I paid $700 to fly round trip on a semi-private airline. It was worth every penny to save time and avoid the hassle of major airports.

Molly O'BrienJun 10, 2023, 18:52 IST

I flew on a semi-private flight through a JSX partnership with Taos Air.Molly O'Brien

I recently paid $700 for a round-trip flight on Taos Air, operated by the semi-private airline JSX.
I boarded my flight so quickly and my ticket came with snacks and beverages, even alcoholic ones.

I travel a lot, and I recently splurged to try flying on a semi-private airline.

My flight was operated by JSX, a "hop-on" jet service that seats about 30 people per flight and comes with perks like short security lines and complimentary checked bags. It's meant to feel like a luxurious, exclusive experience — and flights can start at less than $200 each way, depending on where you're flying.

For the 2022 to 2023 ski season when I flew, JSX had partnered with Taos Air to offer round-trip flights between Taos, New Mexico, and four markets across California and Texas.

My round-trip ticket from Burbank, California, to Taos cost about $700. Here's what my experience was like.

I had to show up at JSX's separate terminal at the Burbank airport at least 20 minutes before my flight.

The JSX terminal was quite spacious and empty.Molly O'Brien

My flight to Taos was at 7:15 a.m. If this was a commercial flight, I'd have left my house around 5 a.m. to get to the airport at least one hour early and budget time to go through security.

But since JSX has its own terminal in the Burbank airport and my flight was so small, I didn't have to arrive at the airport until a minimum of 20 minutes before departure. I left my house at 6 a.m.

The exclusive JSX terminal was cool and the only downside was parking. There was no parking lot at the terminal I was departing from — only valet, which was kind of pricey at $45 a night.

Still, airport parking can be costly in general and you can avoid the fees by taking a rideshare or having someone drop you off.

My flight to Taos was at 7:15 a.m. If this was a commercial flight, I'd have left my house around 5 a.m. to get to the airport at least one hour early and budget time to go through security.

But since JSX has its own terminal in the Burbank airport and my flight was so small, I didn't have to arrive at the airport until a minimum of 20 minutes before departure. I left my house at 6 a.m.

The exclusive JSX terminal was cool and the only downside was parking. There was no parking lot at the terminal I was departing from — only valet, which was kind of pricey at $45 a night.

Still, airport parking can be costly in general and you can avoid the fees by taking a rideshare or having someone drop you off.

Checking in was so simple and I feel like I saved tons of time by avoiding the main airport terminal.

JSX passengers get two complimentary checked bags.Molly O'Brien

JSX reservations come with two complimentary checked bags up to 50 pounds. Unlike with most commercial flights, you can also check more oversized items like golf bags, skis, and snowboards without being charged extra.

I appreciated having checked bags for free. I also didn't have to go through the time-consuming security measures of a traditional TSA airport experience.

JSX has its own special technology for screening passengers, including an AI thermal screening process that doesn't require people to take off their shoes or remove laptops from their bags.

I appreciated having checked bags for free. I also didn't have to go through the time-consuming security measures of a traditional TSA airport experience.

JSX has its own special technology for screening passengers, including an AI thermal screening process that doesn't require people to take off their shoes or remove laptops from their bags.

There was a nice lounge inside the terminal with free coffee, hot chocolate, and tea.

I loved getting a complimentary drink.Molly O'Brien

Before boarding, I visited the lounge inside the private Burbank hangar which featured a vending machine serving free coffee, hot chocolate, and tea.

The hangar space was really large with plenty of outlets and places to sit, and I didn't feel crowded or stressed out at all while waiting to board the airplane.

Before boarding, I visited the lounge inside the private Burbank hangar which featured a vending machine serving free coffee, hot chocolate, and tea.

The hangar space was really large with plenty of outlets and places to sit, and I didn't feel crowded or stressed out at all while waiting to board the airplane.

Once boarded, I discovered there was plenty of room inside the airplane.

