Why use Commercial Jet Charter?

There's a common misconception that the large commercial planes are only used by big airlines. This is far from the case, and there are actually smaller alternatives available. Commercial aircraft charter is the perfect way to move a large group of people together, and can be much more convenient than booking multiple airline seats.

A commercial aircraft is classed as an aircraft that seats more than 19 passengers, so is the perfect option for when your group size exceeds the capacity of a private jet. 

It's a common misconception that commercial jet charter is as luxurious (and as expensive) as private jet charter, but that absolutely does not have to be the case. Commercial jets exist in varying cabin classes, from economy right through to VIP - or even a split cabin with a combination of business and economy seats, so you can have the most appropriate aircraft for your needs and budget. We work with a number of airlines to offer jets with anything from 20 to 500 seats, so you can be sure that 

If you have  a large group of people, chartering an aircraft can actually be more cost effective and is definitely far less hassle than booking 20+ airline seats - where availability is very often limited and pricing can be hugely variable. Combine this with then adding costs for catering and checked baggage for each passenger, and suddenly it's a logistical nightmare! When booking a chartered commercial aircraft, your price is inclusive of a comprehensive service, baggage space for all passengers, guranteed seating for everyone on the same flight, and all scheduled to an itinerary that suits you (instead of being at the mercy of when the airline flights are). 

Commercial aircraft charter is extremely popular with sports teams, but it's perfect for company incentive trips, destination weddings, fan travel to away sports games, or just a large group of people wanting to go on holiday together! 

What really sets this apart from standard airline travel is that we can work with you to offer a fully branded service - with customised check-in desks, headrest covers and even vinyl stickers on your aircraft,  for a bespoke and personalised experience throughout your flight and creating a brilliant atmosphere amongst your passengers. 

If you have a group of 15+ people who need to travel together, why not find out how commercial charter can transform your travel experience? Whatever your reason for flying, we would love to help you organise your trip. We are available for consultation 24 hours a day, so get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts and let us tailor a schedule to suit you +44(0) 203 880 9005. Alternatively, click below to submit a request for a no obligation quote and see how we can help you!

www.astuteaviation.co.uk

How to Book a Private Jet

Flying by private jet is exciting, and offers an unrivalled level of flexibility within luxury travel. But how does the booking process actually work for a private jet, and how does it differ to booking a commercial flight? 

There is one fundamental difference between flying commercially and by private jet - flexibility. When booking an airline flight, you enter your travel dates and are presented with times (and sometimes even dates) that are predetermined. Some airlines only fly into certain airports, and this can really hinder the number of choices you have. And these constraints apply to all passengers - regardless of whether they fly economy or first class. 

Step one - enquire with us

If you're even considering flying privately, the first step is to contact us in the way that suits you most. You may know exactly what you're after, or you may want to have a conversation with us to discuss your requirements and let us tailor an itinerary that works for you. This can include finding out which airports are closest to you and your arrival destination - since private jets have access to a huge number of airports that commercial jets do not. From here, you can just leave the hard work with us! We will find the ideal aircraft for your trip and party size, and come back to you with a selection of options. Any extras (such as helicopter or road transfers) can also be discussed here, and we will look into this for you at the same time.

Step Two - Your Proposal

Your request will be assigned to a dedicated charter expert, ensuring you have continuity throughout the booking process. We have access to thousands of private jets worldwide, so your perfect aircraft is never far away. We will source quotations for a number of private jets that match your needs and place these into one single proposal document (with prices that include all relevant taxes for your flight), with multiple photos of each relevant aircraft. Our relationship with our closest operators puts us in a position to negotiate the best possible rates on your behalf, so you know you won't be paying more than you need to be. Once you've received these and are happy with the options, you simply need to let us know which one you would like to book - no fuss.

Step three - Confirmation

After letting us know which private jet you've chosen for your trip, we will return to the operator for a final confirmation of the flight. Here, your dedicated account manager can also deal with any personal requirements such as the catering you'd like during your flight, as these are booked through the aircraft operator. Once this is completed, the aircraft is reserved and charter agreements will be exchanged. Payment dates and details will be outlined in your agreement, and we'll need to you send in a few things (such as passport details) prior to your departure. Upon completion, your private jet is booked and the flight ready to go ahead!

