How Does Chartering Work?

So you've made the decision that you'd like to fly private on your next trip, but having never chartered a jet before you have little to no knowledge of how to go about it, or what's involved.

Well good news! Intelli.Jet can help - and we're more than happy to do so.

Lets cover the basics.

Step 1:

Decide The Route

Most of us know where we'd like to go on holiday for example, so we'll tend to decide which airport we want to fly from, and based on where we're going, we'll know where we fly in to. Private jet charter is exactly the same, but private jets can operate into much smaller airports than commercial airliners. So if you have a small local airport to where you live, there's a high probability you'll be able to fly from there, rather than travelling to a major airport somewhere.

Step 2:

Broker or Operator?

Private jets can be booked by using a broker, or by going direct to an operator. So, what is the difference, and what are the pros and cons to each?

Broker - An intermediary between the client (you) and the operator (who operates the jet)

Pros & Cons - Brokers can search the market very quickly on your behalf, and they usually have a wealth of knowledge regarding types of jet, and various other aspects of the charter market. However, they will source a jet for your flight, but you'll inevitibly pay a little more for the flight as brokers place a mark-up on pricing they get from the operators. The amount of mark-up will vary between brokers.

Operator - Literally the entity that flies the jet. Sometimes, these can be a management company who operates the jet on behalf of the owner.

Pros & Cons - Operators will often be less expensive than going through a broker because they charge what they want for the flight, without any broker mark-up. However, a broker can search through the hundreds of operators very quickly, whereas if you decide to search the operators yourself, it'll likely take hours, if not days to do the same amount of searching.

Step 3:

Make The Request

Now you need to make the initial request for the flight. Both broker and operator will need the following information in order to provide a reliable and accurate price for any flight.

Departure & destination, date of flight (date of return if applicable), number of passengers, amount of luggage expected, and if any pets are coming with you (dogs - breed and weight required).

If you're using a broker, they will then search the market for the best options available and report back with the results once they have them. This can take an hour or so to get responses back from operators, but sometimes it can take days, so be patient with any broker you use.

Step 4:

Confirm The Flight

Once you get some initial options back it's time to see if any appeal to you. If not that's fine, but a broker will always be willing to get feedback regarding the options they send. It might be the pricing isn't waht you expected, or maybe a particular type of jet isn't one you wish to fly on. Feedback is greatly appreciated, as it helps narrow down the search and enables the broker to tailor your jet to the requirements.

If there is one you're happy with, advise the broker (or operator) you'd like to 'Confirm the flight', or 'go ahead with Option x'.

Step 5:

The Legal Stuff

When flight confirmation from the client is received, the broker (or operator) will need to reconfirm the availability of the aircraft for your trip, and assuming that's all good, then a flight contract will be issued. This will be in the name of the "Lead Passenger" and will need to be signed and returned to the broker (or operator) as soon as possible. The aircraft/booking is NOT confirmed until the contract is signed, and accepted. Make certain the contract terms & conditions are read and fully understood before signing, especially things like the cancellation policy, and information regarding de-icing charges.

Depending on how far away the departure date is, in most cases a deposit will need to be paid. This varies but is usually 10% of the whole charter cost outside of 30 days, with the remainder paid 7-21 days prior to departure. Inside of 21 days FULL payment is required. Please keep in mind that payments can take time (sometimes up to 5 days) especially when transferring significant sums of money across international borders. An operator will not fly any jet until the funds have been received in their account.

Step 6:

Sit Back & Relax!

Now all you have to do is wait for your departure day to arrive.

About 24-72 hours prior to departure, your broker (or operator) will send out a "Flight Brief" which will give you all the information you'll need to arrive at the airport at the correct time and place. This will also include details like aircraft tail number and/or flight number, crew names and contact numbers, the address of the FBO you'll need to report to, and various other details. Make sure to check this thoroughly and question anything that doesn't make sense.

And there you have it. A fully chartered jet will be waiting for you as/when/where you need it.

Notes:

Private jets don't use the main airport terminals. You'll be directed to an "FBO" (Fixed Base Operator) and this is the point of departure for most private jet flights, and the information will be detailed on your flight brief. The FBO will check you in, and deal with all the ground formalities prior to boarding.

No need to arrive 2-3 hours before your flight. Usually 10-30 minutes is enough, depending on how many are travelling.

If you're flying internationally, you still need your passports, and any visa requirements MUST be met. Failure will mean your flight will be cancelled, and you'll not receive any refund.

Safety protocols will be explained when you board, but expect the usual in terms of seatbelt use and emergency exit information.

Remember, although you have likely paid a significant amount of money for the charter, the jet is NOT yours. Please respect the interior, and always obey crew instructions.

Smoking / Vaping - Some operators allow this, others don't. If you'd like a jet and be allowed to smoke on board, please advise your broker at Step 1 so they can find a suitable operator for you. There is usually an extra cleaning fee post flight.

Pets - Many operators are pet friendly, although some more than others. It's worth mentioning that some will put a weight limit on dogs, for example. I've seen operators refuse to quote a flight because the clients dog is over their 10kg limit.

Dogs can be placed in cabin (no crate) in most cases, and without a muzzle unless the dog is prone to biting and/or poor behaviour. If an animal causes any damage to an aircraft (chewing/toilet accident) then expect a large bill for repairs.

All operators will charge a deep cleaning fee post flight, the amount of which varies.