Coaviation: A Fast and Affordable Transportation Idea?

Based on the principle of carpooling, private pilots offer to share the costs of their flights by taking you along. Interesting?

Let’s spare ourselves the debate on carbon footprints, etc. That’s not the point since, in any case, these planes are set to fly. Therefore, the idea for their owners is to share the experience and split the costs associated with the journey just as a driver would do with their car.

Coworking platforms for aviation have developed in recent years, as the prices are not as insane as one might think, as we will see. There are the more serious ones like Wingly and Coavmi where pilots and the aircraft are certified before they can operate. Search engines then offer the available flights where private pilots have previously registered their details: date, times, prices, duration, number of available or remaining seats. Also, the level of experience and the model of the plane.

Is it really that expensive?

Of course, everything is relative. But when considering the duration of the journey and the experience, as well as some of the prices charged by SNCF during school vacations, one has to do the math. Thus, we found a flight from Cannes to Calvi (Corsica) during the peak summer season for a price of 83 euros per person.

All details are provided, and the journey will last 1 hour and 30 minutes. Note that there is no need to arrive one or two hours before departure like with a regular flight due to security checks, etc. Therefore, for a romantic trip, a one-way flight on August 17, 2024, will cost 166 euros.

There is no commercial flight between Cannes and Calvi. However, departing from Nice, just a few dozen kilometers away, Air Corsica offers the same flight for… 422 euros per person! That’s 844 euros for two! Admittedly, the flight is shorter because the plane is faster, but door-to-door, the journey will be longer. 422 euros for 40 minutes of flight, that’s a term that is aptly named…

As for the hypothesis of taking the ferry for the crossing, be aware that it will cost you, on the same date, 136 euros per person, with departure at 7:15 (thus arrival at the port at 6:00) and the crossing taking 8 hours…

In this scenario, coaviation is unbeatable!

UNUSUAL: Two English friends meet in Spain because the plane ticket was cheaper than the train

Flight Paris-Arcachon, same fight?

On the Wingly platform, we found another route offered by a pilot who frequently makes custom round trips between Paris and Arcachon, on the west coast. The price is 248 euros per person… but it is round trip! That’s about 125 euros per trip per person. In mid-August, SNCF can’t do better.

The price is obviously higher than that between Cannes and Corsica because the flight time is 3 hours in each direction. By car, with traffic jams and one or two stops, you would be looking at around 8 hours. It could be quicker, but the pilot offers a detour via Île-d’Yeu, for sightseeing pleasure (pun intended).

The only limit with flying in a small private plane is the carry-on capacity. It’s impossible to leave with your entire house. You need to travel light, with a suitcase per person at most. And once in the air, you’ll have to hold on, as there are no toilets. For the rest, it’s sunglasses and a camera.

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