For $1,250 a year, some South Florida households can now lock in a seat on a private evacuation flight out of the state before a hurricane even makes landfall, a new company says. PriorityEvac, which launched this summer, advertises that each membership covers up to two qualifying storms per season and that members can bring a pet for an extra fee. The pitch is simple: prearranged seats from major coastal airports to a hub outside the danger zone so customers can skip the last-minute scramble that hits commercial and traditional charter flights.
According to a company announcement via PRNewswire, the program reserves seats on flights operated by Global Crossing Airlines from six Florida airports: Miami International, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Palm Beach International, Tampa International, Sarasota-Bradenton and Southwest Florida International. Planes ferry members to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Founder Jason Murgio casts the service as a lower-cost alternative to last-minute private charters, and the public membership price is listed as $1,250 per person for the 2026 season.
How The Membership Works
PriorityEvac says members are assigned a departure airport based on where they live, and the program only activates when National Hurricane Center forecast thresholds are met. Once those “red activation” criteria kick in, case managers assign departure slots and aircraft are moved into position. The company’s FAQ notes that the flights use Airbus A320-family aircraft under a U.S. Part 121 operator and that the membership guarantees an evacuation slot but does not include a flight back home or lodging once passengers arrive. PriorityEvac also warns that extremely rapid storm intensification can compress or completely eliminate any aviation window.
Experts Weigh In
Evacuation researchers point out that most people in hurricane zones still leave by car and that flying out of state is usually unnecessary for many households. Eren Erman Ozguven, a civil-engineering evacuation expert at Florida State University, told the Miami Herald that evacuation is “mostly by car” and that short inland moves are often enough for people living in well-built structures.
Shelter Capacity And Demand
State shelter planning helps explain why a paid flight option might appeal to some residents. Florida’s Statewide Emergency Shelter Plan documents regional differences and ongoing shortfalls in shelter space, with several regions still marked as deficient for general-population or special-needs shelter capacity. The Division of Emergency Management recommends retrofits and new facilities to close those gaps as population growth and storm risk keep pressuring public shelter systems. Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Who It Is Pitched To - And The Fine Print
PriorityEvac appears aimed at wealthier households and referral networks such as insurance brokers, property managers and private-aviation operators, language the Miami Herald highlighted in its coverage. Both the Herald and the company note that if no qualifying storm occurs, the program keeps the $1,250 membership fee for the season. Pets can be added for an extra $125 per season.
Practical Takeaways
Applications opened this summer, and PriorityEvac says formal onboarding began in July 2026, with coverage running from June 1 through November 30 and a limit of two covered evacuations per household each season. The company emphasizes that activation hinges on National Hurricane Center forecasts and that airports will shut down once weather conditions exceed safe operating limits, a hard physical constraint that can make any aviation plan impossible if a storm strengthens too quickly. PriorityEvac.
For households that can afford it, the program offers a way to sidestep packed highways and surge pricing. For most Floridians, public guidance still leans on early inland evacuation and following county orders. Local outlets covered the rollout in June and July, and WFTV includes additional details for anyone weighing the option.
