Private Aviation

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What happens in a mechanical or other issue that results in losing the plane at the last minute?

Mechanicals unfortunately happen with planes. Good private jet operators are very careful with their safety and will not fly a plane if even the smallest warning comes up. Yet, as planes are flown more and more, this becomes more of an issue. While this is good from a safety perspective, it’s not great from a consumer experience standpoint.

When this happens, any good private jet broker should make sure that they have backup options on standby. Knowing where aircrafts are, which aircrafts are available, how long it will take to get the pilots there, and how soon can they recover from the mechanical, are all things that good brokers consider. However, during peak dates (and due to recent market demand), it may take more than 24 hours to secure a new plane.

The best brokers will try to back you up but cannot guarantee a plane or the price to remain the same as market conditions change rapidly. At FlySmoother, we purchase mechanical coverage on all our trips such that if we have a mechanical issue on a trip, we can spend up to double the original trip cost to find a new plane, without passing on any costs to the client.

How far in advance should we plan ahead?

In general, you should let your charter provider know when you want to travel as soon as you are ready. It’s important to let them know what the chance of a cancellation and change is so they can pick a flexible charter operator who might allow you greater flexibility to change dates or times (or refund).

What about last-minute flights?

Last-minute flights are doable so long as planes are available. This can be difficult during peak weeks such as holidays, the Super Bowl, etc.

How should we handle catering when flying private?

Private jets come with standard snacks and beverages on most flights. If you prefer larger meals or freshly prepared food, we suggest coordinating with your charter broker to arrange catering on the flight.

You can either arrange this through the airport catering company or depending on the city (this is easier in larger cities), you can arrange catering from your favorite restaurant to be pre-delivered to the aircraft.

How early should we arrive at the airport?

At most FBO’s, arriving 10 minutes before your flight is fine. If you must arrive earlier, we will advise you.

How does flying private through a charter broker compare to using a jet card service such as Netjets or Flexjet?

Prior to the pandemic, jet cards were a great option with reasonable costs, limited black out dates, and short call out times. In the past few years, these cards have been devalued, leading to high prices and black out dates.

Fractional jet purchases remain a great option. In general, fractional ownership maybe 50% pricier than chartering, but it offers guarantees that charter brokers cannot offer in terms of pricing, plane availability, lead times, flexible cancellation policies, and backup flights in case of a mechanical issue causing a delay.

If you are not price-sensitive and plan to travel more than 50 hours per year on private planes, we strongly suggest considering fractional ownership.

What is an empty leg?

An empty leg flight is a plane that is flying empty to reposition or return for an already booked (chartered) trip. Oftentimes, charter advertisements advertise empty legs at 75% off as a marketing ploy. But as the saying goes, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

In reality, even though these empty legs are a sunk cost, most operators will not sell them for such discounted prices. Booking a flight involves more than just the plane, it combines scheduling, operating procedures, and commercial policies. Beyond this, charter operators and plane owners believe doing so devalues their services. The goal of using empty legs for one-way trips is to avoid having to pay roundtrip pricing, but unfortunately you should expect to pay normal rates.

Should I reach out to multiple jet brokers to find the best deal?

All charter brokers have access to the same number of aircrafts, while some might have special connections in certain spaces. Regardless, when you reach out to multiple brokers, they are all requesting the same aircraft from the same operators, which creates a negative effect for the consumer for two reasons:

Charter operators might think there’s more demand than there is and that drives up the price.
Charter operators get thousands of requests per day, so if they see 10 of the same requests for the same exact plane and route, they might not even bother to respond as they think the consumer might be too price sensitive to proceed.

You might reach out to a new broker who is willing to take less commission to win your business when shopping, but in the long term, it creates problems when you have mechanicals issues, etc.

What is the general cancellation policy?

One-way jet charter flights are fully non-refundable. Round trips can be cancelled within 72 hours of the flight. Holiday flights & international flights will likely have a non-refundable deposit with a two week cancellation policy.

What safety certifications should I be aware of?

The gold standard for safety certification in private aviation are ARGUS Platinum and Wyvern Wingman

What should I know about using private jets during peak periods?

You can expect to pay higher prices during peak holiday periods. Supply and demand. It might be smart to book your private jet 90 days in advance. While most companies will absolutely try to accommodate any request you have, booking in advance gives you the best chance to get your preferred equipment at the lowest rate. Clearly 90 days is a long time, but the sooner ahead you can book the more options you will have. It also may not be a bad idea to back yourself up on a commercial flight in case you do run into a mechanical problem. It will be very difficult for operators and brokers to get you re-accommodated.

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Learn more about the opaque world of private jets