especially in
California.

~~~
technofiend
All excellent points... particularly the part about how gratifying it is to
fly. It is amazing.

I just wanted to expand on the part about getting your ticket in 35 hours by
doing it via Part 141: if you can hack it then you'll be better prepared for
instrument training which (IMHO) is also structured and rigorous. And as you
stated requires even more hours, so anything to help reduce costs is (again,
IMHO) welcome.

------
gamblor956
I can't tell if this is a real business or not.[1] The website appears to be a
placeholder intended to test the market demand for their product.

[1] Jumpdrive doesn't appear to be incorporated or organized in California or
Delaware, which is a necessary predicate of them having signed contracts with
regional airlines or with LAX/SFO for private terminal space.

------
awad
I applaud anyone trying to enter the market but the site as-is leaves a lot of
questions open to a first time visitor. At first I assumed this was some kind
of discounting system on top of the commercial operators. Reading through the
comments here it seems they are flying their own planes. Given that they're a
company I've never heard of, and flying their own planes, it would be nice to
at least see the planes in their livery.

The landing page featuring minimalist text with lots of whitespace might be
the popular thing to do for upstart software companies but a company in the
business of physically moving people with their own planes shouldn't appear so
sterile, IMO. JetSuiteX
([https://www.jetsuitex.com](https://www.jetsuitex.com)) and SurfAir
([https://www.surfair.com/](https://www.surfair.com/)) are in more or less the
same market and make me feel much more comfortable about considering their
services.

~~~
dannyminutillo
Thanks for the feedback. We're in the process of redesigning the site. Lots of
people have pointed this out, so we appreciate the comments.

~~~
awad
You betcha, sure thing. Like I said, I'm happy to see new entrants into the
market and wish you the best of luck!

~~~
dannyminutillo
Thanks!

------
iaw
Could we get a title on this that's a little more accurate? It doesn't appear
like this is an actual service but an effort to gauge interest which makes the
title fraudulent.

------
satanic_pope
For folks seeking some context on why LAX-SFO route, here's a list of busiest
air routes in the world based on passenger volume :-

1.Jeju-Seoul

2.Melbourne-Sydney

3.Mumbai-Delhi

4.Fukuoka-Tokyo

5.Rio de Janeiro-Sao Paulo

6.Sapporo-Tokyo

7.Los Angeles-San Francisco

8.Brisbane-Sydney

LAX-SFO is the 7th most busiest.

Source : [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-08/world-
s-b...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-08/world-s-busiest-
air-routes-tiny-island-beats-london-new-york)

~~~
drewda
Interesting, I hadn't realized it's that scale.

And a good reason for California to invest in high-speed rail, in my own
opinion.

~~~
elliottcarlson
I took the opportunity to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles via the Coast
Starlight train (and then from Los Angeles to San Diego via the Pacific
Surfliner) and it was an amazing trip. I obviously could've saved so much more
time flying, but I had a day to kill, and taking the train in a private
sleeper roomette seemed like the best way to do it. I would definitely make
that trip again (and the included meals were great).

------
davidjeet
I could see Aviato moving into this space...

------
StillBored
Hmmm, so after reading the FAQ and the comments, I don't really see what the
advantage here is over just flying one of the major carriers.

Changing the pricing model is useful, but only really for people who cannot
predict their schedule enough to get the lower rates from the commercial
carriers. It seems to me that people who fall into that class, and yet are
willing to subscribe to a few flights a month might not be super common.
Particularly once the service starts to fill up, and you can't guarantee a
seat at the last minute.

The private terminal thing might be helpful, but frequent travelers are going
to have already bribed the government to skip the full security line. Last
time I was in SFO the precheck line only took me about 2 minutes. If I had
checked in early, and only had carry on luggage, I could probably have gotten
to the airport when boarding started and still made my flight (haven't went
through LAX security in a few years can't comment there).

