Private jet cards are usually compared against each other, weighing up costs, aircraft and charges. In this expert article we compare private jet cards with other options that may better fit your flying needs.

Comparing the Costs of Different Jet Cards

Jet cards grew in popularity because they promised simplicity. Instead of phoning a jet broker, you could buy a private jet card and use your hours whenever a flight was needed. But individual jet cards are very very different from each other. There are more than 250 programs on the market and the number of providers has more than doubled over the last decade. There is more and more to compare and it’s a murky world when you scratch beneath the surface.

Comparing Charter Operators

One place to start is to compare different charter operators or providers. How big are they and how long have they been doing business? What do their financials look like? Do they operate on a safer Part 135 operation rather than a Part 91? What kind of experience do they have in private aviation and where are they doing business?

An essential variable to consider is the operator’s primary service area. The majority of programs are regional rather than nationwide. Only some will include flying worldwide. You can get better prices and service when you fly in the operator’s main area. But what if you need to fly all over? And what if no single operator can meet your requirements?

Comparing Programs

Now the questions are endless. How many hours is the basic starting point for comparing programs, along with the size of the aircraft. Some jet card memberships start at just five hours but others need a 25-hour commitment. Of course you will need to compare the up-front costs and these typically start at USD 100,000. Then you need to look at the aircraft they have available. Can you change the size and type of aircraft to meet the needs of each flight? Or will the program lock you into a specific aircraft? Maybe there is an interchange fee so you can downgrade and upgrade the plane.

Now start comparing where the operator sources their planes. Are they a middleman or do they own their planes? What’s the policy with cancellation and will it end up costing you? Insurance, toilets, Wi-Fi, lead-in booking time...there is so much to consider when comparing jet card programs and that’s beyond the basic price. For most people the bottom line is how much is it going to cost. And comparing costs is the trickiest thing of all.

Comparing Costs

The vast majority of private jet cards operate on an hourly basis. Multiply the number of hours by the cost per hour and you will have the price of the jet card. Well, that’s what you would think but it’s never this simple. Just looking at the hourly rate can end up costing you a lot of extra money.

Some jet cards include taxi time. Others charge 12 minutes per flight. 12 minutes is a lot of money at USD 12,000 per hour.

Most private jet cards do not include the 7.5% Federal Excise Tax payable on all flights within the United States.

All private jet cards have a minimum number of hours for each flight or for each day. Two hours is a common minimum. So whether you fly for 30 minutes or 120 minutes, you will always be charged for two hours of flying.

How about relocation fees? If an aircraft has to relocate to your departure airport who pays for those flying hours?

Peak days? Some jet card operators only have a handful of peak days per year. One jet card program has more than 100. Peak days are the most popular days to fly, such as Thanksgiving. So jet cards charge a surcharge, anywhere from 5 – 40%! Read more about hot dates for private jet travel here.

You would assume that a price per flying hour includes everything needed to fly, such as the pilot, aircraft and fuel. However, most cards add on a fuel surcharge, so you can pay an extra 10% on the hourly price for something that really should come as standard.

This in-depth article on jet cards will give you more information on the over 30 different fees and surcharges. You can pay for de-icing, FBO surcharges, catering, and so much more.

And then you must think of initiation fees that add on up to USD 30,000 in upfront costs to the jet card price. The annual membership fees are just as steep and a real sting if you want to roll hours into a new year.

Realizing Possibility – Jet Cards Compared

Private jet cards are not the only way to charter a private jet. You can arrange air charters in other ways as well.

Fractional Jet Ownership

The most traditional route into flying on a private jet was to own one. The next best options was to own a fraction of a jet. Fractional jet ownership starts at 1 / 16th, as in you own 1 / 16th of a private jet and can have access to it for 1 / 16th of the year – typically 50 hours based on the standard of 800 aircraft flying hours per year.

Own part of a jet and you are responsible for part of the fees, including the pilot, maintenance and hangar fees. This article on fractional jet ownership will explain more and provides a cost comparison analysis to work through. For most people this is an expensive and over the top solution that doesn’t offer the flexibility of modern air charter.

Private Jet Broker

Call a broker and the broker can arrange an air charter. Simple, right? You need a flight, you call your broker, pay the necessary commission to the broker, and off you fly. With a private jet broker you can pay as you fly, rather than being locked into a long-term commitment or membership scheme. The challenge is finding an aircraft. Own a private jet card and you have a single number to call and book your flights. Private jet brokers need time to set up any flight and most have a regional specialism. So you will need a different broker dependent on where you fly.

The pricing is murky and it is easy to be ripped off, especially if you want a jet at short notice. So not many people trust private jet brokers anymore, especially considering that there is no industry-wide certification or qualification. You can become a jet broker tomorrow. All you need is access to the Internet and a phone. With such a thought it’s no surprise that the air charter industry quickly evolved into private jet cards.

Pay as You Fly

The good thing about a jet broker is that you can pay for flights as you need them. Private jet cards demand high upfront costs and lock you into a membership scheme. They lose a lot of the flexibility and value that air charters can offer. Every flight is different and the best value can be realized when you charter an aircraft based on the needs of each individual flight, rather than signing up for 25 hours or 12 months.

But this is the 21st century and you don’t have enough time to go around looking for flights. The luxury of private jets is the time you save. You want to pay as you fly, but you also need the ability to fly anywhere at anytime, often a short notice. How does that fit into private jet card comparisons?

Well, the opportunity and value is already here. You can pay as you fly and be in the air two hours from now. And you can have a choice between more than 4000 aircraft to over 2500 airports.

Airvel

Airvel is the world’s leading booking engine for private air charters. It is revolutionizing the air charter industry in the same way online booking engines transformed commercial aviation.

You can use Skyscanner or Kayak or Google to search for scheduled flights between any two locations. Now you can use Airvel to search and book a private air charter between any two locations.

Airvel has the largest available database of aircraft, operators, and all the safety ratings and certifications that accompany them. Airvel filters out FAA Part 91 operators because you are 12 times more likely to have an incident on a Part 91 aircraft than a FAA Part 135 aircraft.

With Airvel you can access safe aircraft instantly. Pricing is transparent so what you see is what you pay. Just search, select, pay to confirm, then fly.

Welcome to the possibility of air charter fully realized. Anywhere, anytime, no restrictions on aircraft type, and absolute power to the customer. Try it today.