Private Jet Charters Pick Up as Economy Recovers

Demand for jet charters has been rebounding strongly over the past several months, in line with the general uptrend in the economy. While fractional ownership businesses – where members buy timeshares in jet aircraft – continue to suffer in the current economic climate, having taken a severe hit in the midst of the credit crunch, jet charter companies are benefiting from the increase in demand for non-scheduled air services.

One sub-sector of the charter industry is doing especially well out of the decline of the fractional business model. Private jet charter operators are currently using the worldwide surplus of available jets to attract a growing number of clients seeking maximum flexibility, convenience and price economy.

Private jet charter companies generally don’t own the planes they hire out. Instead, they act as brokers, matching customer requests to a pool of aircraft around the country, and sometimes around the world. However, they usually provide flight and cabin crews, as well as on-board catering and limousine transportation at both ends of the journey. A firm typically has a thousand or more aircraft on its books, and can fly passengers to just about any destination on a schedule that suits the client.

The jet owners (who include high net worth individuals, corporations, air charter operators and fractional ownership principals) bring in revenue from chartering out airplanes that would otherwise stand idle. They are also able to make money when they accommodate passengers on otherwise empty legs, for example when a jet is returning to base or travelling to a pickup point.

This is an excellent time to use a private air charter service like Jet Set Charter. The market is experiencing a glut of jets that were ordered before the economic crisis, and flight operators are competing fiercely for business. As a customer, you can charter the jet, turboprop or helicopter of your choice for a highly competitive price right now.

As a rule of thumb, you can get a chartered jet for around the same price as 10 first-class tickets on a scheduled carrier. In other words, it can make financial sense to hire a private jet if you’re traveling in a group of 10 or more. For business executives, politicians, celebrities, or anyone else who appreciates the ability to travel in comfort and privacy, and not be bound by airline schedules, this is the ideal way to fly. Private jet charter companies are experts at finding the best deals for their passengers, especially on empty leg sectors.

Your aircraft can be matched to the size of your traveling party, which means not only that you save on fuel costs, but also that you can land at airports and airfields that would be unable to take a commercial-sized jet. You don’t have to endure the time-consuming check-in procedures and security checks that are part and parcel of taking a regular flight today. When you arrive at the airport, you’re immediately whisked off to your private charter jet, where all these formalities are conducted swiftly and efficiently.

It’s no wonder private jet charters have become so popular among those who require fast, stress-free air services to the destinations of their choice, and on their own schedules. Every year, 2.5 to 3.5 million passengers take advantage of the time and price savings that come with chartering a private airplane, and their number is set to keep increasing as the US comes out of the economic crisis.