I fly a lot and commercial has genuinely ruined flying for me so I built something
ok real talk
I travel constantly and at some point flying just became… dreadful? Like airlines will tell you a flight is $180 and then by the time you add a bag, pick a seat that isn't a middle seat in the back next to the bathroom, and god forbid try to bring your dog, you're at $300+ and you haven't even gotten to the airport yet
and then you GET to the airport. two hours early. Shoes off. water confiscated. elbow war with a stranger for three hours. even first class can't save you from that part. You're still in the same chaotic terminal as everyone else just with slightly better snacks
Anyway, I stumbled onto semi private flying a while back and I genuinely could not believe it was real. You pull up, park for free literally outside the door, walk in, board in 15 minutes, and suddenly you're on a small beautiful plane getting served champagne with your dog sitting next to you
it felt like flying in the 50s. like when getting on a plane was actually an event and you got what you paid for. I would choose that over any first class seat on any commercial airline every single time. no question
the problem? Finding these flights is SO hard. Every operator, JSX, Aero, Tradewind, slate and more, only flies certain routes and they all live on their own separate websites. So even if you know semi private exists you still have to go on a full investigation just to find out if it's even an option for your trip
that felt wrong to me. This experience shouldn't be a secret that only frequent flyers stumble onto by accident
so I built @Aviato it pulls 100+ routes from 6 semi private airlines into one place so you can search, compare real ratings, check amenities, and actually figure out if semi private is an option for you, without losing your mind in the process
i'm just a girl who fell in love with a better way to fly and wanted more people to be able to find it 🥂
launching this weekend. Be nice i'm nervous 😭
Replies
Hello Inbox
Hey Lily, I’m the founder of @FlightList and I love what you built. Really nice design and great idea. I totally agree with you on the flying experience. Are you able to add more carriers? That’s my only criticism but you probably already know that. I would totally use your site.
@ismaelyws Hans, thank you, I really appreciate that.
From my research, these are currently the top carriers that meet the experience and reliability standard I’m aiming for, but I’d absolutely be interested in adding more if there are others you think belong on the list. Please let me know, I appreciate all advice and feedback!
Hello Inbox
@lilygaga Will do, good luck Lily.
It's a very cool idea! I'm sure that as you grow, you will be able to add more carriers, and even carriers that fly from, to and within Canada. One improvement I would personally wish for is searching for flights with flexible dates. There might not be a flight on a particular day I want, but there might be one a few days later, and I might be willing to arrange my trip around flight availabilities.
@mafaldamay Yes, expanding into Canada (and more routes in general) is definitely part of the long-term vision as Aviato grows.
And I completely agree on flexible dates, that’s a feature I’d love to build. Being able to see nearby availability and plan around it makes a lot of sense, especially with semi-private routes that aren’t daily.
Really appreciate you sharing feedback like this is incredibly helpful as I keep building!
Multis
when in europe? :)
@teawaterwire We actually already have European routes! BARK Air flies New York to several European locations, and we're keeping an eye on the European semi-private space as it grows. Right now the US has most of the action, but with companies like Volocopter and Lilium getting closer to launching commercial eVTOL air taxi services across Europe, we think that's going to change fast. We'll be adding European carriers as they come online!