7 Private Jet Charter Tips to help you book and fly on your private jet with minimal hassle. While this may not be new information to many frequent private flyers, it should help those looking for their first chartered business jet flight.

1. Don’t expect the experience of commercial travel

Private Jet Charter is incomparable with commercial travel. Never expect the pricing of commercial travel (in some cases with 150+ passengers it is technically possible) though this is rare and most flights are much more costly than commercial travel. The experience is nothing to compare as well, VIP service and catering that makes first class look like a slum. There is no waiting, your aircraft will never take off without you on board, cutting your two hours at the airport to a more manageable 15 minutes or less.

2. Be flexible in terms of aircraft choice

Aircraft pricing options are dependant on where the aircraft is located, and in many cases, there is a much better aircraft alternative. If you were for example to fly from Florida to Las Vegas in your favourite aircraft, the Citation X. There is a chance that the closest Citation X will be located in New York, with all of that aircraft repositioning, you would be able to fly on a Gulfstream G400 for the same price if that Gulfstream G400 was located in Florida. Very often, we find a surprisingly better offer for a much better jet for our customer. Everyone wins!

3. Speak up

This is a VIP service, which means every one of your needs are crucial. If you need a business jet with a satellite phone and Wifi, that can be arranged. Special accommodations for pets? not a problem. Do you prefer the interior styling of the G650 and don’t want to fly on any other aircraft? we are here to make sure that every single request is treated with the utmost importance. Special meals can be made per passenger per request, one or two flight attendants (depending on the aircraft) can be requested. Anything from an exact 7:21 departure time to an exact 9:47 landing time can be carefully organised to make sure that you, our customer is happy.

4. Ask questions

No question is ever a waste of time, if you have any questions about the crew or aircraft or our team, we would be happy to share any information for you. Know when the aircraft was most recently refurbished, what year the aircraft is, how many flight hours are on the aircraft. As well as the flight history and flight hours of the pilots. Ask every step of the way to make sure you are getting the maximum value possible. Ask about the interior of the aircraft and the FBO you wish to use. Always be prepared and know everything, when to be at the airport, where to go, and who will be waiting for you to escort you to your aircraft.

5. Get good value

Just because it may be $3000 less to fly from New York to Virginia to fly in a turboprop, it doesn’t always mean that that is the best choice of aircraft. Always ask for recommendations, the luxury interior and features differentiates one aircraft from another. The seats on a G400 are nothing compared to the all calf leather massage seats in the G550, of course there is no reason to fly on a large jet capable of holding 14 passengers if you choose to fly alone, but there are great light jets that are very comfortable to fly in, which offer the majority of the features of a large jet. If you are unsure, just ask for help.

6. Book early

Booking early is the key to great availability, it is the key to getting the exact aircraft you want before someone else does. At best, one to two weeks beforehand for the majority of trips is enough to have near 100% availability (with the exception of peak seasons/holidays of course) It is always smarter to book earlier, and any cancelation up to 72 hours before the flight of the trip is refunded entirely. Even in inclement weather, your aircraft will stay with you and wait until the very first opportunity you have to take off, often departing much earlier than delayed commercial flights. The air charter industry like many others, is a first come first serve industry, always book early to avoid losing your aircraft.

7. Know who to call

When booking with us, we will give you contact information for your agent, your crew, pilots and FBO information, it it very important that you keep these numbers on hand. In case of a delay, it is common courtesy to call the pilot beforehand. If you don’t know exactly where in the airport to go, the FBO on file should be able to direct your directly to your aircraft. If you have any flight itinerary changes, contact your Aircharter charter specialist to make the changes necessary to your flight. Any special requests such as ground transportation or any other sort of assistance can be accommodated by contacting our team or your agent.