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The Ins and Outs of Chartering a Private Jet
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Do you feel like taking a trip but prefer to not deal with the hassle of airports or crowds? Or maybe you have a confidential meeting that can only be discussed 30,000 feet in the air? Whatever the reason, a great option would be to look into chartering a private jet if you can afford it. There are numerous benefits to booking your own aircraft, but as with most things, there are a few considerations to be made before packing up and heading off.
Benefits of Chartering a Private Jet
One of the main reasons people charter a private jet is because it's extremely flexible. Rather than flying on a tight schedule like commercial airlines do, the jet won't leave without you and will work around your schedule. It also offers access to more domestic destinations than other commercial airline services and will fly you into major or general airports. This is also an ideal way to get from one destination to another as soon as possible and avoid any long layovers or multiple connections that take up too much time.
But one of the best advantages to chartering your own private jet is the lack of stress you have to deal with. Passengers can skip waiting in a line and feeling like they are being herded like cattle through security and the boarding gate. With a chartered flight, you will depart from a private facility known as a Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) which allows you to have your vehicle driven right up to the door of the aircraft. Plus, you can choose who you want on the flight with you.
Price Factors
If you are looking for a cheap way of traveling, this is not the way to go. There are no group discounts so the price is the same whether there are 20 passengers on the flight or just you. While you can split the price amongst everyone, it will still cost a pretty penny. The price will vary though depending on a few things. The further and longer you fly, the more fuel you will need which means a larger aircraft and higher cost. They also often charge by the hour rather than the destination and will add on costs for fuel, taxes and landing fees. Another financial factor to consider is that you will have to cover the cost for the chartered jet to return regardless of whether or not you are actually physically on the return journey.
Some companies will only require an upfront deposit while other ones may offer a jet card which allows people to buy a set amount of hours for different planes. Other companies run it similar to a country club where members pay a large initiation fee to fly in their fleet and then continue to pay an annual fee which is roughly half the initiation fee.
Types of Planes
There are a few different types of planes that are designed for different distances and range in price from $1,000-85,000. The piston-powered plane can reach speeds of up to 200 mph and travel to destinations under 500 miles. The pressurized Large Turbo-Prop though reaches up to 330 mph and can hold 10-50 people taking them up to 1,000 miles away while the large corporate private jets go 500 mph for 3,000-7,000 miles and are filled with stand-up cabins, flight attendant quarters and full galleys.
In terms of what this looks like in price, a flight from Chicago (MDW) to New York (TEB) is a 2-hour journey and will cost around $8,000-10,000 while the 6.5-hour trip from New York (TEB) to London (EGLF) will set you back a pricey $60,000-85,000 according to Velocity Jets.
Ask Questions
Make sure to ask questions before booking the flight. Learning how to charter a private jet is a job that will take time, research and persistence. Some companies require a certain amount of hours that the jet needs to be booked for so enquire about daily minimums as well as taxi fees, repositioning fees and other hidden charges. Do you have a favorite pet you can't leave behind? Check and see if they allow pets and what their luggage limits are. Most importantly, call around for price quotes and find the best deal that works for you. You are paying a good amount of money for the private jet, so you should be getting what they advertise.
Plenty to Choose From
The United States alone makes up 49.7% of the world market for private jets according to General Aviation Manufacturers Association so there should be plenty of jets to choose from. The rest of the market is divided up between Europe (20.8%), Asia Pacific (11.8%), Latin and South America (11.6%) and Africa and the Middle East (6.1%).
Source: https://www.life123.com/article/the-ins-and-outs-of-chartering-a-private-jet?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740009%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
