Everything You Need to Know About Private Jets

Take it or leave, but they say the more intricately you can visualize something and the more often, the more likely it is that the thing your visualizing will become a reality. So private jets may not yet be in your future but it can’t hurt to visualize as much as you possibly can about chartering one now. Who knows, this seemingly “useless” knowledge may just come in handy sooner than you think.

What to Ask/Look For

Booking a private jet is serious business, mostly because it means serious cash, so you better know what you’re getting yourself into.

• Federal Aviation Administration documentation – A charter company must have a valid Part 135 air taxi certificate, authorizing the company to fly for hire. Some companies will try to sneak by with a Part 91 certificate, which the FAA has far less oversight over and which will increase your liability as a passenger.
• Insurance – The type of insurance the charter company is paying for says a lot about the type of company you’re hiring. If you’re charting a small jet (Cessna Citation, Lear 35, or Beechjet) look for $25 million insurance policies, $50 million for mid-size jets (Hawker, Lear 55, Citation III), and $100 million policies for large jets (Challenger, Gulfstream, Falcom 900). Some companies may also offer a passengers to be “named additional insured” if they’re frequent private jet flyers. It’s also important to ask for a copy of the insurance right before your flight because policies change frequently.
• Third-party audits – The Aviation Research Group (ARG/US), the FAA, and U.S. Department of Transportation all perform audits of private charter companies, their pilots, and planes. You may also want the access to pilot certificates, aircraft registration, operator certificates, accident and incident reports, enforcement actions, and ownership and management documents.
• On-site visit – Nothing can alleviate your concerns about the company you’re about to allow to take you tens of thousands of feet into the air more than seeing their facility, aircrafts, and staff first hand.
• Pilot hours/experience – Depending on the type of plane they’re flying, charter plane pilots should have at least 3,000 total flight hours logged and at least 300 hours logged on a specific plane.    

Types of Aircrafts

Private charter jets are typically divided up into size categories light, medium, and heavy. Knowing your approximate passenger count and your travel distance before inquiring about a booking will help the charter company better accommodate your needs.

Aircraft Type: Turbo Prop

Aircraft Models: King Air 90,
King Air 200,
King Air 350

Capacity: 6-8 passengers

Speed: 220-300 mph

Range: 1,500-2,000 miles

King Air 90

Aircraft Type: Light Jets

Aircraft Models: Beechjet 400,
Citation Bravo Citation, CJ1 Citation, CJ2 Citation, CJ3 Citation Encore Citation II Citation V/Ultra Hawker 400XP Learjet 31A Learjet 35A Learjet 40

Capacity: 5-8 passengers

Speed: 400-460 mph

Range: 1,600-2,000 miles

Beechjet 400

Aircraft Type: Medium Jets

Aircraft Models: Citation Excel/XLS Citation III/VI/VII,
Citation Sovereign Gulfstream G100 Hawker 700 Hawker 800/XP Learjet 45/XR Learjet 55 Learjet 60

Capacity: 6-9 passengers

Speed: 450-560 mph

Range: 2,200-2,800 miles

Citation Sovereign Gulfstream

Aircraft Type: Super Medium Jets

Aircraft Models: Challenger 300,
Citation X Falcon 2000,
Falcon 50 Series Gulfstream G200,
Hawker 1000

Capacity: 7-9 passengers

Speed: 400-525

Range: 3,200-3,600 miles

Aircraft Type: Heavy Jets

Aircraft Models:
Challenger 600,
Challenger 601,
Challenger 604,
Embraer Legacy,
Falcon 900 Series,
Global Express Gulfstream, G550 Gulfstream II,
Gulfstream III,
Gulfstream IV,
Gulfstream V

Capacity: 8-14 passengers

Speed: 500-560 mph

Range: 3,200-7,500 miles

Challenger 600

Cost

We could wrap up this section with one word: expensive. But to give you a better idea of what an appropriate cost would be, we’ll offer a quick breakdown for you.

If you’re anticipating multiple charters throughout the year, you may want to consider fractional ownership in a jet; the only problem here being that with this “sharing” model you lose a bit of the accessibility you become accustomed to.

If you’re looking for the more traditional charter method, you may be asked to pay by the hour. Most charters, however, will typically quote you an overall price for your trip much like a commercial airline. Make sure to confirm what’s included in your overall cost once you receive your quote; smaller private jets won’t include a flight attendant service but that doesn’t mean it can’t be added in for an additional cost.

If you’re somewhere in the middle between the two, you may want to consider inquiring with a company that offers packages. For example, you may be able to pay for a set number of flight days per year for a lump sum payment, ie: $35,000 for 10 days of flights or $75,000 for 25 days of flights per year.

What you’re paying for – When you book a private charter flight you’re paying for both tangible and intangible amenities. Charter companies, in addition to the traditional business overhead costs, are shelling out for additional costs like for airport fees and taxes. You, on the other hand, are shelling out for convenience – no security check points, baggage check (and fees), packing and baggage restrictions, privacy, and freedom to fly into the airport of your choice and to use the electronic devices of your choice without restrictions. Not to mention all the added amenities and services that are available to you (most likely at an additional cost):

• Hotel reservations
• Luxury ground transportation
• Concierge services
• Local entertainment arrangements
• Private, luxurious sleeping quarters
• Gourmet catering of food and beverage options for any dietary need, or want
• Wi-Fi
• Business equipment, such at AV equipment
• Comfortable tables
• Entertainment options of your choice
• First class crew cabin
• Pet services
• Secure and private terminal facilities
• Periodicals or newspapers as requested
• High end luxury on board services, such as In flight spa or salon service

How you can save

We know, the concept of “saving” on your private jet charter seems a bit far-fetched, but if you’re know what you should be paying for and what you shouldn’t you can easily cut back here and there.

You can inquire about chartered planes at your local airport; these location-specific operations already have a relationship with the airport you’ll be flying out of and may be able to save slightly on the airport and taxiing fees. Currently, Delta is one of the only commercial airlines to offer a private charter service, AirElite, but you will be able to get in contact with non-commercial private operators.

When booking your flight ask for the availability of “skulls,” “dead links,” or “empty leg flights.”

Oftentimes chartered flights are booked as one-ways, which result in those planes needing a way to fly back to their original destination. Also, when planes are booked for multi-day trips, the pilot is often required to fly back to his home base before the chartered return flight. You may be surprised how often these option is available.  The more flexible you are with your dates and airport locations, the better.

Because business and corporate flights are typically booked during the week, you may be able to snag some deals on the off days. And consider flying into a smaller, less-commercial airport to cut down on the taxes the charter owner has to pay.

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