Corporate Travel is a Breeze When You Charter a Plane

Business executives run corporations because they are in control. Flying commercial presents the exact opposite scenario and makes the flyer know for certain that they are not in control. Consider that flights are on a preset schedule, commercial airports are located at distant locations outside metropolitan areas, security lines are often long and require embarrassing checking of private items in luggage, seating is crowded and your seat-mate may be a screaming child or a traveler listening to loud music you do not like. Following arrival, you may find your luggage after a long wait, or maybe not. A long walk out of the terminal may permit you to find your ground transportation, only to find yourself next in a lengthy traffic-jam. After arrival at your destination, you often find that the actual flight time was often far less than one-half your total travel experience.

Chartering a private plane on the other hand will make you feel that once again you are fully in control, making you feel right at home. Corporate travel can now be a breeze, since you leave from where you want, when you want and get from your desk to your on-board seat in only a few minutes longer that the actual car ride from office to airport. Other travelers around you are your selected group, ready to deal with any issues you need to discuss in full confidence and without interruptions. You have your meals when you want, or other services like hairdressers, masseuses or watching a movie of your choice or listening to music you prefer. Other benefits include limousine service, access to more airport locations, all sort of amenities on the plane and more. Call your private charter company to make your arrangements and stay in control to ensure your trips are once again a breeze.

Air Taxi vs. Air Limousine

Finding a new niche in the air charter market is hard enough, so if your competitor can exploit what they feel to be a weakness in your service, they will use it to drive your customers to their doors. This has been happening between two small air taxi companies. Both are flying new jets, both have great service on-demand. So what’s the problem? Lavatories, one company is using the fact they have onboard lavatories to define themselves as a better service. But what makes an air taxi an air taxi? Is it the way they structure their cost? Distance flown? Or having bathrooms? Well, one air taxi service has set themselves up with a per-seat cost structure, like the majors, and combined the on-demand feature of the charter, but with no bathrooms. The others have set up their costs like a standard charter by the aircraft, offering small on demand one-day trips. So it’s up to the traveler to decide which is more important, price or bathrooms?

Air Taxi Cost Per Mile Compared to the Majors

According to an International Herald Tribune article published in July 2006, air taxis will offer significant savings over air charters and private jet travel, but will still cost far more, on average, than major commercial carriers. Air taxi operators say they can offer travelers seats ranging from $1 to $3 a mile, compared with $9 to $13 a mile on executive jet charters, or up to $15 a mile on slightly larger private jets. Regional commercial airlines average less than 15 cents a mile flying 50 seat planes, according to industry executives quoted in the article. There are other tradeoffs to consider including comfort, traveling companion approval and choice of aircraft. Additional pro’s to using an air taxi, as with air charter, are no long lines at the screener stations, expedited departures and access to smaller airports.

Private Executive Jet Fractional Cards vs. Charter Cards

Fractional cards such as Marquis Jet and Flexjet 25 rely on company-managed planes that are "owned and operated” by the card provider. These companies have close relationships with plane suppliers (they're often subsidiaries of plane manufacturers) and possess the infrastructure to carefully manage and position their fleets. Charter cards typically broker aircraft outside their control. This is an advantage because for each trip, you can select exactly which aircraft will suit your needs. A short-runway light jet, a heavy jet, even a helicopter, seaplane or jumbo jet are choices. Fractional providers tend to streamline their fleets to about four plane models to simplify operations. NetJets and Marquis Jet are notable exceptions. Does this matter to you? For some customers, the comfort of knowing that your provider has intimate knowledge of the plane and its crew is important. For others, this direct oversight can be substituted by a careful set of procedures for subcontracting to third-party charter operators. It's more expensive to manage a fractionally-owned fleet and for some, the lower cost of a charter-sourced plane complimented by careful management is a worthy tradeoff.

Important Decisions in Air Travel Commitments

With private aviation, it pays to take a step back and survey the opportunities in private air travel. From full ownership to on-demand charter, the decisions can be complex, especially for fractional programs. Any model that involves ownership is going to have a greater cost and requires more legal assistance than the simple card programs. Even card programs can require careful planning, especially if you have to commit to one aircraft. The choice you make for one flight (long-haul personal travel) may not work for another (short business trips). Points to consider in making final decisions on choosing an air travel provider: up-front costs and any on-going and flight-hour expenses; the specific details of contracts, booking flights; the plan's focus on a specific timeframe, aircraft or travel pattern; similarity of experience across different trips; fleet size; safety assurance and plan flexibility and amenities. Just remember as your needs change so may the various types of air service you need. What may be perfect for you may not work for your executives. Being flexible and giving yourself the opportunity to mix and match services will serve you well in the long run.

