Private Jet Charter Grey Flights
Beware of Dangerous and Illegal Private Charter Jet ‘Grey Flights’
How do you know that private jet charter flight you’re paying so much for is
being provided by a legal operator? Like any other business, the private
charter jet industry has its share of shady players. Illegal private charter
jet flights are sometimes called “grey flights”. Why are they illegal, and
are they dangerous?
A charter jet flight can be illegal is the owner is using aircraft that is
not registered with aircrafts operator’s certificate. The certificate is
issued by the FAA. Some jet services are registered in another country,
which may be fine and dandy, but they are not allowed to fly in the United
States without also getting registered here. Don’t assume some other country
has rigorous standards of air safety.
Sometimes it’s an innocent mistake, as in when a U.S. jet flies an extra leg
somewhere within Europe after landing at its primary destination. But there
are many operators who know the rules well, but choose to flout them so they
can escape regulation, operate more cheaply and offer discounts to
customers. The savings are not spectacular for a grey flight — maybe $1,000
to $2,000, but the dangers are many.
Grey jet charter flights don’t register to be certified because they don’t
want to jump through all the safety hoops and inspections that legitimate
operations do, and so they don’t worry as much about having the highest
paid, most well trained pilots, and they may even scamp on aircraft
maintenance.
There are other problems, as well. If you have an accident on an
unregistered jet, any insurance coverage you may have may be void. Civil and
criminal charges may also come into play. Can you be charged with a crime
for chartering an illegal charter jet service? Yes, it’s possible. If that
happens, it’s up to you and your lawyer to prove that you didn’t know you
were flying on an illegal private charter jet. You are obligated to know.
Industry professionals thus recommend that you always ask to see the service
provider’s aircraft operating certificate. Also ask to see the jet charter’s
proof of insurance. If you want to be extra careful, go the extra mile and
make some phone calls. Contact the FAA itself to see if the charter you’re
looking at has met its obligations.
However, a company that has all the proper FAA paperwork is still not
guaranteed safe. The FAA is charged with overseeing some 2,400 charter
services in the U.S., and like many government agencies, their staff is
overworked and underpaid.
Thus, you should also check the company to see if it complies with the
Wyvern Standard. This is leading independent intelligence organization for
rating the safety of private charter flights. When a charter jet provider is
certified by Wyvern LTD, then you can have a great deal of confidence that
the jet and company is a well run operation, safe, and not illegal.
Another source of information about private jet charter services is the NBAA
Aircraft Charter Consumer Guide, which you can find online.
It only makes sense to fly both safe and legal. Even an illegal charter
flights comes at a high price — sometimes even higher –than a legal jet
charter provider. A bit of homework, a couple of phone calls to check FAA
certification and affiliation with the Wyvern Standard will ensure a safe
and legal flight.
Use a private jet charter broker to help insure a safe and legal flight!
Private Jet Charter Service
You Can Get a Deal on a Private Charter Jet Flight, But Remember, This is Still an Elite Service
A primary status symbols of the rich is flying by private charter jet. Forget about first class on a regular airline. That costs a lot, too, but if you are among the truly elite — and want to be perceived as such – first class won’t do. Only your own private jet says: “I’m so rich, I don’t care how much it costs.” If you don’t own your own private jet, then the next best thing is to hire or charter a private jet service when you need one.
But private jet providers are business folks, too, and like all good entrepreneurs, they are eager to expand their market, find more customers, and keep their jets in the air making money, rather than languishing on the tarmac.
Thus, brokers are emerging offering deals on private jet charters — still pricey, yes — but now increasingly in reach of those who might normally fly only first class.
One way to get an incredible deal on a private jet charter is snag an “empty flight.” Often, private jets have to return to home base without passengers after delivering their original party to their destination. Pilots call this “dead heading.” Rather than fly home empty, many private jet services are offering steep discounts to fill these empty flights, which can mean as much as 50% less than full price.
So how much would that be? Well, it depends on where the jet is going, how many hours in the air, and so on. But take a small Citation jet which seats 6 passengers. Such a flight at full cost might be $1,500 to $2,000 per hour. So a trip from Los Angeles to, say, Denver, would cost roughly $4,500. An empty flight arrangement might be had for $2,250.
How do you get a deal like that? It’s best to work with a flight broker. Look for a private charter jet dealer online and start asking question. There are a number of services now which are working hard to keep private charter jets loaded to and from their destination, a situation which benefits everyone. Of course, the biggest drawback of getting an empty flight is that you don’t fly exactly when you want to, which is one of the No. 1 advantages of using a private charter in the first place.
Another way to get better deals on charter flights is to buy into what is called fractional ownership of jets. This is when you put a large sum of money upfront — it might be as high as $100,000, and you redeem this in flights hours as you need to. Yes, that’s a pretty big sum of money, but this is chartering private jets we’re talking about. There is still little that is low cost about it, and after all, why should it be? This is the most convenient, luxurious and exclusive way to travel, and that means paying the price.
Private Jet Charter
The Advantages of a Private Chartered Jet for Business Travel Are Many
Once considered an option only for the extremely rich, charting a private jet has been spreading further into the business world as an option for affordable, fast, and super convenient travel — although affordable is still somewhat of a relative term. But first, let’s look at the advantages of charting a private jet over flying a regular commercial flight.
Private charter services eliminate lengthy waits at airports. No standing in lines, no hustling through crowded airports, no hassles to retrieve your bags while you stand and wait among crowds of others doing the same. Your bags will never get lost on a private charter!
When you charter a jet, you arrive on time and face far fewer risk of delays. There is none of the embarrassment of public full-body searches and other security hassles at the airport. You don’t sit with random strangers because you choose who you will travel with, if anyone. On a chartered jet you don’t share a joint cuisine or a bathroom with hundreds of others.
Traveling on a chartered jet means a much more relaxed trip on which you can choose to either rest, or work in peace on an important project. A chartered jet flight is also an excellent place for you and key staff members to hold a productive business meeting while you fly to your destination.
When you charter a private jet, you get almost 100% punctuality. Of course, no one can predict the weather or other natural acts of God, but barring physical realities, a private jet gets you from Point A to Point B at exactly the time you set for your effort.
Safety records for private jet charter services are exceptional. Flying, in general, is an extremely safe way to travel, but private charter services have stellar safety records. This is an industry that could easily be described as “obsessive” about safe travel.
Most private charter jet services adhere to what is called the Wyvern Standard, an enhanced set of safety standard criteria. When you shop for a private charter jet provider, make sure you ask if they comply by the Wyvern Standard. It’s the gold standard for safety.
So what about cost? Well, there used to be a standard joke among frequent fliers that if you have to ask how much a chartered jet will cost, you probably can’t afford it. But this is changing. Costs are coming down as more services come online to compete for passengers. In general, it is safe to say that a private jet charter will cost from about $1,800 per hour at the low end, to about $5,000 per hour at the upper end, although it could be higher in some cases.
A Citation jet is among the cheapest at about $1,800 per hour. Next is the Lear Jet at about $2,600 per hour, and the Gulfstream can be about $5,000 per hour. Part of the difference is passenger capacity. The Citation is a small jet with about a 6-passenger capacity, the Lear handles up to 8 and the Gulfstream can comfortably seat up to 15, and in considerable luxury.
There are other factors that affect cost, such as which cities the flights are going to and from, but the prices presented here will give the reader a general idea of what a private jet charter will cost.
So, if you can afford it, a private charter jet is an extremely pleasant and convenient way to travel, and the price is appears to be getting more affordable.