Private Jet Charter News

In 2007, thousands of people all over the United States discovered the benefits of air charter. And every day, more travelers are discovering just how smart charter can be. It’s easier than ever to become part of the jet set, but there are a few things you should know:

What is a “chartered flight”?
Chartered flights differ from regular, scheduled flights on major airlines in a number of ways. First of all, charters are “on-demand;” that is, they conform to your schedule and needs, rather than you having to plan your day around theirs. Second, with a chartered flight, you’re actually getting the whole plane rather than buying a ticket for each seat.

Chartered flights on private jets can have a number of advantages. Chartering a flight can save you time and, often, money on your business trips. Charter offers the convenience of traveling on your schedule rather than on the airlines’ schedule, and flying to airports which are closer to your final ground destination. Best of all, charter gives you more control over your travel environment, including the comfort, safety, and security of a private aircraft.

Why is private jet charter so popular?
There are over 5300 airports around the United States that can accommodate a private aircraft. Compare that to the fewer than 500 airports served by commercial airlines and you begin to understand the most obvious of time savings associated with private aircraft travel. According to a recent survey people are 60% more productive on private aircraft over commercial travel.

Should I pay a membership fee?
Absolutely not! That’s the beauty of on-demand jet charter…Fly When You Want. Pay When You Fly. Some jet charter companies have you believe that you need to pay upwards of $100,000 to have “access” to a network of aircraft. That is not necessary. Keep your money. Make them EARN your business one flight at a time.

How do I determine if an aircraft is safe?
Safety should be a top priority when choosing a jet.  All charter aircraft are subject to very strict FAA rules regulating their use and operation. The FAA is specifically stringent when it comes to pilot qualifications and maintenance requirements. Further, all aircraft should be subjected to intense scrutiny and inspection by one of three independent aircraft-auditing firms - ARG/US, FlightSafety, or Wyvern. You should always ask for a safety record.

What should I expect to pay for private jet charter?
Prices vary depending on aircraft type. For instance:

Light jet prices range from $1500 and $2300 per hour. Some of the most popular include the Beech Jet 400A, Citation Bravo, Cessna CJ2, and Lear Jet 31.

Midsized jet prices range from $2400-$3600. Some of the most popular include, the Hawker 700/800, Learjet 55/60, Falcon 20/200 and Gulfstream 200.

Large jet prices range $3800-$8200 per hour. Some of the most popular include, Gulfstream III/IV/V, Challenger 601/604, Falcon 900/2000, and Global Express.

Be sure to ask for aircraft photos and tail numbers for any aircarft you are considering. Don’t fall victim, to the “bait and switch”, if a price is too good to be true…there is typically a catch.

Please let us know if we can answer any specific questions for you.

Safe travels!

Everyone seems to have an opinion on this so I thought that I would share mine.  Admittedly, as the owner of Executive Charter Services, a private jet charter agent, I have a significant amount of bias when it comes to individuals and corporations making use of private jets such as Gulfstreams or LearJets.  But after you clear away the hyperbole and the pithy sound bites what remains is that the proposed recipients of the “Bailout” money are companies who find themselves in dire financial trouble.  I’m not arguing how they wound up in this position, nor past usage of the company jet, but now - RIGHT NOW, is when private aviation is going to be most crucial to the survival of these companies.

The ability to travel from meeting to meeting with efficiency and rapidity, hold high level discussions en-route, and minimize lost productivity while away from the office is precisely why private jets are utilized.  You don’t see President Obama schleping around on Southwest, do you?  No, the taxpayers foot the bill for Air Force One and we are happy to do it.  We know that AF1 provides speed, security, and safety, to the most important American during this important time in our history.  While the media enjoys proclaiming private jet usage as the ultimate in wasteful spending, it is often more cost effective to charter a private jet than to fly commercially.  When all of the factors are taken into account - lost productivity, lodging, meals, rental cars, etc - the private jet becomes a true business tool.  (SEE BELOW FOR A CASE STUDY) But the media isn’t interested in that, the close detailed comparison would take too long and besides, it’s much easier to jump on the bashing bandwagon.

I will be among the first to admit that there has been and most likely will continue to be misusage of corporate controlled private aviation, but let’s not force troubled companies to add to their difficulties by arbitrarily compelling them to travel via commercial airlines.  I haven’t even mentioned the economic impact that the aviation industry and the private aviation sector have on the US Economy.  Billions of dollars of lost revenue, taxes, and jobs will result from a massive curtailing of the industry.