Private Planes VIP Service

Just because you need executive charter service doesn't mean you don't need the kinds of security or privacy services that a VIP private plane charter can provide. When a high-level executive meeting needs to be free from outside hassles such as media attention, an executive jet charter flight may be the best place for that meeting. Your aircraft can definitely be set up to accommodate such mid-air conferences. The best executive charter companies will offer the same services as a VIP charter or diplomatic private flight, all you have to do is let your travel expert know exactly what your needs and concerns may be.

The Executive Jet Advantage

Even companies with preferred commercial carrier arrangements can often find themselves in a bind over sold out seats, black-out dates and emergency travel during peak holiday travel times. The executive charter jet solution offers instantly available arrangements with as little as four hours notice. When was the last time you could count on that kind of availability for a predictable price point from the commercial airlines? By working out the details of your flight needs with a private plane charter agent you can not only get predictable prices, you can better plan your last-minute travel needs based on the precise route you will fly without delays plus the confidence that the executive air charter service will have your aircraft ready in as little as four hours. Best of all, if time is of the essence, you can always request a faster jet where circumstances warrant it.

New Direction in Executive Jet Charter

Executive jet charters have long been transporting the worlds VIPs in style and luxury, but with more companies going global, executives have to keep pace with their competition. This means getting to a destination as quickly and easily as possible. No longer considered an exclusive service for the biggest companies, executive jet charter has become an every day way of getting business done. The old way of securing on-demand air travel with fractional ownership is giving way to more economical air charters. This way, you dodge the pitfalls associated with upkeep, maintenance and storage of owning one-sixteenth of an aircraft. To broaden its customer base, executive jet charter companies are breaking new ground with economical offers. One company, called DayJet, combines the service of air charter and the economic advantage of the airlines with personal on-demand flights, day or night for the cost of a coach ticket and hotel. This is a breakthrough for the air charter on-demand service and puts it in the reach of more people than ever before. They do this is by renting you the “seat,” but not the whole aircraft as with a full air charter. You can schedule a flight on your time and that is suitable for your needs. By owning the fleet, this type of charter can dictate their own price, instead of acting as a broker that offers several options from private jet owners participating in their program and adding their fee on top of it. The current limitations to this idea are choice of aircraft, location and onboard services. But if this new concept takes off, it could open a door for air charter, helping to secure the industry's future.

Owning a Private Plane vs. Air Charter Service

Would I save money buying my own private plane? It's a good question, without a simple answer. Many factors come into play when considering a plane purchase. First, don't let your ego get in the way of a sound decision. The prestige in owning a private plane can be intoxicating and can make you make choices you might regret later. This, of course, is a life lesson if you have never bought an airplane. The responsibilities of ownership can seem endless, not to mention a bottomless pit of expense. With rising fuel costs, parts, storage, insurance and timeline inspections and greater security on the airside of the airport, it makes you question the idea. Depending on the complexity of your travel, you may need nothing short of a flight department for your planning, just to keep pace with the ever-changing airspace restrictions that are issued daily. Air charters are your flight departments for hire.

Hiring experts for long in-depth investigation into finding quality aircraft for purchase is not just a good idea, but also a requirement if you wish to make the best purchase possible. You might also consider leasing your purchased aircraft to a charter company. This offsets some ownership costs, but restricts availability of the plane for yourself. If you really have your heart set on ownership of a jet aircraft, you may want to consider enlisting taking partners on this venture. This is more intimate than a charter and may provide a better flying schedule.

Dollar for Dollar, Private Plane Ownership Breakdown

A private jet could have a cost of around $2 million. Depending on amenities and extras, it could cost around $200,000 annually to operate with a crew, fuel and maintenance. These costs don't even factor in repairs. Also, there are mandatory testing and inspections, which start around $500. Then there’s the costs to operate the jet which can run about $500 an hour. To offset some of these ownership costs, some lease their aircraft out to air charters, but this defeats the point of ownership. The availability of the aircraft is jeopardized and if it is available, it may not be located near you. There are also different stipulations about sole private ownership and air charter service aircraft, which means additional inspections and more money.

If you're not a pilot, the person needed to fly your aircraft will have to be trained. Depending on the aircraft and schooling, such as flight safety, this could run between $5,000 to $10,000. There are also the FAA fees for check rides to get certified and some insurance companies demand a pilot have a certain number of flying hours before they can fly the aircraft.

Going into aircraft ownership requires the expert advice to help guide you through the process and even this can be expensive. But buying the wrong airplane at the wrong price could become something you can’t recover from.

Where Executive Air Charters Buy Their Planes

Some executive air charter services are taking the lead in innovation and offering state-of-the-art aircraft to their travelers. This means the traveler enjoys faster, more economical aircraft, greater comfort and safety. Other charter-owned fleets cost $3 million per aircraft and they are ordering 500 at a time. One air charter service in the euro market doesn’t operate any aircraft in it’s fleet that is older than three years. There are charters that don’t own any planes, but are just brokers of them. Others acquire whole fleets. That’s not to say broker aircraft are not safe, they are. They have to meet rigorous standards to even be considered for use in the network. But owners of the fleets have direct control over everything. There are, of course, more private charter services such as, air adventure charters, that fly pontoon-propped aircraft or seaplanes that may acquire their aircraft used.

