Brokers have always positioned private air charters as an out of reach luxury. If you flip through the brochures you’d think owning a Bentley is a must and champagne is the drink of choice for all passengers. That’s simply not true. This article will show you how to charter a plane, how to get the best deals on airplane rental, and how to fly on a private jet. Hint: you don’t need to own a flashy sports car to get started.

Most of us don’t mind a glass of bubbly but that’s not why we fly private. We fly private air charter because it’s flexible, accessible and affordable. And while some jet brokers like to keep air charter a secretive business, we’ll explain how to charter a plane anywhere, anytime.

How To Charter a Plane - # 1 Forget Your Preconceptions

Flying on a private air charter sounds exciting, but it also sounds like an outlandish idea. A lot of people get the wrong idea about flying on a private jet and conclude it’s not the best choice, before they have even asked how to charter a plane.

Let’s take a look at what the misconceptions and what the truth is regarding private charters. Here are the some of the oldest myths around.

MYTH: Private Charters are only for the Rich and Famous or the 1%

A lot of people believe that flying on a private charter is only for the rich and famous. Of course, celebrities fly on private charters regularly, but in reality, the majority of the people who rent a private jet are regular people. In fact, more than half of private flights are strictly for business. Many are for senior business class customers on a tight schedule. Yes it does cost more to charter a plane than to fly with a commercial airline. But it’s not that expensive. And when you calculate the cost of the time saved, booking a private jet is cheaper than you may realize.

MYTH: Owning a Private Jet is Cheaper Than Chartering a Plane

It is a lot cheaper to charter a plane than to own a plane. Many people love to think that owning a private jet is the ultimate life goal. Owning a private airplane is expensive and consumes time. There is a lot of paperwork and very stringent legal requirements around maintenance. And who is going to fly the plane? Even if you own a private jet you still need a pilot. Just like owning a modern sports car, private jets suffer from a large price depreciation. Even Corporate Jet Investor advises people against buying a jet, for ten very different reasons.

MYTH: Owning a Private Jet Means You Can Fly Anywhere, Anytime

Owning a private jet limits you to the range and seating capacity of one single jet. But when people ask how to charter a plane they open up an entire fleet of possibility. Rather than being limited to a single aircraft, private charter flights give you access to over 4000 different aircraft. A Beechcraft King Air 90 is a great value option for taking your family or small group of friends on a weekend break. A Bombardier Challenger 605 has a longer range, so it can be used to fly East Coast to West Coast.

MYTH: The Security is the Same as in Commercial Terminals

Most believe they will have to stand in a long queue in the main terminal to be screened by the standard TSA security. However, most airports have a special terminal for private charter passengers, popularly known as FBOs. So while the same security measures are taken when flying by private charter as on commercial flights, the process is stress-free and fast. You can turn up just 15 minutes before departure, breeze through security and fly on a private jet.

How to Charter a Plane: # 2 Understand the Possibility

Air charters have been made up to be the realm of oil sheiks, Russian oligarchs, presidential candidates and frat boys with daddy’s credit card. The realm of people who own Bentleys but don’t even drive them. That’s what jet brokers want you to believe anyway. Here is the reality.

The Accessibility of Airplane Rental

Accessibility. That’s one word that most travelers don’t associate with private air carriers. Why? Brokers have worked to position air charter as out of reach for most. If your sports car doesn’t have plus-450 horsepower then you can’t fly private. If you’re not a top-level exec or business owner then private air charter is out of reach.

But private air charters aren’t much different from renting a car or flying business class. Just search for the flight you want, compare prices, pay, then fly. Why should it be complicated?

The Affordability of Private Air Charters

Most brokers charge membership fees or require passengers to use prepaid jet cards. Why? We really don’t know. Perhaps membership fees are part of the elitism. It just doesn’t make sense - you don’t need an annual membership to rent a car or fly commercial.

Private air charter is more affordable than you might think when using an open marketplace like Airvel. In comparison to traditional brokers, you can search for flights and get complete price transparency by using our centralized, nationwide network - what you see is what you pay. No fees, no membership requirements, no Bentleys.

You just book and buy flights as you need them - when you need them. And, you can even invite others to share the cost of the plane.

The Flexibility of Private Charter Flights

Did you know that there are over 2500 airports in the US alone? Rather than touching down at a busy international airport you can fly to a small regional airport, saving you time on ground transport. When you charter a plane you are also in charge of the take off time. So if you are experiencing any kind of delay you can call ahead and delay take off until you arrive - rent a private jet and it’s your flight, so you can’t miss it.

