On Wednesday, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) joined the ranks of companies trying to attract high-end clients with private jet travel memberships.

Delta Air Lines’ subsidiary, Delta Private Jets, is now offering a Sky Access online membership program which gives flyers unlimited access to empty leg flights and fixed hourly rate private jet travel, reports the Cincinnati Business Journal.

At launch, pricing for Sky Access membership runs $8,500 for the first year, and subsequent years are $6,000 each. Delta indicates on their website that rates may change over time. Additional fees, including international taxes and fees, may apply. Complimentary demos are available. Hourly rates for 2018 are as follows:

An empty leg flight is a flight that is scheduled without passengers, ensuring a jet is available for a trip at the right airport at the right time. By repositioning the flights, Sky Access members have the opportunity to make last-minute trips with no fee, explained Delta Private Jets.

In addition to the benefits noted above, Sky Access members can book flights without having to share a private jet with other passengers, along with other perks including:

• Easy online booking through a mobile app or the service’s client portal
• Access to a fleet of more than 70 WiFi-enabled aircraft in the United States, all flights use twin engine jets
• Unlimited number of empty leg bookings
• No per-leg cost for empty leg flights
• Fixed hourly rate private jet travel with guaranteed availability for domestic flights with 24 hours’ notice on non-peak travel days

‘We are delighted to offer this suite of services and options for our Sky Access members at a reasonable price,’ said Gary Hammes, president of Delta Private Jets in a statement. ‘In fact, just one empty leg’s value could be greater than the cost of a full Sky Access membership, making luxury travel affordable and a sound investment for those individuals who don’t want to feel like travelers.’

Delta is only the latest entrant into the luxury travel subscription market. Other players include Rise, Surf Air and Magellan Jets. Surf Air co-founder and former CEO Wade Eyerly started Beacon  to compete in the private jet market but it shut down operations after about six months, according to AIN Online.  

Insider Take:

Similar to the auto industry which is testing out subscriptions as a business model, the private jet and air travel industry is still experimenting with memberships. Each company – whether it is an actual air carrier or a travel service – has a very different model with various options and vastly different pricing. Much like the auto industry, the market needs time to mature, so companies can work out the best model for their business and consumers can determine if there is truly a market for affordable luxury travel via membership or if this is an idea consumers aren’t quiet ready to embrace.