Flapper offers installment payments for shared flights

São Paulo — The Flapper, also recognized as the “Uber of private jets,” is revolutionizing access to executive aviation in Brazil by adopting the shared economy model. The company has recently introduced a new payment option, allowing its clients to split the cost of shared flights booked through the app into up to three installments using Visa, Mastercard, and Elo credit cards.

Flapper plans to extend this payment functionality to chartered flights as well, which currently account for over 50% of its revenue. This marks the first time that an executive air taxi company in Brazil has offered the option of installment payments for its passengers.

According to Paul Malicki, Flapper’s CEO, the inspiration for this innovation stemmed from the crisis in the air taxi sector and from research conducted with high-end clients. A study conducted in partnership with an e-commerce company revealed that 60-70% of luxury product consumers prefer to pay in installments.

“Paying in installments is a cultural habit in Brazil, even among upper-middle-class and AAA clients,” emphasizes Malicki. Besides boosting sales, the strategy aims to bring customers closer to the world of executive aviation. “Our biggest challenge is to demystify private jets, demonstrating that they are a safe and affordable option,” he highlights.

The positive results are already starting to show. Flapper anticipates tripling its revenue in 2018, reaching 6 million BRL, and aims to increase its number of paying customers from two thousand to five thousand by the end of the year. “For the September 7th holiday alone, we already have six jets fully booked to Angra dos Reis in Rio,” Malicki celebrates.

Diversifying into new destinations is also part of Flapper’s strategy to achieve these goals. The company is targeting alternative airports in locations that are popular among upper-middle-class and AAA clientele. “We will start operations in Paraty (RJ) in October and in Pampulha, Belo Horizonte (MG), in November. We anticipate high demand for Belo Horizonte, especially since Confins Airport is far from the city center,” Malicki concludes.