The seats were spaced out very well.Molly O'Brien

For those who are airline aficionados — JSX operates Embraer 135 and 145 jets with cabins that don't come with overhead bins. This helps give the planes a sleek look and more interior space.

My flight only had about 30 people on it. The interior of the plane was so spacious that I had an entire row to myself since the seat next to me had been turned into an enormous cupholder.

The creamy tan leather seats were very comfortable and I had about 36 inches of legroom. There was also an outlet in each individual row that you could use to charge your devices.

For those who are airline aficionados — JSX operates Embraer 135 and 145 jets with cabins that don't come with overhead bins. This helps give the planes a sleek look and more interior space.

My flight only had about 30 people on it. The interior of the plane was so spacious that I had an entire row to myself since the seat next to me had been turned into an enormous cupholder.

The creamy tan leather seats were very comfortable and I had about 36 inches of legroom. There was also an outlet in each individual row that you could use to charge your devices.

My ticket also came with a bunch of free snacks and drinks, including alcoholic beverages.

I was pretty impressed by the perks on my JSX-operated flight.Molly O'Brien

My flight, which was just under two hours long, had full flight-attendant service that included unlimited complimentary snacks plus beer, wine, and spirits.

I was also very impressed with the speed of the free onboard Starlink Wi-Fi. It was really fast and so strong that I even streamed a Netflix movie on my computer. It made it easy for me to get work done on the flight, too.

My flight, which was just under two hours long, had full flight-attendant service that included unlimited complimentary snacks plus beer, wine, and spirits.

My checked bag and a shuttle were waiting for me when we landed.

I didn't have to wait for my suitcase at a baggage carousel.Molly O'Brien

Once I landed, my checked bag was waiting for me right next to where we were all getting off the plane. It was extremely convenient and I appreciated skipping the hassle of baggage carousels.

Because of the specific type of Taos Air/JSX flight I was on, a shuttle was waiting to take me to my resort as we got off the plane. This definitely saved me some money on transportation.

Once I landed, my checked bag was waiting for me right next to where we were all getting off the plane. It was extremely convenient and I appreciated skipping the hassle of baggage carousels.

Because of the specific type of Taos Air/JSX flight I was on, a shuttle was waiting to take me to my resort as we got off the plane. This definitely saved me some money on transportation.

I feel like my flight was worth the extra money for all the amenities I got.

The well-spaced-out seats were a huge perk of JSX.Molly O'Brien

All of the perks that came with my flight — complimentary checked bags, Wi-Fi, snacks, and drinks — combined with the ease of getting on and off the airplane made me feel like my ticket was most definitely worth the extra money.

Plus, on regular commercial flights, I feel like there are hidden fees everywhere. It's often going to cost you extra if you want to buy a glass of wine and snack, check a bag, or even just make sure you won't get a middle seat.

I didn't come across hidden fees with JSX (and didn't worry about getting the middle seat since my plane didn't have any) but keep in mind you do have to pay extra to pick your seat if you want a specific assignment with the line's basic Hop On fare.

It was also neat that I was able to earn some United MileagePlus credit on my flight since JSX is partnered with United and JetBlue loyalty programs.

Overall, it was the easiest flying experience I'd ever had, and I'd take JSX again in a heartbeat.

I enjoyed flying with JSX, especially since I didn't need to get to the airport hours before my departure.Molly O'Brien

JSX currently offers over 40 routes across North America and international service to Cabo San Lucas.

Flight prices can fluctuate often so they're tricky to compare but, in some cases, JSX can be cheaper than commercial airlines. Burbank to Taos wasn't offered as a route with other commercial airlines when I flew, so I began looking at similar flights to compare prices.

When I checked at the time of writing, I could fly from Burbank to Reno on August 13 with JSX for as little as $149. That same nonstop flight in economy with commercial airline United would be at least $160.

I would definitely invest in flying JSX again, especially if I were in a situation where it made sense to spend a bit more money upfront to save time and energy.