Step four - fly

On the day of departure, you simply need to arrive at the airport 15 minutes before your flight is due to take off. Everything will be taken care of to ensure a smooth journey, so you simply need to board and enjoy the experience. 

Whatever your reason for flying, we would love to help you organise your trip. We are available for consultation 24 hours a day, so get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts on +44(0) 203 880 9005 and let us tailor a schedule to suit you. After all, luxury is freedom, so why stay grounded? 

www.astuteaviation.co.uk

Business Jets or Business Class?

Business Jets or Business class, similar in some ways, very different in others. We took a look into the benefits of using a business jet over business class. 

Time

A huge factor for anyone who travels regularly for business purposes! Business class is a pleasant experience, with many commercial airports offering  separate security queues and lounges for these customers. However, this doesn't automatically reduce your total time spent travelling. With a business jet, you're able to arrive up to just 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time, with the option to arrive sooner and enjoy lounge facilities if you wish. We are also able to provide for most catering requests and include this in the charter price, meaning employees can eat anything whilst in the air. A small touch maybe, but reducing the number of things to do on the ground can really help reduce the overall duration of the journey.

Private jets also have generally shorter flight times than commercial aircraft, due to the fact that we fly higher and have more direct routings in to the arrival airport. We thought a side by side comparison of the time taken by a business jet charter versus a commercial trip would give a better insight, so you can see a breakdown and just how much time you could potentially win back. We have based this on one of our more common business routes - London (office situated in Canary Wharf) to Dublin City Centre for a meeting at 11am. This is a common occurrence due to the large number of tech companies based in Dublin.

Private Jet

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LEAVE OFFICE: 9.00

ARRIVE DEPARTURE AIRPORT (LONDON CITY): 9.11

DEPART LONDON CITY: 9.25

LAND DUBLIN AIRPORT: 10.24

CLEAR SECURITY AND LEAVE AIRPORT: 10.25

ARRIVE DUBLIN CITY CENTRE: 10.55

MEETING: 11.00 -12.00

ARRIVE DUBLIN AIRPORT: 12.30

DEPART DUBLIN AIRPORT: 12.45

LAND LONDON CITY: 13.44

CLEAR SECURITY: 13.45

BACK IN OFFICE: 13.57

TOTAL TIME OUT OF OFFICE: 4 hours 57 minutes

Commercial flight

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LEAVE HOME (AVERAGE COMMUTE 1 HOUR): 03.45

ARRIVE DEPARTURE AIRPORT (LONDON HEATHROW): 04.45

DEPART LONDON HEATHROW: 06.45

LAND DUBLIN AIRPORT: 08.10

CLEAR SECURITY AND LEAVE AIRPORT: 09.00

ARRIVE DUBLIN CITY CENTRE: 09.30

 MEETING: 11.00 - 12.00

ARRIVE DUBLIN AIRPORT: 12.30

DEPART DUBLIN AIRPORT: 15.20

 LAND LONDON HEATHROW: 16.45

CLEAR SECURITY AND LEAVE AIRPORT: 17.30

RETURN HOME/OFFICE: 18.30

TOTAL TIME OUT OF OFFICE: 14 hours 45 minutes

Immediately you can see that flying commercially can cost you more than an entire working day, whereas a business jet charter allows your employees to start their day at the usual time, and still be back in the office for the afternoon. Not only this, but flying commercially limits you to flying at the times of the airline, which can leave large chunks of wasted time in between flights and meetings. The commercial flight is also best case scenario, and you have no control over any delays which may cause you to miss crucial meetings or lengthen the trip even further. 

Convenience

Although time spent at the airport plays a part in this, chartering a private jet for business also gives you many more options. Being much smaller than commercial aircraft, private jets are able to fly into smaller airports that may be much closer to your final destination and therefore reducing your transfer time. When flying with a commercial airline you are limited to their schedule, but if you charter your own jet you have full control over when you travel. Business jet hire can be fully worked around your needs, and there is even potential to have facilities for employees to sleep on a flight back from a business trip, allowing them to be ready to get back to work the next day - potentially removing the need for an overnight stay. Private jet cabins are also pressurised to an altitude usually around 2000ft lower than those of commercial aircraft,  this greatly reduces the impact on the human body that flying can have, such as fatigue and dehydration, allowing you to be working at full capacity sooner after landing. 

