Having worked for years on branding for Bradley International and traveled through major airports like JFK dozens of times, I know just how much of a pain it can be to fly commercial.

So I was very interested to see an article on Fast Company online titled “Fly Like You’re Rich With Social Flights (And Private Planes).” Social Flights.com is a social networking website that claims “Air Travel Without all the Hassles” as its tagline. Users coordinate with each other to book private airplanes for their trips.

Here’s how the site works: one user sets up a flight that they need to take, and they announce it to their “Travel Tribe” (other users from their geographical area). When other users join and fill the flight, Social Flights verifies the details with the operator and purchases the seats and then the flight is booked and ready to go.

The website is still in the Beta phase, but I think the idea will really take off, especially since commercial airlines are constantly adding fees and in general making it more of a hassle to travel.

Between Social Flights and the new open-to-all VIP lounges popping up at airports everywhere, traveling for the non-elite is getting better and better each day. I don’t have a trip on the horizon right now, but I definitely plan to test the site out when my next one comes up.

Chances are, I’d see a few wealthy people on that plane. After all, the rich didn’t get rich by spending. When they see opportunities to save, they go for it. If this concept is a hit, I wonder what kind of impact it will have on the fractional jet ownership industry. Only time will tell.