This is the traditional charter format where you bid each trip separately. There are no guarantees on pricing or availability until you book the plane. You are also charged explicitly for all aspects of the flight (including non-occupied flights to position the plane before and after your trip). Among the formats outlined above, charter offers a price that closely represents the true operational cost of your flight. Charter can be the least or most expensive option, depending on how efficiently your fly.

Charter is separately defined by the source of the plane and crew. In some cases, a charter provider is also the owner and operator of the plane, and the full-time employer of the crew. In other cases, they’re simply a broker who matches client leads (you) with third-party charter operators. The degree of scrutiny and oversight between broker and operator varies among brokers. “Defined fleet” brokers restrict their sourcing to a well-defined network of charter operators. “Open fleet” brokers don’t; they offer a greater pool of aircraft and rely on the assurance of FAA certification or third-party ratings firms rather than a close business relationship. Understanding how your provider sources charter planes will clarify their fleet quality and safety capabilities.

• Executive Jet Management
• TAG Aviation
• PrivatAir
• Sentient

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