Traveling by jet or helicopter is a very handy option for quick and hassle-free travel. However, due to the costs associated with owning and maintaining an aircraft, not every company can afford purchasing their own aircraft. Fortunately, companies can still avail of private air travel by utilizing charter services. The main advantage of utilizing charter services is getting access to jet or helicopter travel without worrying about the acquisition cost. Additionally, charter services offer private air travel in short commitment terms so corporations can easily opt out should they deem it necessary.
Benefits of Private Air Travel to Businesses
Private air travel has become increasingly popular with businesses. The upward trend persists despite the fact that private air travel, whether by company-owned aircraft or by charter services, is costly. This apparent paradox can be explained by examining the multiple benefits of private air travel to businesses.
Save time for more productive activities
Scheduled airline flights are undeniably cheaper than chartered flights. However, there are many limitations beyond a passenger’s control when it comes to airline flights. Departure times are dependent on the airline. Additionally, airlines only operate in large airports so most of the time, passengers have to spend more time traveling on the way to the airport for an airline flight as compared to a chartered flight which can be arranged at the most convenient location for the passengers. Unlike an airline flight, which requires passengers to be at the airport hours before departure because of long lines and waiting times, a chartered flight gives passengers the option to go straight to the plane upon arriving. There’s also no need to worry about baggage being lost or misplaced because it will be loaded immediately to the aircraft.1
In exchange for the extra cost that companies have to shell out for private air travel, the members of a company’s workforce can allocate the time they’ll save for more productive activities like holding business meetings, making business presentations or simply just relaxing before tackling the business at hand.
Stay on top of your business while on the fly
Businesses, especially bigger ones, require constant monitoring and supervision. Assuming that specific communication needs are properly coordinated with the charter provider, passengers can maintain communication with their contacts on the ground even while on the fly. This advantage of chartered flights would be handy for businesses that deal with situations that may drastically change any time. Given the right set of equipment on board the aircraft, passengers can discuss confidential information in a secure environment without fear of eavesdropping, industrial espionage or physical threat.2
Fly with a personalized itinerary
A chartered flight can be arranged faster than an airline flight. Additionally, patrons of chartered flights will be assured that they can comfortably travel to their destination even when flying on short notice. This advantage is perfect for businesses that often find themselves in need of transport for an urgent matter. A chartered flight is also the better choice when flying to remote locations that an airliner might not be able to accommodate.3 Lastly, a chartered flight allows clients to get to multiple destinations in one day, something that is close to impossible to achieve with scheduled airline flights.
Making the most out of charter by purchasing block hours
Depending on how frequent you need chartered flights annually, a certain charter option may fit your needs best. Although these are not hard and fast rules because every client has unique needs, this set of criteria4 is a good guide for choosing a charter option:
- If you fly privately less than 25 hours annually, a regular charter is enough.
- If you fly privately between 25 to 50 hours annually, you’ll benefit most from a jet card or block charter.
- If you fly privately between 50 and 200 hours annually, you should avail of fractional ownership.
- If you fly privately for more than 200 hours annually, you should purchase your own aircraft
Block hours purchase is an attractive option for businesses that do not travel quite enough to consider getting either partial or total aircraft ownership. Benefits include discounted pricing and flexibility between aircraft types.
If a company requires a significant number of flight hours annually, availing of pre-purchased block hours is probably a wise move from a financial standpoint. The principle behind block hours is simple; you create an account with your charter services provider and you pre-purchase a block of several hours at a discounted price. This set-up is synonymous with a jet card option. Jet cards are in a way similar to debit cards which you fill with credits for future private air travel. Typically, jet cards allow clients to fly charter for either an equivalent monetary value or a fixed number of hours.5
The main advantages of purchasing a jet card/block hours are discounted prices, faster scheduling and increased availability of the fleet (jet card holders usually are prioritized over less frequent flyers). Other perks include access to the lounge, potential aircraft upgrading and possible access to empty legs.
Jet cardholders also avoid the hassle of scheduling and paying for their flights because the payment is automatically deducted from their account.
PhilJets offer of block hours and time-sharing
With the needs of its clients in mind, PhilJets offers membership cards and loyalty programs where frequent flyers can buy a block of several hours at discounted rates for a pre-specified aircraft. Clients can freely choose their timeframes, billing options and frequency of flight.
PhilJets also offers a time-sharing program, a setup similar to fractional ownership. Using the time-proven setup devised by PhilJets, members of a group can go for partial ownership wherein each member will own a small share of the aircraft value, materialized into a number of flight hours the owners can use per year. Also, PhilJets will be in charge of maintenance, overhaul planning and monitoring the usage of each owner.
Because every client has their own unique flight needs, a personal consultation with an expert is the most effective way of making sure that clients are provided with the charter option that best suits them. Making the wrong choice of charter option may cause unnecessary waste of time and money. Get in touch with a PhilJets representative now to discuss your charter needs.
References:
- (05, March 2015). 4 Benefits of Aircraft Charter Travel. Corporate Air. Retrieved from: https://corporate-air.com.au/articles/4-benefits-private-charter-travel/
- 5 Reasons Your Company Should Buy A Jet Card. Private Jet Card Comparisons. Retrieved from: https://privatejetcardcomparisons.com/2018/03/09/5-reasons-your-company-should-buy-a-jet-card/
- Benefits of Air Charter Services for Corporate Business Travel. Elan Air Charter. Retrieved from: http://www.elanaircharter.com/blog/benefits-air-charter-services-corporate-business-travel/
- (31 July 2011). THE BIGGEST MYTH YOU’LL FACE WHEN CHOOSING A PRIVATE JET TRAVEL OPTION. Desert Jet. Retrieved from: http://www.desertjet.com/2011/07/31/the-biggest-myth-in-private-jet-travel/
- Gollan, D. (06 April 2017). Part 1: Before You Buy A Private Jet Card, Read This. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2017/04/06/part-1-before-you-buy-a-private-jet-card-read-this/#7fb679224046