Charter air transportation is more affordable and accessible than people realize. This step by step guide will show you how anyone can fly on a private jet, anywhere, anytime.

Charter Air Transportation – The Value

Private jets are typically positioned as an unnecessary luxury, a frivolous expense available only to those who have the money to be frivolous. Images of celebrity aircraft only add to this perception. Private jets are expensive but most people don’t fly on their own private jet, they utilize air charters instead.

Charter air transportation is very similar to any other form of charter transportation, such as ordering a taxi or Uber. Choose your place of departure, when you want to travel, and where you are traveling. The most significant difference is that you travel in a private aircraft rather than a private car.

Saving Time With Air Charters

The luxury of private jets is saving time. Most jets are not glamorous or extravagant. They are simple aircraft that can take you from A to B in the shortest amount of time.

• With charter air transportation you fly direct with no layovers typical of hub and spoke style routing.
• You set the schedule so you don’t waste time waiting around for a flight.
• Private jets can land at over 2500 airports in the US; you can take off and land closer to your final destination.
• Air charters can access very remote airports, which can save many hours of ground transportation.
• Charter air transportation uses airport FBOs, private airport terminals with expedited processes so you don’t need to wait or queue.
• With most air charters you can arrive just 10 – 15 minutes before departure.
• If you are late then the plane will wait – it’s your air charter transportation.

Indicative Costs of Charter Air Transportation

As a general guideline, private air charters have a similar price per seat to flying business class between the same destinations. Remember that scheduled flights are restricted to large airports. With a private jet you will also save money and time on ground transportation to your final destination, so the total cost can be cheaper than flying business class. Read how to slash private jet costs with 15 easy tips.

Commercial flights are booked on a seat by seat basis. With charter air transportation you must charter the entire aircraft. If the aircraft is full or close to full you will realize excellent value. If you book a nine-seat aircraft for one passenger the cost per passenger is obviously much higher.

Groups of friends and family can book air charters and pay for seats on an individual basis. This recent evolution in the charter industry has been pioneered by Airvel. A lead passenger ensures the charter stays within FAA regulations and the charter is only confirmed when all the seats have been paid for.

Yes, It’s Very Safe

Charter air transportation is governed by the FAA and a series of regulations. Every private jet and operator must have FAA certification under one of three important regulations.

• A minimum of a Part 91 certification is required for all private jets. These regulations are designed for jets flown for personal purposes.
• Part 135 covers aircraft used for on-demand operations; i.e. air charters and commuter aircraft carrying less than nine passengers.
• Part 121 is the FAA regulation applicable to regional and international airlines, covering all scheduled, commercial flights in the US.

Some operators charter their aircraft under a Part 91 certification. At Airvel we do not believe this is safe. This article on are private jets safe explains our standpoint. Statistics show that you are 12 times more likely to have an incident on a Part 91 aircraft than a Part 135 aircraft.

This article on Part 135 air charters provides more detail and covers all you need to know in a three-minute read.

Part 135 will soon adopt an even more rigorous protocol that brings them in line with Part 121 operations. We support these changes to Part 135 operations as explained in this article.

As an aviation technology company, Airvel uses data to improve the regulatory environment and integrate critical information from a wide variety of sources, including the FAA, Wyvern and Argus. We join the dots that push the industry forward.

Booking Charter Air Transportation – Step by Step Guide

1. Fly Anywhere, Anytime

With any air charter your options are virtually limitless. This is the advantage of flying private and it is worth repeating.

• Fly to and from anywhere with over 2500 airports in the US, plus international airports
• Depart anytime – you do not need to travel around flight schedules
• Fly on the aircraft that best suits the needs of the flight

2. The Best Aircraft for the Flight

With charter air transportation you can realize the benefits of owning a private jet, but with the flexibility of access to an entire fleet. Different jets are best for different flights. For example, turboprops provide excellent value over short distances. Transatlantic private jets require larger aircraft with a greater range.

This guide to aircraft for charter explains different sized jets, their indicative costs per flying hour, along with where and when they are best used. Every air charter is different so you can book private jets on a flight by flight basis. This minimizes cost as you don’t book jets that far exceed your requirements.

3. Explore Booking Options

There are many different means of booking charter air transportation. Most of these are now archaic.

For a significant pre-investment fractional jet ownership will give you a set number of annual flying hours on a specific aircraft.

For a significant financial investment private jet cards offer you a set number of flying hours on a specific type of aircraft.

For zero pre-investment you can book charter air transportation on a flight by flight basis.

Fractional jet ownerships and private jet cards restrict possibility. You must pre-pay for a lot of travel on the same type of aircraft. They are similar to buying a membership in a ground charter transport scheme – you pre-pay to gain access to a specific vehicle or an agreed number of hours. Unfortunately, you are also subject to ongoing costs and fees. You are also subject to various flight restrictions, so 16 hours of flying time does not mean 16 hours flying at a time that suits you.

These restrictions and limitations are pushing charter air transportation towards a contemporary approach – pay as you fly. Every flight is different and with a pay as you fly model you can pick the best aircraft for the job. You can also access the air charter market without any financial investment.

These articles on private jet cards and fractional jet ownership will provide you with more information on your options and their costs.

4. Airvel

Of course a pay as you fly model is great if you know where to find an aircraft and how to book an air charter. Traditionally this was done through a private jet broker. In the age of the Internet and cloud technology, it is now done through an online charter marketplace.

Airvel is the world’s leading booking engine for charter air transportation. It offers more aircraft to more destinations so you can book the best aircraft for each individual flight.

All aircraft and operators are certified through FAA Part 135. Airvel uses data from a wide variety of sources to impose additional safety requirements.

Airvel is completely free to use. You only pay for the flights that you book. Your private jet is only confirmed after you have made full payment. Pricing is completely transparent – what you see is what you pay.

With Airvel you don’t need a long guide to booking an air charter. You can search, select and fly. Our mission is to improve the accessibility of charter air transportation by removing all the financial and operational restrictions.

We believe anyone can fly private, anywhere, anytime.