So, while the GA/private terminal would be enticing if it were operated like a
charter plane (aka no TSA to worry about at all), and the flights were small
enough they would be willing to hold it if I was running 5 mins late, but it
doesn't appear to be the case. The regional jets are much to large for that
kind of behavior, and given that its not a business jet, the seating is going
to be as miserable as it is on the larger carriers.

To me it sounds like they are trying to reinvent the SW airlines of the 1970's
which operated more like a traditional bus service (lots of frequent flights,
last minute ticketing, etc) but without the huge profit margins on tickets
that SW was competing against.

So I would expect that to really lure people they need something closer to the
full charter experience (business class seating at a minimum). For that, I
suspect people might be willing to spring for a few extra dollars (bus class
tickets are probably easier to compete with given they still tend to have
larger margins). Large corps that like to fly their plebs in economy seats
probably aren't going to spring for the extra ticket price (besides getting
into the booking system might be challenging).

Anyway, good luck...

------
RJIb8RBYxzAMX9u
Any plans on allowing "plus one" guests? For example, a subscriber may use the
service for $WORK most of the time, but occasionally the SO may tag along by
paying a one-time ticket, perhaps at a slight premium.

------
matt4077
I applaud the audacity of starting an airline from scratch, considering it's
way up there in terms of capital requirements and regulatory burden, and the
industry has been losing money in the US, collectively, since the Carter
administration.

But it needs to be said that SFO<->LAX is, at just 300 miles, and with the
high demand shown by such startups, a perfect example of everything that is
wrong with transportation in the US.

Compare Berlin<->Munich which happens to be almost exactly the same distance:
even with some political compromises requiring the trains to stop in towns
along the route that planners would rather have avoided, total travel time is
only 3 1/2 hours. Train stations are also in the middle of each city, saving
you about an hour of time on each end. And you can just hop onto any train
without booking in advance, without going through security, without discarding
your bottle of water, without the yoga-like contortions of economy class, and
without the existential threat of not having internet for two hours.

That even an environmentally friendly US state such as California can't get
its act together, and instead "solves" its traffic needs in the most resource-
intensive ways available, is a scathing indictment of the US' lost faith in
the power of government to solve collective action problems.

~~~
dhzjxnbzn
I'm a fan of rail in general, and the German system is fantastic. But the LA
and SF Bay Areas consist mostly of sprawl and don't have good transit to begin
with. You need to drive to get somewhere fast. In those circumstances, taking
off from the burbs is a feature, not a bug.

~~~
dx034
But this service wants to fly from LAX which is not really in the suburbs and
not always easy to get to.

------
yousifa
It doesn't show a sample flight schedule. I want to sign up, but want to know
what times/days flights usually are.

~~~
dannyminutillo
We're planning on flying Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. And we'll have
about 6 flights a day departing from each location. This is just the schedule
we'll start out with and we'll add more days and times as we grow.

~~~
Cd00d
I think a lot of commuter workers tend to fly Thursdays and work remote on
Fridays. I'm surprised that's not a higher value day than one of the weekend
days for your target.

~~~
dannyminutillo
Friday is actually the day most business travelers fly. Thursday evening has
demand as well so we're looking into possibly offering some times Thursday
evening too. Thanks for your feedback.

~~~
dmode
I was a consultant who flew every week for 3 years. All consultants fly out on
Thursday late afternoons and early evenings. If you want to attract those
travelers, you need to fly out on Thursdays.

------
whyaduck
Will your schedule support working day trips? Meaning, a flight leaving early
enough to be wheels down by 9 AM at the destination, then a flight out around
4-5 PM on the same day? Do you have plans for working with a rental car
service at the private terminal?

------
geofft
Who flies the planes themselves - do you contract with the same airlines who
run regional flights for the national carriers? (What's the planes' livery?)