How to Charter a Plane: # 3 Airvel

How Airvel Works

Using the Airvel marketplace is as easy as booking a first-class commercial flight. But with all of the conveniences associated with private air charter. Like driving up to your terminal just 15 minutes before the flight and the flexibility to make last minute changes.

Here’s how to charter a plane in five easy steps with Airvel. It’s completely free and there are no membership or pre-pay requirements.

1. Instantly search for available aircraft. Over 4000 FAA-licensed charter aircraft are standing by and you can travel to and from any destination in the US, along with international airports.
2. Compare aircraft and flight options for your route. You can compare plane amenities, flight duration and price. Then select your plane.
3. You’ll need to pay to confirm your plane. Either pay for the full flight or reserve a seat(s), inviting others to share the costs.
4. Changes and customization. It’s your air charter. Make all the changes you need and manage all aspects of the charter through the Airvel Trip Management page.
5. Fly.

$500 Off Your Flight With Airvel

Take off with Airvel and we’ll take $500 off your first flight. And if that’s not incentive enough we’ll even search the aircraft for you.

Airvel is the nation’s largest marketplace for private air charter. If you’d like to learn more about Airvel you can call (844) 424-7835. Or you can start searching for flights at airvel.com

How to charter a plane is easy when you know how. Which is why we came up with Airvel. We were born out of a need to get executives to manufacturing facilities, and corporate clients to college football games and golf outings, so in a space too often represented by Glitterati and Bugattis, we quietly go about sourcing and delivering charter solutions that make business sense.

Our Customer Experience team is available to assist, online or on the phone. They can also support with ground transportation and handle special requests.

How to Charter a Plane for Business

Private charter flights offer a range of advantages for busy professionals. Top of the list is time-efficiency. From quicker check-ins to faster transit times, private air charter is the perfect way to fulfill multiple meetings in different cities, carry out several site visits in one day, or simply have more opportunity to remain productive while traveling.

By utilizing local airports you land closer to your end destination, minimizing ground transport. Add up the time saved and private charter flights come in at very good value. You get more time to do what you need to do. And there’s a flexibility that can respond to changing schedules.

Expansive cabin interiors, technological enhancements and luxury seating mean you can recline in complete comfort for the duration of the journey and arrive refreshed at your final destination. Airvel was built by business professionals. We know what it’s like to get stuck overnight in an airport like Dulles, because of a missed connection or inconvenient commercial flight schedule. And nobody ever wants to spend the night in Dulles. An experience like that is one of the reasons we wanted to make is easier to charter a plane for business use.

How to Charter a Plane for Leisure

A private jet charter also takes the stress out of traveling for leisure. Use a local airport, avoid general airport chaos, and start the vacation the moment you step on the plane. Whether journeying alone, as part of a small party or family, the generous cabin interior of a private plane allows for luxurious comfort and complete privacy during a flight.

Private terminals mean faster security checks and you only need to show up 15 minutes before departure time. Airplane rental means more time is spent enjoying the getaway instead of waiting in line. You don’t need a layover as you can fly straight into your destination, whether a Caribbean island or remote ski resort.

How To: Enjoy All the Benefits of Airvel

Airvel is the largest online marketplace for executive air charter. Think of it like any other flight comparison website, except for private air charters rather than commercial flights. That means you’re searching for a private plane and can enjoy all the time and cost benefits. This page shows you how to charter a plane with Airvel. Here we explain some of the added features that has made Airvel the world’s leading marketplace for private air charter.

(1) You can share the cost of a plane with others

sharing the cost of an aircraft isn’t possible if you contact a part 135 operator directly as the FAA prohibits them from selling individual seats or shares. However, with Airvel you can book private air charter online and invite others to split the cost of the plane. Just send a link to those who will be joining you. After the plane is paid for in full, the aircraft is reserved and all payments are processed at that time. It’s a great feature for friends and family members who want to travel together for an event or vacation.

(2) You can compare estimated prices online

The Airvel marketplace is completely transparent. What you see is what you pay. So instead of sending multiple emails and reading multiple PDFs you can easily view and compare all of your travel options in one place.

(3) There are no blackout dates or travel restrictions

If you have a jet card you’ll know that there are regular restrictions, such as blackout dates and aircraft availability constraints. There’s none of that with Airvel. Just wherever and whenever you want to fly.

(4) You can book flights to and from more than 2500 municipal airports nationwide

Instead of hunting down aircraft operators in each region, we make it easy for you to access aircraft in all 50 states.

5) Airvel is completely free to use

No pre paying, no memberships, no annual travel commitments nor need to change your plans. Just search, select, pay for the flight and fly.

Want to learn even more about Airvel? You can discover more about the nation’s largest online marketplace for private air charter online here.