Beyond First Class… Jet Class! ©
Choosing the most valuable way to travel by private jet can be quite confusing to even the most seasoned travelers. How do you choose between traditional aircraft charter, fractional ownership and block time agreements? You want the best value for your individual needs; so, where do you begin?
In most cases, traditional charter will prove most economical.
Occasionally, block time agreements may be the best option. Fractional
ownership tends to be the best option for the fractional companies, not the
customer! When you consider the initial investment of the purchase of your
share, and the fees that accompany it, you will find that it is simply an
expensive bragging right.
Initial investments for fractional ownership begin at around $100,000.
Other expenses include monthly management fees, reduced hourly flight
charges, fuel surcharges, maintenance expenses, insurance, crew costs, and
depending on your destinations- additional airport fees. The question to
ask yourself is, "are the additional charges you are paying reasonable?”
Do you have access to maintenance bills and crew expenses? Are you only
paying your share? When the fractional company sells the aircraft, at the
end of your contract, are you comfortable with the small percentage of your
initial investment that you will recoup? When you do the math associated ith fractional ownership, do you feel confident in this option as a choice for private travel?
Block time agreements are a reasonable option for one-way itineraries.
Traditional charter requires two hour daily minimums when the overall flight
time is less than an average of 2 hours per day. By being dropped off and
picked up you can avoid minimums and benefit from the one way pricing that
these agreements offer. The pricing represents an inflated hourly rate and
therefore is quite expensive for round trips. Another down side is that
you are tied to one specific type or class of aircraft, for a pre-paid
amount of time within a 12-month period. With some block time agreements, if you don't utilize those hours within the allocated time, you forfeit the money that you have spent.
Charter allows the flexibility of choosing the best aircraft on a trip by
trip basis. It is almost always more economical than being tied to a
specific aircraft that doesn't work for every itinerary. By utilizing the
services of an air charter broker, you benefit from the knowledge of an
experienced charter coordinator who examines the independent audits of
safety auditing firms, negotiates costs involved with your charter,
researches the qualifications and experience of crew and maintains a worldwide network of thousands of aircraft available for charter.
Exquisite Air Charter is confident our standards will allow us to continue
to thrive. We guarantee to guide you honestly - even if into the hands of
one of our competitors. In many cases, we've help our clients find a happy
medium that incorporates both a block time agreement and traditional
charter. Feel free to contact us to go over your charter needs so we may help in determining the best options for you. We are proud to have earned long-term business relationships with our clients; an honorable achievement.