Part of why I'm curious is that I've noticed that the national carriers in the
US have an _extremely_ safe record of late - I believe there has been one
death from 2002-present from the national carriers (Southwest 1248 slid off a
snowy runway in Chicago, hit two cars, and killed one child), but there have
been a many fatal accidents with regional or private carriers, so I'd like to
know who the actual operating carrier is and what their safety record is.

~~~
dannyminutillo
Yes, we contract with regional part 121 airlines that fly and operate the
flights. Skywest, Express Jet, etc. These are the same airlines that partner
with Delta, United, and American Airlines to run their regional routes.

------
chirau
The stuff on the homepage is not consumer content. That is stuff for pitch
decks and Powerpoints to investors. Tell the consumer what you are offering
and after digging, you guys actually seem to have a great offering.

------
tacon
At first glance this sounded like the rebirth of the proposed restructuring of
the commercial airline industry as covered in the book "Free Flight: Inventing
the Future of Travel"[0], by James Fallows (2001). Back then the business
model was to marry a fleet of very cheap passenger jets[1] with the huge
number of little used airports dispersed around big cities. The book mentions
two companies as leading the industry, Cirrus Design[2] and Eclipse
Aviation[3]. The startup collapsed during the financial crisis. I remember
reading an analysis of the difficulty of scheduling individual pickups to
thousands of small airports, essentially a full blown traveling salesman
problem that had to be updated in real time with each new reservation. The
promise was to cut an hour or so off the total travel time by using small
airports near the customer's home and destination.

[0] [https://www.amazon.com/Free-Flight-Inventing-Future-
Travel/d...](https://www.amazon.com/Free-Flight-Inventing-Future-
Travel/dp/1586481401)

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_light_jet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_light_jet)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirrus_Aircraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirrus_Aircraft)

[3]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_Aviation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_Aviation)

------
disappoint3d
It blows my mind that there's market for this kind of frequent air travel when
we have such a climate crisis on our hands.

~~~
TheSmiddy
ALL transport accounts for only 14% of emissions; beef and electricity
generation are where the big gains are. We already have the technology to
produce electricity without greenhouse gasses, we do not have the technology
to physically move as fast and as far as airplanes without burning fossil
fuels.

People can choose to take some personal responsibility and sacrifice air
travel (and more importantly beef!) for the sake of the environment but we
have so much ground to gain at a systematic level that I don't think we need
to be too overzealous about behavior change at this stage in the problem.

Voting for politicians that will speed up the transition away from coal to
renewables will have a far greater impact on the environment than personal
lifestyle choices ever will.

[https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-
emiss...](https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-
data)

------
1k
I imagine balance will be tricky. Too few flights and customers get frustrated
because they can't get seats or decent times. Too many flights and you lose
money. This is probably why other airlines have peak/offpeak pricing in the
first place to solve the load problem.

Whats the minimum number of months to subscribe for?

~~~
dannyminutillo
Yes, balance is very tricky, which is why airlines utilize dynamic pricing. We
are working on a model that balances supply/demand.

No minimum number of months to subscribe for.

------
ksherlock
It's nice to see an aviation startup that's not just Uber For Airplanes.

~~~
dannyminutillo
Uber for planes seems pretty impossible :)

~~~
Isomatik
Depends on how comfortable it needs to be.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_surface-to-
air_recovery...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_surface-to-
air_recovery_system)

~~~
dannyminutillo
Hahaha

------
tim333
I don't really see how the economics would work out - planes have a certain
cost to fly and the cost per passenger cost is that divided by the number of
passengers on the flight. Discount airlines like Ryanair work by selling some
seats very cheap to fill the plane and some expensive like last minute and
peak time flights to make a profit. If you charge a flat lowish amount the
popular times will be full and the less popular empty leading to poor
utilisation and a higher average cost and you'll lose money.

Dunno if I'm missing something here?

------
d--b
Meanwhile, there are 3 flights from Paris to Rome on easyjet for tomorrow all
priced at 100 euros. Yeah, maybe you get some extra fees, but the subscription
model is pretty constraining as well.

------
goodoldboys
Looks cool - I'd probably use this if I still lived in LA.

