Craft Pod offers a very different value proposition from fractional jet ownership, jet card programs, or on-demand charter flights. Fractional ownership (such as owning a 1/16 or 1/8 share of an aircraft) gives you a fixed number of flight hours, but it also comes with significant monthly management fees, hourly operating costs, and asset depreciation. In a traditional fractional program you’re essentially pre-paying for use of one plane and paying for its upkeep; there’s no participation in charter revenue or broader asset diversification. Craft Pod, by contrast, pools a fleet of aircraft and lets you own a share of an entire aircraft portfolio. You still get private flight access, but you also share in the business results of that fleet – including charter income and potential asset appreciation – rather than just paying costs. In short, fractional ownership is primarily a consumption model, whereas Craft Pod is an investment with usage benefits.
Jet cards and on-demand charter are straightforward ways to buy flight time, but they don’t offer any ownership or financial return. When you charter or use a jet card, you pay per flight (often with a 7.5% federal excise tax added) and once the trip is over, that money is gone. There’s no equity – you’re simply a customer. Craft Pod flips that model: your funds are invested in assets (aircraft and a portfolio), so they have the potential to grow over time. While you enjoy flights on Craft’s jets, your capital isn’t spent – it’s working for you. You avoid the steep hourly rates and taxes of charter in many cases, and instead of an expiration date on hours (as with some jet cards), you have a long-term stake. Essentially, Craft Pod lets you fly privately while your money remains invested. For anyone who has considered fractional programs or jet cards, Craft Pod can deliver similar private travel access plus financial and tax benefits that those alternatives lack.