Yes, I agree oversight is needed and a more careful approach to determining the right use for a private jet is appropriate, but I also maintain that stopping use of private aviation altogether will ultimately hinder the recovery process.

CASE STUDY
A senior partner and five attorneys from a large and well known law firm based in Manhattan needed to fly from New York to Macon, GA for a full day of depositions and dinner with the client. The earliest airline flight with connection to Macon departed at 8:30 a.m. wouldn’t arrive until close to noon, forcing the quintet to depart New York the previous evening. Additionally, there were no flights departing Macon connecting to New York after 7:00pm which meant that they would have to spend 2 nights in Macon and leave the following morning for arrival at 10:30am back in NY. They contacted Executive Charter Services for assistance in determining if using a private jet would be cost effective.  We quoted a charter flight price of $9,475 for a seven-passenger Hawker 400XP business jet. The lawyers departed from Teterboro, NJ, near their homes, at 7:15am and arrived at the client’s office by 9:30am.  Because the five polished the questions for the deposition and worked on other cases while in the air, they were productive and billing during the 2 hours that normally would have been lost to travel.  After a full day of work and early dinner with the client, they departed Macon at 8:00pm, summarized the deposition on the way home, and were back on the ground in New York by 9:45 p.m.  While the cost for last-minute commercial tickets was about $4000 less than the price of the charter, the firm was able to add back 15 hours of billable time, saved the cost of 5 hotel rooms for 2 nights, and had 5 well rested, fresh, and happy attorneys who spent the night at home with their families.  In the end the private jet was actually $685 less than the commercial airline, making it a clear choice that chartering was the right option.

The premier event for business aviation, NBAA’s Annual Meeting & Convention brings the business aviation world together each year.

The premier event for business aviation, NBAA’s Annual Meeting & Convention brings the business aviation world together each year. NBAA2009 will be held from October 20 to 22 in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center, with a static display of more than 125 aircraft at Orlando Executive Airport. Over 30,000 representatives from every segment of the business aviation industry, from 82 countries around the world, will be present at this one-of-a-kind event.  You can expect to see NetJets, Marquis jet, Sentient, as well as Gulfstream, Hawker-Beechcraft, and Cessna all displaying their wares.

NBAA09 is especially important due to the economic and political climate private aviation has found itself in over the last 12-18 months.  With private aircraft singled out by congress and shareholders as extravagant wastes many corporate flight departments are fighting for their lives.  A main goal of the convention will be to help change public opinion regarding these essential business tools from being labeled as “private jets” to the more applicable and politically-correct “business jet”.

I will be attending the conference and will provide an insider’s perspective into the show and the “state of the union” for general aviation.  Follow me on Twitter (bizjetkev) for special coverage and offers during the convention.

Another Online Charter Agency Fails

In a classic example of the failure of the “One Size Fits All” philosophy, Virgin Charter has ceased active operations.  According to a company statement, “…due to the severe decline in corporate travel, Virgin Charter was unable to generate sufficient sales to underpin its business plan and has taken the difficult decision to close its doors.”

Richard Branson’s Virgin USA launched Virgin Charter in mid-2007.  Their model allowed charter users to make all arrangements via Virgins Web Site.  The business model was to charter aircraft owners/operators a fee based on a percentage of sales, but the buyer did not pay to use Virgin Charter
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We’ve recently seen the demise of two of the larger names in the charter business, Jets.com (formerly Charter Auction) and now Virgin.  Market conditions are certainly a major factor in the nationwide slowdown for charter agents and operators; however the business model that loudly proclaims to allow users to book charter jet solely online misses the point of private aviation.
 
Anyone can cruise the web to find accurate pricing for a private jet charter from New York to Aspen or Menlo Park to Las Vegas, but few will ultimately click to purchase an item with a $20,000 ticket price. The consumer wants to know details and speak to someone knowledgeable that can act as a consultant for him.  The online booking model works great for the airlines, because it’s all about filling seats, flying profitable routes at maximum capacity, rigid timelines and schedules, and keeping costs at an absolute minimum, while minimizing consumer flexibility.

Private aviation is different, and we should embrace that difference, not try to turn flying by chartered jet into a JetBlue experience.  This business is about providing personal relationships, flexibility, safety, security, and industry knowledge to those fortunate individuals who are in a position to consider a private jet alternative for their travel.  As the owner of a boutique private jet charter agency, I am saddened to learn of the demise of Virgin Charter, but at the same time – you can’t make consumers conform to your business model.  After all, if anyone could have made online private jet charter successful, Virgin’s and Branson’s reputation and brand-name recognition should have made them the one.