Productivity

A business jet is all yours for the duration of your flight, and other passengers looking over your shoulder is one thing you shouldn't have to worry about. The aircraft can essentially become a flying boardroom so that business can go on as usual with minimal disruption. Wifi is now available on many private jets (read more about it here), so you don't even need to disconnect from your colleagues whilst you fly. We understand how important it is to maximise the productivity of employees, or even make the most of a contractors hourly rate, so from booking to post flight feedback, we ensure that the process is smooth and requires minimal time input from Personal Assistants or travel bookers, compounding the benefit of charter.

Cost

Buying a business class ticket for just one person may work out cheaper than chartering an entire jet, but there are definitely circumstances where charter is the more cost effective option. This may be if you need to send several employees on the same trip, and chartering one plane could well be cheaper than buying multiple business class tickets for a flight. And as previously mentioned, a private jet is usually able to fly much closer to your destination, reducing the cost of transfer time after the flight. Empty legs may also be an option, we will always see if there are any aircraft heading to, or from your destination around when you need to travel, as these aircraft can be priced up to 75% off the usual charter price. 

All images provided by Gulfstream 

Whatever your reason for flying, we would love to help you organise your trip. 

Get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts today and let us tailor a schedule to suit you +44(0) 203 880 9005

www.astuteaviation.co.uk

Why use a private jet broker instead of an operator?

Private jet charter is absolutely not limited to celebrities - anyone can hire a private jet for a tailored luxury travel experience. but what actually is the difference between a private jet broker and an operator? and which is better to book your private jet travel through?

Operators own and look after their own fleet of private jets, and manage the aircraft flight schedules. There are hundreds of private jet operators worldwide, and each works independently. If you enquire with an operator directly for a private jet charter, you are only able to receive quotations for the aircraft in their own fleet - and it can be difficult to keep track of everything when enquiring with multiple operators simultaneously. 

Private jet brokers deliver a personalised quote containing the most suitable aircraft from a number of operators on your behalf. We have a strong aviation background and will always determine the best aircraft for your particular requirements, and then source the operators who own these. Since we have access to over 30,000 aircraft worldwide, availability for us is nowhere near as limited as it is for an operator with a fleet of 30 private jets - so we can guarantee we are able to find you the best aircraft at the best possible price. We have long-standing working relationships with many operators, so are often able to achieve more favourable pricing than if you were to go to them directly. 

POSITIONING

Every private jet has a home base, which is the airport at which it stays when not in use. If you charter a private jet out of an airport that isn't its base, you also incur charges for repositioning the jet before and after your trip - for example, flying from London to Hamburg in a private jet that is usually based in Geneva would add a large extra cost. When booking through an operator, you are limited by where they keep the aircraft that you want to use. As a broker, we are often able to find the same model of private jet that is based much closer to (if not, at) your departure airport, keeping unnecessary costs to a minimum. 

RELATIONSHIPS

Our founders have been a part of the aviation industry for several years, and, as previously mentioned, have built up good relationships with multiple operators. As well as access to better rates for private jet charter, you can rest assured we will only book you to fly with a safe and reputable operator who will offer you nothing short of a luxurious service - saving you the time of having to do the research yourself!

A TAILORED EXPERIENCE

We will work to create fully personalised, bespoke travel arrangements on your behalf. Where an operator books your private jets dependent on their own fleet and availability via the sales team, we are able to organise travel outside of the flights. Need a helicopter to get you from the airport to your destination? Or road transport to and from the airports? We are usually able to book all of this on your behalf and include it all in your charter quote - no unnecessary hassle for you.

We also work to perfect every single detail of your flight. Although an operator is able to do this with your guidance, having your broker take care of everything saves you valuable time. This can include anything from your catering (we can organise your in-flight menus, or if you fancy a Nando's during your flight, we will sort everything!) to placing your favourite champagne on board your private jet for you to enjoy during the flight. 

Private jet travel is about luxury, so use a charter broker to do all of the work for you - then all you have to do on the day is turn up! Whatever your reason for flying, we would love to help you organise your trip. We are available for consultation 24 hours a day, so get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts and let us tailor a schedule to suit you on: +44(0) 203 880 9005. 

www.astuteaviation.co.uk

Private Jet Empty Legs - Explained

What is a private Jet Empty Leg?