Found a typo on your FAQ:

"Our fares our much lower than a private plane service." \- that second "our"
should be an "are"

------
carbongixxer
It doesn't say what type of aircraft guests would fly on.

~~~
joshuatalb
It does, but it's hidden at the bottom of the FAQ [1] page. I agree with the
other comments about how they could do a better job of surfacing this kind of
information.

> We fly the beautiful Bombardier CRJ Series and Embraer ERJ Series. These are
> regional planes with 50 to 100 passenger seats. These planes are the same
> planes that are used by United Express, Delta Connection, and American
> Airlines.

[1] - [https://www.jumpdriveair.com/faq-1](https://www.jumpdriveair.com/faq-1)

~~~
aardvark291
Adding a photo of the actual aircraft would also be nice. From the website
it's hard to tell whether this is a real business that's currently in
operation, or just a site mock-up. Have you actually started flying yet? I
can't tell.

~~~
dingaling
And they should just come straight out and explain how the flights are
operated. Sublease of the aircraft? Block-booking of seats on scheduled
commercial services? Commercial charters?

The more they hide the less confidence people will have in them.

The contact name in the WHOIS appears to be an attorney.

I don't see any entry for JumpDriveAir or variations thereof in the ICAO
operating agency list ( Doc 8585 ) so I assume they're not the carrier
themselves.

~~~
huebnerob
I'd wager that at this moment they've not done much more than ideation and (I
pray dearly) feasibility studies.

We won't even be able to start arguing whether this idea has wings until the
first wheels leave the tarmac.

~~~
dannyminutillo
We're in the process of finalizing arrangements with our regional airline
partners to operate the flights. We'll have our first flights within the next
few months.

~~~
iaw
> We're in the process of finalizing arrangements...

I find it a bit misleading that you don't state this more clearly upfront.

> We'll have our first flights within the next few months.

... if everything goes as expected, if not then you'll be liable with a whole
bunch of angry first customers.

~~~
groby_b
Huh? We're signing up to be notified, we're not handing over cash. They'd be
useful if they worked out, so I threw a disposable e-mail address in the hat.

If I get an e-mail in a couple of months that this works, awesome, I'll give
them a spin. If not, oh well. But why would their customers be _angry_? It's
pretty clear it's not an existing service yet.

------
shalmanese
Why would you not offer an 8 flights per month plan? I imagine the most
popular use case is people who need to fly in Monday morning and out Friday
evening.

~~~
dannyminutillo
That's correct about the use case. We're thinking about offering 8
flights/month but didn't think there would be that much demand for that
option. Could be wrong though

------
sandover
Question in my mind as a user of LAX: WHERE is the private terminal and does
it get me out of the nightmare of LAX evening traffic? That would be a strong
point in your favor. And also, does rideshare pick up there smoothly? Will you
be working with Uber/Lyft to make sure that they are fully aware of the
location? What about rental car services, are any accessible from the private
terminal?

------
gok
The screenshot shows 55 minute travel times, is that real? Current airlines
generally schedule 1h25 to 1h45.

~~~
dannyminutillo
Yes, that's real. SFO to LAX takes about 55 minutes in the air. We have faster
turn around than major airlines when we're on the ground because of the
private terminals

~~~
gok
So the times are from takeoff to landing, not door closing to door opening?
And where is there space at SFO for a new private terminal? :)

Edit: Ohh I didn't realize that Delta just stopped their shuttle [1] ... are
you just using those gates?

[1] [https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Routes-End-of-Delta-
We...](https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Routes-End-of-Delta-West-Coast-
shuttles-12460635.php)

------
dawnerd
I'd love a service like this if it came up to pdx. Quite a few lax-pdx flights
every day so there should be demand too. Probably only a fraction of sfo-lax
but if you add in seattle there's quite a bunch I'd imagine.