Stress-free Corporate Travel When You Charter a Jet

When you charter a corporate jet, you are ensuring a more stress-free business trip. You eliminate the commercial airport hassles, including long walks through terminals, long security lines, restrictions on luggage, long lines at the gate, frequent departure delays and overbooked planes. With frequent schedule changes, there is a very real possibility of very late arrivals. When traveling for business and this happens, you could miss an important meeting or conference, costing you time and money, not to mention the aggravation and the possible embarrassment you may face for not being on time or where you need to be.

With your charter a private jet, you are in control of all the variables: the time you depart, where you land, who is on the plane with you (no screaming babies while you’re trying to work) and what amenities you want. If you’re on a long-haul flight, you can decide when it’s time to eat, sleep or relax. Should you want a masseuse onboard, or specific office amenities like training videos, white boards, etc., you can have that, too. If you need to bring a team with you, you can charter a corporate plane of the exact seaing capacity needed, whether it’s a small turbo prop plane, a helicopter or a jumbo jet. Chartering a corporate jet eliminates stress and minimizes your time away from your desk, allowing you to concentrate on your business instead of worrying about how to get there and back on time.

Private Planes VIP Service

Many executive jet services distinguish between executive charters, VIP charters, and diplomatic charter services. The real differences are in the services provided beyond the aircraft and limo service to and from the airport. VIP charters often require extra security arrangements, and diplomatic charter services may include an extra layer of discretion and privacy considerations built in to the arrangements. Executive flights concentrate more on the services available to the passengers, often including air-to-ground communication requirements and entertainment.

The Executive Jet Advantage

Executives know the need for urgent arrangements for air travel when emergency circumstances require it. Everyone in business had situations requiring to drop everything and get on the next plane to your destination. The biggest problems flying commercial carriers include sold-out flights, high prices for that last-minute reservations, routing requiring changing planes and layover delays due to scheduling and bad weather. It's nearly impossible to manage air travel in this way unless you have a predictable method to work with, and that's where executive charter jet services come in. Your charter jet agent can tell you exactly the time to fly and the costs based on the services you need. Predictable pricing will allow you respond to emergencies and accurately respond to your company's emerging needs.

Evaluating An Executive Charter Jet Service

Trying to determine which executive charter service is for you is easier than it looks. Some executive jet charter services list testimonials from faceless companies such as CNN and MGM. While those credits sound impressive, it's far more credible to read testimonials from actual people. When reading testimonials from well-traveled and easily recognized luminaries such as Dennis Leary, Sammy Sosa, and Jackie Mason, it's obvious that you are reading the words of an actual satisfied customer. If you need similar services to those who speak but on behalf of a particular executive jet charter service, it's very likely you will have a similar experience.

Business Travel is Smoother When You Fly Charter

Business travel can be a hassle, with long lines at security, overbooked flights and schedules that don’t always work well for you. Since most executives need to travel frequently for corporate and vendor company meetings, conferences or sales calls to clients, minimizing the difficulties during travel can be meaningful stress-reducers. One way to minimize the stress and time away from the office associated with business travel is to charter a jet.

In many instances when flying commercial the schedules are such that the travelers have to spend a night away from home and office simply because there are no flights to get them home the same evening. That unnecessary overnight stay not only incurs the hotel and meal expenses, but the extra time away from the office. When out-of-pocket costs such as hotel, taxi and meal expenses are added to the intrinsic cost of an extra day away from the office, the costs of a private charter can sometimes result in savings instead of expenses.

Since charters can be arranged for the exact number of people traveling, depart from the nearest airport and arrive at your precise destination, the savings in travel time are significant. Hassles and delays are eliminated by the shortest possible ride to the departure airport, quick security procedures, immediate boarding from auto to airplane. Since you travel together only with your party, without strangers around, you can conduct confidential discussions without hesitation. Also since the flight is direct, there are no changing planes, waiting again at airports for departure, etc. At your destination, there are no long walks through terminals, waiting for luggage and finding a cab, instead your luggage is loaded into your waiting limo, and you are at your destination in minutes after landing.

Evaluating An Executive Charter Jet Service

There are many executive charter jet services to choose from, but if you aren't sure which is right for you, the best way to learn is to make a single phone call to the company. Discuss all your potential needs with your private travel expert. Most executive air travel needs have been carefully handled by your charter travel agent for privacy, catering, in-flight services, and other amenities. The best executive jet charter services are well experienced in accommodating your needs, whether it is for additional security, specialty dining or entertainment, and aircraft availability as you may specify. Commercial airlines are well known for saying "no" for most special needs. Executive charter is a growing industry since it specializes in making available any reasonable service requested by the busy executive traveler.