Facing problems trying to select which private jet you should take on this family vacation? Or not sure if “your” 6-seater aircraft will be enough to fly the bunch to your extravagant birthday bash?
As bizarre as these first world problems might sound, they can be the questions you might ask when presented with a grand fleet of private jets to fly from.
And here are the answers you are looking for!
Whether a business corporation looking to fly with their associates to a clientele; a sports team venturing to a tournament; a family flying out for a relaxing vacation; feeling extra fancy to experience the luxury of a private jet but not having the celebrity cash to buy one; looking for a flight with minimum layovers to urgently journey to a remote location (as shady as it might sound); all these wishes can now be granted and it’s as easy as booking a hotel room!
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CHARTER FLIGHTS
Chartering a flight is exactly as it sounds. One hires or rents an entire aircraft to journey to the desired location, for which departure and arrival times can be set at one’s liberty.
Companies like Monarch Air Group, and others offer charter services.
FEATURES
A charter flight holds certain advantages over scheduled flights which makes it a more practical option for certain people depending on their needs.
- Destinations: By chartering a flight, the destinations one can travel to become far more wide-ranging as compared to scheduled flights. Remote locations, which might not have commercial airports, are made available to the client, making traveling to underpopulated areas and small tropical islands feasible and the hassles of layovers or connection flights are reduced. (save time and money; take a direct charter flight rather than first flying commercial to a commercial location and then flying charter to your destination)
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- Routing: Customised itineraries according to the user’s preferences.
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- Flexibility: The client has the flexibility to alter the set route up to 24 hours before departure time.
- Scheduling: You need not be bound by arrival and departure times as the aircraft is made available at the client’s beck and call.
- Leisure: Eliminate the stress of going through an airport and waiting in long check-in queues. You might as well pull up in your car right next to the airplane.
Image by Lakey Cornelius
FBOs (Fixed Base Operators) like Signature Flight Support, work towards a hassle-free boarding experience and directing the flight towards the most suitable landing location which could be a special terminal in a commercial airport like Gatwick or PDK, but is mostly a smaller private airport.
- Luggage restrictions: On private charters, TSA rules like 3-1-1 liquids rule or checked baggage rules are not imposed. However, the baggage limit depends on the type of aircraft you are flying on, the total number of passengers and so on.
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- Luxuries: Experience supreme comfort and luxury with charter flight services ranging from recliners, gadget hookups, free wi-fi, satellite tv to custom-making your own meals, choosing your company without any restrictions as to who sits where (your pets can be right by your side) and all the legroom you can ask for.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
- Your demands and issues will be taken care of with the crew always being at your assistance.
THE DIFFERENCE
How are Charter flights distinct from commercial or scheduled flights?
- For starters, scheduled flights are operated by commercial airlines on a standard schedule each week, with predefined routes.
- Scheduled flights sell individual tickets as opposed to charters letting out the entire aircraft.
- Charter and scheduled flights vary in their passenger accommodation. Commercial airlines are maximized to accommodate as many individuals as possible. Charters have a smaller passenger capacity.
- Scheduled flights may have a stronger backup in comparison to the typical charter flight.
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CHARTER SERVICE MODELS
There are a variety of options for you to choose from when it comes to booking a charter flight.
- Charter Operators: These are firms that own fleets of aircraft while also having the direct authority to market their flights for hire.
- Charter Flight Brokers: Brokers help their clients in arranging a suitable flight according to their demands.
- Jet Cards: These come under charter memberships where hourly rates are fixed for different jet categories. These jet cards are sourced from charter operators and brokers.
- Online Marketplace: Find charter flights online, booking straight from the operators through websites and apps.
VARIOUS CHARTER FLIGHTS
As there are service models and aircraft, charter flights are of different kinds as well.
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- Private Charter Flights (single-entity): This is the typical charter flight complete with all the amenities. The rate of the flight depends on the services and luxuries made available.
The cost of the entire plane must be borne by a single entity or an aggregate of individuals that have formed a single-entity or an organization.
- Public Charter (regular charter flights): These are seasonal flights and run according to the time of the year. They work like normal scheduled flights and are different from the typical private charter flight. Tour companies rent these aircraft and sell the tickets individually. Their price ranges from low to normal budget operators but the tickets tend to get cheaper as the departure date approaches.
The operators of these flights also have the liberty to cancel the flight within 10 days of departure in case of insufficiently filled seats and delays in departure may occur as well. In case one cancels their booking, a fee might be charged with no refunds and if a flight is missed, a substitute flight won’t be arranged.
While traveling using public charter flights, it’s important to check if the charter has been approved.
- Affinity (consortium): These flights are hired by an organization for its members where individuals pay for their respective seats. In order for a person to qualify as a member to travel using affinity charter flights, the person must be affiliated with the group for a minimum of 6 months prior to the flight unless the individual is an employee of a single commercial establishment, govt. agency/industrial plant or a student or employee of a single school.
- Special Event Tours: These flights are organized for the purpose of attending a special event for a limited period of time. The prices of these tours fluctuate and can be increased by the operator by 10% (in case of higher increases, a person is liable to a fully refundable cancellation). The rates can be increased only up to 10 days prior to the departure.
Operators might market these tours with the inclusion of the event tickets for which they must hold a contract. If the declaration of tickets has not been made, it’s very likely that the tickets are not included.
Precedents of this category of charter are Burning Man Air Charters and Hajj Charter Flights.
- Cargo Charters: These charters are for transportation of goods and currency.
TYPES OF AIRCRAFT
A wide-ranging fleet is available for flying charter.
- Ultra long-range jets
- VIP airliners
- Heavy jets
- Mid-cabin jets
- Turboprops
- Super mid-cabin jets
- Large jets
- Light jets
- Seaplanes
CHARTER FLIGHT QUOTES
Another important aspect of flying charter is the pricing.
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When it comes to private charters, the prices can range anywhere from $3,000 – $10,000 per hour.
A charter quote is inclusive of
- Route – The itinerary and destination are big factors in the rate of the flight.
Empty leg flights are easy on the pocket. Charter flights generally carry passengers as a one-way mission. These are one-way charter flights which are scheduled to fly as they are either returning to their base or relocating to be used from another location. Also known as deadhead flights, these flights are comparatively cheaper as they are bound to operate anyway, with or without passengers.
Discounts on these flights are available depending on the popularity of the route.
- Standard of the aircraft (as the luxury of the flight increases, so does the price)
- Fuel rates
- Type of aircraft
- Memberships – Depending on the amount of travelling you engage in, charter flight memberships like jet cards and lease memberships might be resourceful for frequent fliers when considering the sum total. Usually, require advance payment and a commitment for a set period of time or flying hours.
- Shared Charter Flights – Some charters allow their clients to book seats on private aircraft which is a much cheaper option to flying private. Technically, this is similar to a commercial flight as one might not have the liberty of choosing the aircraft, their fellow passengers or the arrival and departure timings.
- Other aspects like de-icing, maintenance costs, etc.
Public charter flights are another story as they are similar to scheduled flights and private charters are way costlier in their contrast.
- Public charters may even cost less than commercial flights.
- Last minute deals can be availed at dirt cheap prices.
- In public charters, the tickets tend to get cheaper in contrast to commercial airlines where tickets get expensive as the departure time approaches.
Acquainted with the basics of charter flights, you are now ready to start customizing your own trips and flying experience!
Infographic Image CreditsFirst image by ThePixelman
Second image by PDPics
Third image by 272447
Fourth image by StockSnap
Fifth image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians
Sixth image by Lars_Nissen
Seventh image by wei zhu
Eighth image by Yatheesh Gowda