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Exploring The Pros And Cons Of Private Jet Travel

Photo Images Courtesy of Aviation Charter

What’s the first thing that enters your mind whenever someone mentions “private jet travel?” In all likelihood, hearing talk about chartering a private jet conjures images of dollar signs in your eyes. After all, private jet charter services have long had a reputation for being accessible only to the wealthy.

While flying by private jet can be expensive, it’s not true that only the rich can afford it. It’s even possible for flying private to cost less than flying commercial.

In any case, let’s take a closer look at private jet travel’s pros and cons, and see for ourselves what it has to offer.

The Advantages of Private Jet Travel

Fewer Passengers

When you charter a private jet, you’ll be flying with much fewer people than if you took a commercial flight. You won’t be sitting with strangers, as you have full control over the passenger list. It’s a convenience that becomes even more essential considering the COVID-19 pandemic.


Full Control Over Your Schedule

With commercial airlines, you are entirely dependent on the schedules they set for their flights. Chartering a private jet, on the other hand, allows you to set a take-off time that will fit your schedule perfectly.

No Security Screenings

Unless you’re flying into certain airports like Ronald Reagan National Airport in Virginia, you won’t have to go through security screenings when you charter a private jet.

That means no pat-downs from TSA agents, and no passing through metal detectors and body scanners. You can even drive straight up to the private jet you chartered or get picked up by a car as soon as you disembark.


No Baggage Restrictions

Private charter jets do away with all the fuss that passengers checking in their baggage typically get involved in when they fly commercial. There are no luggage restrictions to conform to in chartered private jets.

As long as the weight capacity of the private jet you’re renting allows it, you can bring whatever you need for your trip.

Fewer People Handle Baggage

It’s not uncommon for private charters to have a policy allowing only a select number of their crew to handle the bags of passengers, thereby minimizing the risks of contracting pathogens, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Your Pets Can Fly With You

Technically, commercial flights also take in pets, but they are typically placed separately in cages with the luggage.

With private jet charters, pets can ride with their owners in the seating area of the plane. Just keep in mind that some international destinations might have specific laws about pets in flights, so expect that the rules might change a bit.

Better Food Choices

Some people equate commercial airline food with hospital food, and you can’t really blame them. You don’t have much of a choice when it comes to food served in commercial flights.

When flying private, you can make prior arrangements about the meals, snacks, and beverages that you want to be served on board. Everything you eat and drink on a private jet charter will be in line with your preferences.

The Ability To Land At Smaller Airports

Because they’re typically smaller than commercial airliners, private jets can land at smaller airports. This capability allows them to reach more remote areas directly, allowing passengers to cut their travel times.


Longer Routes

Some modern private jets have a range of 7,500 nautical miles or more. Some can even fly for 17 hours straight before refueling. Such private jets provide people with business interests around the globe with a much faster way to travel.

The Cons of Flying Private

Prone To Weather Delays

Private jets are typically smaller than commercial airliners, and that makes them more easily affected by the weather. Larger airplanes are capable of flying through storms, but much smaller private jets cannot take that chance, which means private flights can be grounded, leading to delays.

The Cost

The cost of chartering a private jet can indeed be high, falling somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 an hour. The size and type of the jet, baggage capacity, the amenities available, and other factors also have a bearing on the cost.

If you only look at the rates private jet charter companies charge at face value, you will readily say that it’s expensive to fly private.

However, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, it’s possible for flying private to cost less than flying commercial in some instances.

For one, there has been a dramatic decrease in the cost of chartering a private jet over the years. For another, going on a trip with your entire family or a bunch of your closest friends will likely end up being more affordable than buying a first-class ticket per head on a commercial airliner.

Conclusion

Private jet travel is not cheap, but if you factor in all the conveniences and relative safety that private jet travel provides in the middle of a global pandemic, flying private becomes even more worth the cost. With demand for chartered jets rising steadily, we can expect a boom in private jet travel in 2020 and beyond.

Content provided by Aviation Charters, Inc.
 

Melissa Hull

About the Author Melissa Hull is the Content Marketing Strategist for Aviation Charters, a West Trenton, New Jersey-based private aviation company that provides on-demand aircraft charter, aircraft management, and aircraft acquisition services. Aside from her passion for writing, she loves to travel and read espionage books....(Read More)

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