If you are flying somewhere between 25 and 100 hours a year and had circled NetJets as your likely program, the news just announced by the company may have changed your timeline. New Jet Card and lease sales are limited for the time being, and that leaves you needing a plan sooner than you expected, not months from now once the market sorts itself out.
Here is what is actually happening, why it is happening now, and what to look for in a Jet Card program if you are restarting your search this year.
What Changed With NetJets Jet Card Sales in 2026
In late July 2026, NetJets began curtailing new sales of its Jet Card and lease products, according to industry reporting, redirecting its focus to its core fractional ownership business. This is the second time in five years the company has scaled back this segment of its business; it previously paused Jet Card sales entirely in August 2021 during a surge in pandemic-era demand.
The company has pointed to strong retention among existing fractional owners and sustained demand across its ownership programs as the reasoning behind the shift. For prospective Clients evaluating Jet Card options, this may complicate the conversation. Magellan Jets offers one of the best Jet Card programs and the only fully customizable Jet Cards in the industry. Magellan Jets Jet Card revenue during the first half of 2026 was up 14%, renewals increased 18%, and new Jet Card Clients spiked 55% as total revenue grew 25%.
Why the Timing Matters
This is not happening in a slow market. Private jet flight activity through the first half of 2026 ran 35% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, and the broader industry has described demand as headed for a record year. Crew availability and hangar capacity remain tight across the sector, which is part of what is pushing operators to be more selective about which products they scale.
None of that changes what you need: guaranteed access, predictable pricing, and an aircraft that fits the mission. It does mean the field of providers actively competing for your business, and structuring their programs around winning it, has shifted. That is worth factoring into how you evaluate your options this year.
What to Look for in a Jet Card Program Right Now
A pause at one provider is a good moment to pressure-test what you actually want from a Jet Card, rather than defaulting to whichever brand is top of mind. A few questions are worth asking of any program you are considering:
Does the hour commitment match how you actually fly?
Many Jet Card programs are built around a fixed 25-hour block, whether or not that number reflects your annual flying pattern. Magellan Jets built its Jet Card around the opposite idea: Clients purchase any number of hours at or above the 25-hour minimum, and each commitment threshold, 25, 50, and 100 hours, unlocks a progressively stronger set of benefits. The 50-hour tier is the program’s flagship, replacing standard hourly rates with preferred pricing and unlocking Advantage Routes and short-leg waivers.
Are blackout dates and peak surcharges part of the fine print?
Many programs restrict access on high-demand calendar days or add surcharges during holidays and major events. Magellan Jets Clients get guaranteed availability 365 days a year, zero blackout dates, and fixed, all-inclusive pricing with no peak-day surcharges, across the 49 continental states, the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, and within Europe.
Does the program price around where you actually fly, or around where the fleet happens to sit?
Advantage Routes, available starting at the 50-hour tier, deliver preferred pricing on the high-demand corridors Clients fly most, rather than pricing based on operator base locations. This is possible because Magellan Jets is asset-light: without owned aircraft to reposition or fill, pricing can reflect Client demand instead of fleet logistics.
What happens on your shortest, most frequent trips?
Daily minimums can quietly erode the value of a Jet Card for regional flyers. Short-leg waivers, which unlock at the 50-hour threshold and expand further at 100 hours, reduce that burden. A Private Client flying Boston to Nantucket, for example, can save up to $10,000 on a single trip through this benefit.
Where does your deposit sit?
Client funds should never be commingled with a provider’s operational accounts. Magellan Jets keeps Jet Card Client funds fully segregated, protected until it is time to fly.
How much does a Jet Card cost?
Magellan Jets Clients choose their commitment level first, then their card type.
Commitment Thresholds:
- 25 Hours (Entry): Hourly rate starting at $7,500, a 12-month rate lock, and 10% round-trip and long-leg savings, alongside guaranteed availability 365 days a year, zero blackout dates, and fixed all-inclusive pricing.