Empty legs (also sometimes known as Empty Sectors or Dead Legs) arise every time a one way charter flight is booked. The aircraft will either need to fly out to collect passengers, or return back to its home airport after being chartered. These flights aren't cost effective for the operator as they do not make any profit if there are no passengers on board. Private jet hire is an incredibly bespoke service and tailored exactly to the client's needs, so with over 4 million potential flight routes in Europe alone, this can make finding a full price customer for that exact route and date very difficult . For this reason, operators will usually offer these flights at a heavily discounted rate to make utilising that leg more appealing. 

HOw flexible are empty leg flights?

Because the jet has been hired by the original client, their needs determine the schedule of the aircraft; and if they decide to change their flight itinerary, the empty leg client may need to adapt their travel accordingly. As an empty leg customer, you may have some degree of choice in your departure time. For example, the aircraft may be repositioning the day before the original booked flight, so you could potentially specify a departure time within that window. Likewise, if a repositioning flight is taking place after the original booking, there may be some degree of flexibility as to when the return flight takes off. 

If the original client decides to change their booking, the empty leg customer will need to be able to fit around this and possibly adjust their departure time - which is another reason why they are offered at a discounted rate as you must be able to be flexible. There is also the possibility that the client decides to cancel their chartered flight all together, in which case it is more than likely that the empty leg flight will also be cancelled, although you would then obviously receive a full refund. However, you should always consider an empty leg flight as subject to cancellation as we cannot guarantee that it will be confirmed. If your travel is necessary, we would always strongly advise having an alternative arrangement (such as a commercial airline ticket) as a back up in case the private jet flight does not proceed. This can happen for a number of reasons, as operators have the right to revoke an empty leg if their further schedule changes or serviceability issues arise within their fleet - meaning an aircraft needs to be re-purposed. 

An empty leg doesn't always need to be leaving from or going to your destination, we have visibility of upcoming empty legs which may be suitable for your flight, even if a minor route change is required. Operators usually accommodate this as it is also helpful for them as this still offsets the cost of respositioning. 

How much do empty legs cost?

These flights can be available for up to 75% less than the usual charter price, with the exact cost being determined by the aircraft type, route and operator. Prices may also be affected by seasons, as periods of high demand can incur higher costs. In some circumstances, these prices can be very similar per person to the cost of a premium seat on a commercial aircraft. To give you an idea, we have put together an example. This is based on an aircraft flying from Paris to London, one of our more popular routes. 

paris le BOURGet - london luton | LEArjeT 75 | 8 PASSENGERS | £8400

This is the price of a full, confirmed charter - this gives you full control over arrival and departure times and has no chance of being cancelled or re-arranged by the operator.  

Paris Le bourget - London Luton | LEArjeT 75 | 8 PASSENGERS | £2800

This is an empty leg flight for the same aircraft and route. As you can see, even on such a short flight you can save over £5500. Using this option, the cost per head would work out at £350 - approximately the same as a business class ticket for a scheduled commercial airline. In addition, using a private jet you avoid the 3 hour airport wait - enabling you to arrive just 15 minutes prior to departure. 

paris le BOURGet - london luton | citation mustang | 4 PASSENGERS | £3500

For purpose of comparison, we have added the approximate cost of hiring a smaller private jet for the same route, but half the number of passengers. This further illustrates just how much you could save when using an empty leg, as it is over double the cost per head compared to the empty leg flight. That being said, £875 per passenger on a private jet is also a realistic price for the time conscious  business, due to the fact that a private jet runs to your schedule, rather than the other way around. You can read our post outlining the benefits of private jet hire for business here. 

Can I Book a return journey?

As previously mentioned, across Europe alone there are millions of different aircraft routes, so the chances of finding two empty leg flights that match your journey needs are slim. Since empty legs are almost always one way, you would need to make separate arrangements for the other part of your trip. We are able to organise a private jet charter for your return journey, or some customers choose to book a commercial airline seat for their flight in the other direction. 

How can I find out which empty leg flights are available?

Subscribe to our empty leg updates  for the most up to date information about flights and prices. 

Whatever your reason for flying , we would love to help you organise your trip. After all, life is about adventure so why stay grounded? 

Get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts today and let us tailor a schedule to suit you +44(0) 203 880 9005

http://www.astuteaviation.co.uk