subject: Thinking of chartering an aircraft [print this page] Have you been landed with the task of organising a complex itinerary that really is not working using standard schedule services? Have you been driven to consider chartering and are at a bit of a loss what to do? This brief document will provide a few pointers.
Who to contact? You can call a local air operator if someone obvious springs to mind, call an air charter broker (google them), try getting indicative prices off some internet calculation sites, or use your corporate travel agent, if you have one.
What to ask? Basically you want to provide the bare bones of a brief that can be quickly circulated to a range of operators for speedy comparative quotations. Typically these are the basics that will be required to obtain a quote. One obvious question is the date of outgoing and return journeys.
Timings these can be exact or indicative (Tuesday AM may well do to start with, and can be refined later)
Itinerary be careful here you can specify what airports you think are best but you may be limited by what the scheduled airlines serve. A charter aircraft can often get into smaller airfields . Probably best to say where you are trying to ultimately get to, and let your advisor suggest the best airfield.
The Load Numbers of passengers and expected luggage (golf clubs or ski equipment can complicate things). If the consignment is freight then weight and dimensions are usually required.
Security and immigration for international flights the nationality and ultimately the names and passport numbers will be required (but not necessarily at this initial quoting stage). Livestock or pets can also complicate matters. One of the joys of chartering is avoiding long security and immigration queues in main terminals.
Special requirements VVIPs may have special privacy needs; dietary and catering requirements may need to be specified; additional services such as ground transportation and accommodation may be requested; branding of aircraft with logos and literature may be requested for corporate events. Cabin service some smaller charter aircraft do not legally require cabin crew, and the level of cabin service can be specified including the refreshment offering.
Type of aircraft and length of journey certain long legs may favour faster, higher performance aircraft avoiding refuelling stops and longer flight times as compared with potentially less expensive options. Some customers have opinions on the acceptable size of aircraft and whether it is a jet, turbo-prop or prop, and also if it has an executive or standard interior fit. Helicopters may even suit for certain shorter itineraries.
Comparing and deciding Once you have a few quotations then you can compare the different solutions and make your selection. If you are using an experienced advisor they will be able to help highlight salient considerations for your choice. Remember to consider what will happen if your party is running late or the weather is foul. I once arranged a charter where the operator had to abandon my group, because they had another pressing engagement to attend to straight after our sector. This cost the client additional time and money whilst an alternative solution was secured. When comparing your price using standard scheduled services be sure to calculate the full costs of the trip including the efficiencies of air chartering in minimising away from base expenses, particularly for a larger group.
