Many people just want to get where they’re going as safely and comfortably as possible and don’t really bother to get to know the details of what goes into their trip. But when it comes to chartering a private jet, it’s important to know if you are dealing with an operator or a broker.
To begin with, a charter operator is certified by the FAA to operate aircraft for hire. Operators are permitted to charter their privately owned jets or those owned by another individual or corporation and they will have an FAA issued certificate to operate an aircraft.
So what does this mean to you as a traveler? It means that an operator has the final say so when it comes to your flight’s operational control. Keep in mind that this does not mean that an operator will cancel a flight for no apparent reason or go off course just because they can; it simply means that nobody other than the operator has the power or right to make decisions regarding the safety, operation, or termination of the flight.
A charter broker is someone who works either independently or with an organization to book flights for their clients with charter operators. Brokers do not maintain any kind of control over a flight; instead, they are the ones responsible for arranging the service for the client.
Finding a broker or operator is as easy as getting online and performing a quick search. Here’s a fair warning though: there will be tons of options to choose from and they won’t always be what you’re looking for. For instance, a broker can be anyone with Internet access and the ability to slap up a website that looks pretty, but at the end of the day, that person is just booking your trip with an operator and charging you for something you can do on your own.
A good broker will have knowledge of the aircraft he or she books for a client and should have a strong working relationship with multiple operators so that the ideal operator and aircraft can be selected to fit the needs of the client. Feel free to ask the broker if they have seen the jet they have selected for you and if they have worked with the operator in the past. You can also ask if other clients have left feedback regarding their experience with any given operator or aircraft.
So who do you deal with when it comes to booking your trip? That is up to you.
Many people think that booking a trip with the operator cuts down on cost by removing the service fee charged by a broker, but that doesn’t always add up to much. One thing brokers do benefit from is discounted rates that are given to them by operators. This savings can then be passed down to the passenger.
If you want to find a good deal, you can ask both brokers and operators if they know of any empty or discounted legs to a trip that you could book. Both brokers and operators have access and are privy to industry bulletin boards and communication sites so they know what is going on out there in the big world of private flying. They are likely to know of a good deal on popular flight routes like New York to Los Angeles and would happy to share that information with you.
A good rule of thumb in choosing an operator or a broker is to see how many years the person has been in business, what kind of safety record they boast, and see what kind of feedback passengers who have gone before you have left. All of this helps to ensure that your travel experience will go off without a hitch from the moment you book the flight to the moment you reach your destination.
Do you need some help booking your next chartered flight? Contact Charterjets.com by clicking here.
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