Bookings for private jets on the rise

NEWSDAY
In the wake of the hijacked-plane attacks, well-heeled families are beginning to do what corporate CEOs, sports celebrities and rock stars have been doing for decades: Rent a jet.
Bookings of Blue Star Jets have risen steeply since the Sept. 11 hijackings of commercial planes, says Todd Rome, president of the year-old, Manhattan-based private jet company whose motto is "Any jet. Any time. Any place." With five-hours' notice, Blue Star will rent you any size of plane from a seven-passenger light jet to a jumbo jet seating up to 300.
Rome, a 32-year-old entrepreneur, claims to have the least expensive operation in the private jet field. What are the fares? Blue Star recently flew a family of five from Long Island to Montreal and back for $6,000 round-trip, Rome says. Another family flew from Teterboro Airport, N.J., to Florida for $14,000 round-trip, while a group of 14 set out from the West Coast, picked up a college student in Michigan, and continued on to New York for $25,000 one way. Customers can also purchase $50,000 to $500,000 cards for use toward future jet services.
What you get for your money, Rome says, is door-to-door pickup service, 24-hour concierge service, a gourmet meal of your choice, the safety of background-checked personnel and absolute privacy, even if you're a rock star.
For inforamtion, call 866-JET TIME, or visit www.bluestarjets.com.