An airline is about to do what the business aviation industry has attempted to do for decades with only limited success: introduce elite airline fliers to the convenience and privacy of business jets. This week, Delta Air Lines is set to start a new business jet upgrade program for its “Medallion” frequent fliers, meaning those who fly more than 25,000 miles annually on the airline.

Depending on aircraft availability, under this program elite Delta SkyMiles members could be offered a flight on a chartered business jet operated by subsidiary Delta Private Jets. These upgrades would cost $300 to $800, depending on the destination, and are per leg, not for the passenger’s entire end-to-end trip.

Delta Private Jets received U.S. Department of Transportation approval to fly mainline passengers on 160 routes in the U.S. four days a week (Tuesday through Friday). The first flight under the program could come as early as this Friday, a spokeswoman for Delta Private Jets told AIN. Initial flights will be concentrated among Delta Air Lines’ hubs at Atlanta, New York La Guardia and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airports.

German carrier Lufthansa already offers scheduled passengers the chance to book chartered flights through its Lufthansa Private Jets partnership with NetJets Europe. Qatar Airways also has its own private aviation service through its Qatar Executive division, and Air France offers private jet connections for first-class passengers through a partnership with Wijet.