People didn't travel early in the pandemic. Most people barely left their own homes. The idea of traveling with Covid zombies on an aluminum tube with poor circulation was a non-starter. Many who ventured outward and upward sought the safety of chartering private planes, which provided a more controlled (covid-free) environment. Private aviation continues to boom now despite being expensive both economically and environmentally. Therefore, fellow Louper Evan L. (formerly of Blade) and I created Katana (shameless promotion) to easily coordinate the splitting of private planes. Our sincere hope is that this small service will introduce the convenience of private travel and make it more accessible to the masses without the onerous pricing. Make the unaffordable less unaffordable!
Katana allows Members to find and share travel intent with Friends, Groups, and anonymously with other Katana Members. For example, if you want to travel from New York to Aspen on a specific date (or anytime really), you can first see if a compatible booked flight or interest exists inside or outside your network. If a flight exists, click it to reach out to the Originator for acceptance, and Katana will facilitate coordination. If one doesn't exist or the Originator doesn't accept your invitation to Join, you may Book the flight (Katana's Partners will find options) or Add interest so others can see it. It's that easy!
The initial (Beta) Membership annual fee is $150, which includes a 30-day free Test Flight; this price can be reduced to $100 simply by successfully inviting 5 Members to join your network and adding 2 Flights during the Test Flight. This is the Beta release, so constructive feedback (criticism) is valued, encouraged, and expected.
Now that many of us (hopefully) are vaxxed, the travel bug is back. I, for one, am dreaming of getting back to and/or discovering new bucket list spots around the globe. Yet, I'm still not game for the coughing passenger next to me with his/her mask below their nose. So, join us and Fly Katana, where we are splitting planes, and breaking barriers!
