Tuesday, May 27, 2008

How to Select a Private Jet Company?

With every passing year, a growing number of individuals and businesses are chartering private jets primarily for convenience and time. As the popularity of chartering private jets is skyrocketing, so are the numbers of companies offering private jet charter services.


While on the one hand we are getting a wider range of choice but at the same time it is becoming difficult to select which service would suit one best. Hence it's imperative that you know what to look for in a private Jet Charter services company while making a decision.


Check out Reputation of Private Jet Charter Company


The first thing that you should do is check out the company's reputation in the market. Its worthwhile to do your own analysis of the company. If you are spending a bomb on your travel, quite naturally you would want to hire a private jet from a company which is highly rated and recommended. Check out whether the services provided are satisfactory, excellent or just average.


You can examine a company's reputation by doing a standard internet search. The results found should give you an idea about the company that you would like to do business with.


Know the types of jets available

Apart from reputation, it's also important that you find out how many types of jets the company is offering. Remember every private jet has its own unique features and benefits. Some are ideal for long distances whereas some are best for only short trips. Some are ultimate in luxury while others are economical.


In majority of the cases, you will find that private jet chartering companies have a fleet of jets. Most of the private jet charter companies have detailed information about their jets, including pictures or floor plans on their online websites. This gives you an opportunity to choose a jet which best fulfills your purpose.


Check out safety Measures

Although jet charter companies by and large give a lot of attention to safety and security, it is still advisable to check out the safety measures taken by the particular private jet company or companies you have in mind. Companies have information pertaining to their safety policies on their website. Perform a standard internet search about the company.


Do the Cost Comparisons between Private Jet Charter Companies

Since traveling by private jet doesn't exactly come cheap (it actually is quite a packet), its always better to compare the rates of various jet chartering companies, and choose the best deals. Irrespective of the fact whether you are traveling on a budget or you are looking for the best services, it's always prudent to hire a private jet from a company that has reasonable rates.

There is really no sense in forking out a fortune when you can always get a better deal without compromising on quality and safety if you look around. With a little bit of research on the net, you can find a reputed chartering company that also charges a reasonable fee for their services.


So when you decide to hire a private jet, do your research and find out all the necessary information and then make an informed decision. After all you are spending huge bucks to charter a private jet. So why not choose the best of the lot?

Private Jets Price Comparisons

These days you don't have to be a millionaire to Charter a Private Jets. The Price range of chartering a Private jet various according to the size and the features of that specific Private Jet.
For purchasing your own Executive Private Jet you could be looking at just 6 million Dollars. The usual perception is that it would cost much more then 6 Million just to Charter the Private Jets. Furthermore, if price is not a restraint then sky is the limit.


The prices of the light Private Jet usually start from $ 3 Million whereas if you are looking for a Medium size Private Jet the prices would start somewhere around $ 9 Million and if you are looking for a larger Jet then the price would start from $ 17 Million Dollars.


For the companies and individuals habitual of Chartering Private Jets have various price offering by the Private Jet Chartering Companies. Prices for the charter jets are based according to the type of jet and the jet size you chose, the amenities you require (food, drinks, liquor), and the destination of your flight.

You can pre-book your flight, paying by the person or as a packaged deal. You will find better rates available to you when booking a private charter jet as a packaged deal.


Prices for fractional jet ownership can involve forking out money up front. You can expect your share of the purchase price to start out at around $400,000 or more depending on what is your share of the interest in ownership.

It's like buying a time share. You split all the costs for maintenance and upkeep and the jet is available to you at certain times of the year. Your cost for the jet depends on what type of aircraft you are purchasing and how many people are splitting the purchase price with you.


The other option you have is a jet club credit card, or more likely a secured credit card. Charter services require anywhere from $100,000 deposit on up, depending on which private jet service you use cost will vary. This credit card is then redeemable for flight time.


Price wise using a private jet broker will give you the most for your money. It is the job of the jet broker to find you the best prices, with the most options available to you. Using a broker not only saves you money it also saves you time. You let them do the leg work and you get the trip of your dreams.