- 50 Hours (Flagship): Hourly rate starting at $7,250, an 18-month rate lock, and 15% round-trip and long-leg savings, plus a 7% discount on Advantage Routes and four short-leg waivers. This is the recommended starting point for most Clients.
- 100 Hours (Top Tier): Hourly rate starting at $7,000, a 24-month rate lock, and 20% round-trip and long-leg savings, plus a 7% discount on Advantage Routes and eight short-leg waivers, the deepest preferred pricing in the program.
Rates are locked for the length of your term, so a NetJets Jet Card buyer weighing a wait against the current market is also weighing exposure to future rate changes during that wait.
Card Types:
- Category Jet Card: For Clients who want flexibility across Light, Midsize, Super-Midsize, and Heavy jet categories as travel needs evolve.
- Premium Jet Card: For Clients who prioritize a specific aircraft and cabin experience, available on the Phenom 300, Challenger 350, and Gulfstream G450/G550, with shorter call-out times during peak periods.
Discounts are not stacked; Clients receive the better of the eligible discounts, not both, and Advantage Routes pricing does not apply on advanced booking days (ABD, meaning flights booked with minimal notice ahead of departure). The standard rate remains competitive even for Clients whose travel patterns do not line up with a specific discount category, so the value of the program is not dependent on any single route or trip type.
Use our interactive tool to find your recommended Jet Card.
Comparing Your Options Honestly
If you were specifically evaluating a NetJets Jet Card, the comparison worth making is not brand against brand. It is program structure against your actual flying pattern. NetJets built its reputation on the scale of its fractional fleet, and that remains true regardless of what happens with its card products. The question for a Jet Card buyer is narrower: does the program in front of you fit how many hours you fly, where you fly them, and how much certainty you need around pricing and access.
That is the same question worth asking of any provider, including Magellan Jets. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, with a private terminal in Bedford, Massachusetts, Magellan Jets operates an asset-light model, working exclusively with a vetted group of fewer than 100 operators, out of roughly 3,000 licensed operators in the United States, through the Magellan Jets Preferred Network. Because Magellan Jets does not own aircraft, its Private Aviation Advisors are not incentivized to fill a specific fleet; they are positioned to recommend the aircraft and provider that fit your mission.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jet Cards (FAQs):
Is NetJets still selling Jet Cards at all?
Reporting indicates NetJets is limiting, rather than fully halting, new Jet Card and lease sales as of late July 2026, with its stated focus shifting toward its fractional ownership programs. Availability can change, so confirm current status directly with NetJets or a private aviation advisor before assuming either outcome.
Has this happened before?
Yes. NetJets suspended Jet Card sales entirely in August 2021 before reintroducing card and lease products in the years that followed. This is the second such curtailment in five years.
If I already fly fewer than 25 hours a year, does this affect me?
Not directly. On-Demand Charter remains a strong fit for occasional flyers regardless of what any single Jet Card provider is doing. A Jet Card becomes relevant once your annual flying approaches or exceeds the 25-hour range.
How quickly can I get access to a Magellan Jets Jet Card?
Your Private Aviation Advisor will walk through commitment tiers, card types, and Advantage Routes eligibility based on your travel pattern, then structure a program before your next trip.
Does a Jet Card lock me into one aircraft type?
Magellan Jets Jet Cards to not lock you into one aircraft type. For Category Cards, Clients can interchange between Light, Midsize, Super-Midsize, and Heavy jets as their mission changes trip to trip. For Premium Cards, you will select a premier aircraft type, but you also have the option to interchange as necessary with no fee.
Next Steps for Finding Your Jet Card
A pause at one provider does not have to mean a pause in your travel plans. If you are researching a NetJets Jet Card and want a program built around your actual flying pattern rather than a fixed block of hours, speak with a Magellan Jets Private Aviation Advisor to structure a Jet Card around your specific commitment level, routes, and mission.
