Several options are available for flying privately, according to investment available and flight frequency desired. Fractional ownership programs popularized the notion of private aircraft use and ownership in the 1990s. A number of owners share an aircraft (or a certain type aircraft - one of many a fractional company manages). Owners purchase typically from 1/2 to 1/16 of an aircraft, pay a per-flight-hour charge, related fuel and flight fees, and divide management expenses. Fractional aircraft ownerships growth led to the advent of regulations in the United States designed to regulate fractionally owned aircraft companies. These regulations are given in Part 91 Subpart K and bring fractional aircraft operations into line with existing air charter regulations, making fractional ownership into simply another flavor of ad hoc air transportation.
Jet Cards became popular around 2002-2005 when fractional companies and jet charter brokerages began offering pre-pay debit accounts for per-hour private aircraft charters. Customers would pre-pay around $120,000 - $500,000 for a set number of flight hours in a certain size aircraft. Those hours may expire at a designated time or be available for partial refund. On Demand Charter is trip by trip, pay as you go charter. One of the earliest forms of private flying and still growing, the passenger selects a specific charter quote provided by a local aircraft operator or national broker and pays for that trip alone, either before or after the flight. Jet Cards and On Demand Charter fall under more stringent FAA regulations Part-135 governing aircraft for hire with paying passengers.