------
repiret
So its Part 121, but with private TSA screening and boarding on the General
Aviation side of the airports? Are you operating the planes, or is SkyWest of
someone like them operating the planes?

~~~
dannyminutillo
Yes, that's correct.

We're not operating the planes. We have part 121 regional airline partners
that are operating the planes. We're providing them with the schedule and they
operate the flights. We act as an agent for the passengers.

~~~
repiret
Do the planes have your own livery, or that of your regional partners?

------
amorphid
Do unused flight credits roll over?

~~~
dannyminutillo
Hi, they don't roll over. But we're working on a feature where users can
transfer unused flight credits to family and friends.

~~~
ertand
That's a major win against traditional airlines if you could transfer your
flights to someone else.

I think you wanted to make sure the best price option is in the middle but it
threw me off a bit. Consider putting them left to right, from worst deal to
best? Also, consider using numbers instead of words: 2 flights, 4 flights, 6
flights?

------
grogenaut
UI Design: Why is there a blog link at the top that isn't clickable?

------
mikejmorgan
You want to change the airline industry? Let's talk. That's my plan.

------
j45
This could be a nice way for a parked plane to help pay for itself in part.

------
ringaroundthetx
lol SFO - LAX flights are OFTEN cheaper than that or as cheap.

Unless.... are these roundtrips? I want to assume so but that would be a bad
assumption to get wrong!

Fix the site.

~~~
dannyminutillo
These are one-way flights. Flights between SFO-LAX are sometimes cheaper if
you book weeks in advance. The point of Jumpdrive is you still get a cheap
fare without booking weeks in advance. We're working on redoing the site.

~~~
GFischer
Do you think the cheap fare is the value proposition? Or is the private
terminals and fast service? That sounds very appealing. I mean, it can be both
- save money AND time.

All the TSA experience is awful (business travelers in the US have the pre-
screen and stuff of course, but they're probably not your target).

~~~
dannyminutillo
I think the value prop is cheap fares without booking weeks in advance and
fast checkins at the private terminals.

I agree, TSA is awful, so hopefully our solution will be more resolve this
issue.

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groby_b
As somebody who's interested in the service: The "cheap" fare is not the
value. I fly that damn route often enough that I have frequent flyer status -
and so I can just afford to keep things booked 4 weeks in advance, and take
advantage of the free cancellations that comes with status. (Not to mention
that even on two weeks notice, I can book roundtrip at ~ your price. Alaska in
two weeks right now: $160)

The main value is in a private terminal & fast checkins.

That is, btw, a likely factor that might keep people from using your service:
if you do on average 3 round trips a month, that's enough to get you to e.g.
Gold status on Alaska. Unless LAX<->SFO is the only route I need to take,
that's a pretty large incentive to stay with a regular airline. (Because
status means no cancellation fees and easy upgrades)

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arximboldi
This is sad. Flight is the most contaminating form of transportation.

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rconti
Enjoy your 12 hour train ride.

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namibj
You can get a ride with under 2 hours, if you do an actual express train....
see the ICE Sprinter Berlin-Munich, which has more stops than necessary, and
does not even drive at the seed we have the technology for.

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rconti
I'm familiar with trains, I'm just saying the option between SF and LA is...
not really any option.

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arximboldi
Well sure, but a high speed train could be built, right?

In Spain (not really a high-tech country overall) there are trains connecting
the country corner to corner with trains that go at like 300 KM/Hour average.
Considering that train stations are central, plus there is no need to be there
like 2 hours before, plus you can easily work there, etc. it is way _faster_
and more _convenient_ than flight, and of course way more ecological.

I'm sure a little of all that VC money can be used to build such
infrastructure... I got lots of downvotes for my original comment, but really,
the amount of CO2 emitted by air travel is appalling. I understand it is hard
to avoid in many situations, but at least let me feel sad about it.

~~~
golem14
That's generally my experience in Germany and Switzerland as well. Unless
there are multiple hops involved e.g. Zurich-Würzburg with long waits in
places like Stuttgart. If you have a non-stop connection it's great to work on
a modern ice train with internet access.

