I flew JetSuiteX, now known as JSX, home from Las Vegas to Burbank, which turned out to be a pleasant onboard experience, though not without some disappointment on the ground.

My First JSX Flight Experience: Premium Perks In The Air, Frustrations On The Ground

JSX offers a semi-private service using a fleet of ERJ-135/145 jets with 30 seats onboard, offering scheduled “charter” service between several cities (yes, I note the oxymoron).

While most US carriers operate under 14 CFR Part 121 (a classification for regularly-scheduled air carriers), JSX operates under 14 CFR Part 135 (a classification primarily for commuter and on-demand operations).

This is what allows JSX to offer a quasi-private jet experience and use pilots older than 65 (who still must pass the same rigorous health requirements as their younger counterparts) or have flown less than 1,500 hours.

I’ve written in detail about this issue here.

If you book in advance or happen to find a flight with open seats, JSX costs about the same as a ticket on a commercial operator. My ticket was only $27 more than my outbound on Southwest.

My meeting concluded early and I showed up at the hangar (JSX utilizes a private terminal for its operations at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas) on 5616-A Haven Street at 12:15 pm. I was hoping to standby for the 1:00 pm flight, but because I was booked at 4:00 pm and there was a 3:45 pm flight, I was told I could only standby for the next earlier flight…strike one.

I asked about paying a change fee and was told it was not possible…

So instead of being able to wait out my layover in the posh Capital One Lounge, I instead waited it out in the JSX terminal. It was nice enough…it reminded me of a typical FBO terminal you might encounter when flying private. There was a coffee machine, packaged snacks, and drinks…but nothing else.

Thankfully, I sat down and had a remarkably productive three hours of work…

But about 30 minutes prior to my 4:00 pm scheduled departure, JSX announced my flight was delayed….by 15 minutes. The 3:45 pm flight to Burbank was still showing on-time, but that turned out to be delayed too almost as long as my flight. Communication was poor.

Boarding is called from a single gate. The gate agent announced the flight is ready for boarding, everyone lines up, then everyone goes through a modified security check. Carry-on bags are x-rayed, but you walk through what appears like those metal detectors in hospitals or museums, not the standard airport metal detectors.

At this point, I was regretting not flying home on Southwest Airlines…with its more frequent schedule, I would have been home already.

But the experience got better.

Whitely, the flight attendant onboard, warmly greeted me as I boarded and I surveyed the 1-1 seating configuration onboard. JSX removed the second seat in the standard E135/145 1-2 configuration and made it a side table.

The cabin has no overhead bins to give it a more spacious feel, but seats have been spaced out such that there is more room for carry-on bags underneath seats.

We took off and were soon in the air. After a very bumpy ascent, we hit smooth air and Whitley sprang into service, offering everyone a beverage and snack.

I double-dipped with both a Spritz Del Conte (an Italian aperitif-style spritz cocktail…i.e. a knock-off Aperol Spritz) and a Dripdash Kyoto-style iced coffee. Whitely also encouraged me to try all the snacks…almonds, potato chips, olives, and cookies.

I like the snack and drink selection onboard and appreciated the warm and gracious service. Furthermore, the Starlink internet worked like a charm…I loved how easy it was to connect and how the service functioned seamlessly gate-to-gate.

We landed in Burbank just a few minutes after the 3:45 pm departure arrived, meaning we had to sit for 10 minutes waiting for that flight to unload before we could.

The Burbank Terminal operation is similar…I like how passengers were invited to stay and in the lounge while waiting for their ride. I had parked my car on Empire Avenue and just had a short walk to my car (valet service is also offered at $50/day).

In short, a great experience on the air and a below-average experience on the ground. I did enjoy it and would try it again, especially at the price point. However, I think JSX needs to be more flexible with standbys.

Have you flown JSX? What was your experience like?