Thanks to competition, private jet companies have made flying on a private jet very doable, creating competitive prices that are affordable, even if you are not a millionaire.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Private Jet Recommendations is a must

If you are interested in Chartering a Private Jet & you have already made your travel plans with a Private Jet Company. If you are thinking about Chartering a Private Jet and are confused and if you seem to have the feeling that you should look around and asked a few people that you know or infect ask those that you do not know then you should. Asking for an advice in Chartering of Private Jet might be a good idea.

Now before sharing the benefits of asking for recommendation to the Chartering Agent or Private Jet Charter Company let me shed some light on the fact that how you should go about it. First for the people that you know who have hired a Private Jets before these could be your neighbors, friends, relative, co-workers, competitors or related people. You can ask them for their advice and recommendation on which company to go with.

On the other hand if you don’t personally know any person who have Chartered a Private Jet before then what you could do is do a research online. With the internet communities exploding the Private Jet Industry is not left behind. If you visit some good websites you will find some really good resources on the subject. Whereas, for the same purpose you can also utilize the Private Jet Chartering Company’s website too. Such, companies have their built in message boards over there websites to that anyone interested can easily interact with the company. This interaction is not just limited to booking, buying or related. Therefore, if you have any question or doubts/confusion about anything feel free to share that with the online Private Jet Chartering Company and they will be really glad to help you out.

As far as the benefits of these recommendations are concerned first is that the Chartering of the Private Jets is considered to be an expensive deal. Before getting through with this you need to make sure that you are getting your money’s worth. By doing some research if you can manage to save from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars then it would not be a bad bargain.

Secondly, the level of service could be a big concern amongst the persons who is looking forward to Charter a Private Jet company. By asking for recommendation and checking out reviews you will come to know which company is known for its quality of service. Expectedly these companies may charge a bit more then other companies but when you compare the quality of service so that becomes a worthwhile experience.

These recommendations could be misleading too sometimes. Therefore, doing a research on your own backed by some stats, facts & Figures is always good thing. At times you know a person might be telling you that this company is really bad or that company is not worth doing business with. However, what we need to ask are the reasons. Why I ask for this is cause many-a-times the person might be having a lot of expectation and might not be briefed completely about the whole package.

However, in comparison of the good and bad points of asking for recommendations about chartering a Private Jet the Plus Points always take the lead.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Private Jets Fractional Ownership Explained

We've all experienced it - the commercial flight. After a mad dash to make it to the airport on time, including the hours allotted for getting through security, where you'll have to take off your shoes, empty your pockets, and prove that your laptop is not a bomb, you sit and wait for a couple hours before they decide to start boarding, and give you the privilege of sitting in the cramped seat that you paid a couple hundred dollars for.


The mega-rich have always had the option of private aircraft available to them. If you're Donald Trump, you can think nothing of equipping yourself with a Boeing 727 that costs probably close to $50 Million (not including the costs of pilots, flight attendants, support staff, insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc.).

For others, however, the idea of a private jet has been outside the realm of possibility. An exciting concept in private aviation, however, is allowing private jet travel to make more sense for those who have seriously considered it as a possibility.


Fractional jet ownership is a fairly new concept. It is based on the idea that an individual can purchase a fraction of a plane, and pay management and operation fees to a company that will be responsible for safety, pilot training, hiring of crew, and all those other things that you don't want (or wouldn't know how) to deal with. Fractional ownership can substantially cut the costs of owning your own aircraft.


Fractional jet ownership is provided by a number of companies, including Cessna's CitationShares, Bombardier's Flexjet, and NetJets, the company that started the trend. As consumer interest in fractional jet ownership has increased, so has the competition between these companies. CitationShares and Flexjet are owned by aircraft manufacturers, their respective fleets composed mainly (if not entirely) of the planes they make. NetJets, on the other hand features a broader spectrum of aircraft, and is the industry leader. As such, that's who we'll be focusing on today.


