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It’s always been difficult to fly out of San Francisco from Sacramento. SFO is a great airport. Who doesn’t love the Bay Area, and there are so many destinations out of San Francisco. At the same time, it can be a real bitch driving there from Sacramento. If you drive during rush hour in the commute traffic, “forgetta bout it”.
United Airlines does offer a direct commuter/feeder flight from Sacramento to San Francisco. It’s pricy if you plan out a future flight, and even more expensive as a last minute add on to a non-United itinerary. This got me wondering if there was a charter airline service that operated between Sacramento to SFO.
After doing a quick google search one of the choices that popped up was “Surf Air”. I thought to myself “Surf who?” At this point I started exploring the website and doing a little research.
Surf Air started flying in 2013 and has been referenced as the Netflix of airlines. Their “member’s only” airline model is an all you can fly approach with a single monthly fee. The airports they utilized are mostly secondary private municipal locations that are devoid of heavy infrastructure and security measures. Their fleet is a single type aircraft that uses the PC-12, a single-engine turboprop manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft. The plane seats a total of 8 passengers and the company has a total of 12 PC-12s with plans to purchase more.
With the exception of Las Vegas, which is serviced through a third party agreement, Surf Air only operates in California. Airports serviced include:
- Northern California
Monterey MRY
Napa APC
Oakland OAK
Sacramento MCC
San Carlos SQL
San Jose SJC
Truckee Tahoe TKF - Southern California
Burbank BUR
Carlsbad CRQ
Hawthorne HHR
Palm Springs PSP
Santa Barbara SBA
Surf Air’s customer is the affluent professional. This mostly male group averages 44 years of age and has an average annual income north of $400K/yr. The membership requires a $1,000 up front fee and then will run you $1,950 / month. For this fee you can fly as often as you want, to any destination within the network. The main benefit Surf Air sells to their members is the saving of time and hassle vs. flying with a traditional carrier(s).
Membership Costs
The Message
Save time, save hassle
Life is good
The company’s marking is uniquely different from other airlines. When I first visited the company website I was asked for my name, email address and phone number – and then I was allowed access in. A couple days later an associate called and emailed, wanting to discuss my interest in a Surf Air Membership. The associate was polite and professional and he had passion for Surf Air. The web site is just about as much about the “experience” as it is about the service provided. Part of that experience is being a part of the insider culture as a Surf Air member. The website feels more like social networking app than a flight booking sight.
Surf Air’s hip and modern site
After a couple weeks I received an invitation for a private tour of their aircraft and terminal. I plan on accepting the invitation and will update you on my thoughts about this different and new airline.
In Summary:
While expensive at $1,950 / month; I’m sure there are a number of individuals that would find value and in this member only airline. If you needed to commute between any of the networked cities; or were liquid enough and had 2 homes by airports that were served – a membership with Surf Air could make sense. Will the business model survive? Only time will tell.
I can’t believe I had never herd of these guys until only very recently. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to taking a tour through their local terminal and PC-12 aircraft.