It is true that the fractionals substantially cut the costs related to owning an aircraft. That's not to say that private jet ownership is for everyone, however. The primary target of the fractionals consists of those who have considered owning (or sharing) a jet, but found the arrangements too complicated or expensive to justify, as well as those who are used to first class air travel, but want to make a step up. The fractionals are also an attractive deal for mid-sized companies who need the convenience of a private aircraft without the premium price. According to NetJets's website, purchasing a 1/8 share in a Raytheon Hawker 400XP would set you back $793,750 plus a $10,582 monthly maintenance fee, and an hourly charge of $1,501. That 1/8 share works out to about 100 occupied hours per year.

Yeah, it's expensive, but when you consider the price of seven first class tickets from New York to Miami, it suddenly becomes more reasonable. In fact, as a little experiment, I attempted to get the price on such a flight on very short notice. NetJets claims that your plane will be waiting on the tarmac within 6-12 hours notice.

With a commercial carrier, I was unable to find a next-day flight, I was unable to find first class seating, and on one airline, I was informed that a return flight wouldn't be available until a week after the date I requested. If short notice flights are commonplace in your life, NetJets offers the solution.

Let's say, however, that you aren't interested in a small aircraft like the 400XP. What if you want something that can fly from New York to London non-stop? Well, just step into one of NetJets's large cabin aircraft.

If you are lucky enough to afford these multi-million dollar jets, you will enjoy the highest degree of luxury. The Gulfstream 550, for example, is the latest and greatest in Gulfstream's line of long-haul private aircraft. Aboard, you will find a satellite telephone, video monitors, a DVD entertainment system, data ports, a fax machine, and whatever else you need to run your operations (or enjoy some well-deserved down time) at 30,000 ft. Naturally, the Gulfstream 550 also offers a full service galley, as well as a flight attendant for you and 13 others.

The final frontier in fractional ownership is the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). If you've ever flown on Boeing's popular line of 737 airliners, you know how big the BBJ is. That's because the BBJ is actually a gutted 737, which is then outfitted with the latest in in-flight luxury. In fact, the BBJ is even available with a boardroom, bedrooms, and a shower.

Yeah..... a shower. Nothing says success like the ability to roll out of bed, take a shower, eat a nice breakfast - all while you cut through the air at 528 mph. If the $50,000,000.00 price tag (full price) is a little disturbing, owning a fraction with NetJets can take a large chunk out of it.
Fractional shares start at 1/16 of a share, which can be as low as $369,875 in a Hawker 400XP. That's 50 hours of flying time. For those who don't want the commitment (or the cost) of buying a fraction, NetJets has implemented a lower-cost solution that they call the Marquis Jet Card. The Marquis Jet Card starts at $109,900 for 25 hours in a Cessna Citation V. With the Marquis Jet Card, required notice jumps up to 10 hours, which is still much better than anything the airlines can offer. The card offers the convenience of chartering an aircraft, with the peace of mind that you get from NetJets's safety standards. Other fractional carriers also have prepaid jet cards, so this is a [somewhat] affordable solution for those who don't want to deal with the monthly or upfront costs of ownership.

If you decide that fractional ownership is for you, be warned, you should thoroughly investigate the pilot training, safety procedures, aircraft, and management services that each company offers before making a decision. The big three, NetJets, CitationShares, and Flexjet, offer excellence in each, but some newer fractional start-ups may not be up to snuff. Remember that your security and safety is paramount, and if you feel that it's inadequate with a particular company, take your business elsewhere.

If you're serious about making a fractional jet purchase, and live nearby to their operations, don't hesitate to ask for a tour of their aircraft and facilities, they should be more than happy to accommodate you. Many fractional operators hold regular events around the country in which prospective buyers can take a look around the aircraft and the service that they offer.


Fractional jet ownership offers the best of luxury, security, and functionality without the premium total ownership requires. If you've been considering buying or chartering private aircraft, fractional ownership just may be for you.