What Does It Mean to Charter Flights?

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to tell an airline when and where you want to fly and have that wish fulfilled? Well, charter flights provide this exact service.

A charter flight is the name used to denote flights which are booked and planned by an individual, a business or any other party. Charter flights are of interest to people or companies who wish to fly without any lay-overs, directly to specific cities and on their own schedule.

Although the most well-known type of charter flight is the private jet charter, there are numerous other ways of chartering flights. Let’s take a look at different types of charter flights, the advantages chartering offers and other essential information.

The Private Charter Flight

The private charter, more commonly known as a private jet charter, refers to a flight where the entire aircraft is booked by and for a private party. As a rule, the entire cost of the whole flight has to be covered by one individual or company and seats are not to be sold separately.

Private jets offer quite an exclusive service. Everything about the details of the flight is dictated by the private party booking it. The time of departure and landing, the exact destination, and even the food served on the flight are all decided by the client.

This exclusive service of flying on a private jet charter is often used by sports teams who have to travel long distances for their games. For a large group of people requiring to be in a particular city, during a specific time period, a private jet flight is the perfect option. Both airlines and most private airports offer this service.

The Public Charter Flight

Not many people know that charter flights can also be public. Public charters are booked by an individual or a company for a specific time that is suitable for them, but the seats can be made available to the general public.

This type of charter flight is most often used by travel companies that book aircraft on a seasonal basis and sell the tickets as part of a vacation package. Tour operators leasing the flights set the schedule but people buying the tickets have no say in the timing. It is possible that you have been on a public charter flight without even realizing it.

Public charter flights encompass special event tours. This type of charter flight is booked by an event organizer. For instance, a sporting, political, educational, social, or any other type of event organizer, who wishes to provide air transportation to the event, books a public charter flight. These types of flights are made available only to the people who have proof that they are attending a particular event.

The Affinity Charter Flight

The affinity charter is a blend of private and public charters because although it is booked exclusively for a specific group of people, the tickets are bought individually.

Specific organizations or businesses book an affinity flight for their employees or club members with each seat sold separately but the flight is not made available for the public.

The Cargo Charter Flight

As the name suggests, the cargo charter is used primarily for transporting certain cargo. For someone who needs to transport goods quickly and efficiently booking a cargo charter is the ideal option. Nowadays, cargo charter flights transport everyday items as well as dangerous goods.

Cargo charters are specifically designed for cargo transportation and are not fit for flying people. The items flown on such flights can be almost anything following the safety guidelines of the Federal Aviation Administration.

In the past, cargo charters have been used to transport organs due to the nature of such a shipment, which both arise unexpectedly and have to be delivered extremely quickly.

The advantages of charter flight

Apart from having the power to set the date, time and destination you desire, there are many other advantages to booking a charter flight.

A private terminal

One of the biggest perks which separates a charter flight from a commercial flight is having private terminal privacy. Chartered flights depart from private terminals which allow to avoid a crowded airport and intrusive security screening.

A comfortable flight

Charter flights offer top-of-the-line service to their clients. The in-flight amenities, such as custom meals, Wi-Fi, and in-flight movies are guaranteed to alleviate the boredom of a flight.

Flight attendants of the flight offer a more personal experience with the needs of the client being the top priority.

A reliable booking

Charters are generally more reliable than commercial flights. A charter company offers an experience without any delays. Although cancellations do occur, usually because of unpredictable weather, they are much rarer, because charters can change course to bypass bad weather.

Are charter flights expensive?

Although charter companies are generally viewed as catering solely to the richest circles, there are certain options that are less expensive.

The cost of a charter flight depends on many different factors. The type of aircraft, flight itinerary, the number of passengers, requested amenities and many other aspects add up to the final price. Choosing all the factors wisely might result in an affordable flight.

Although any private flight will be priced considerably, choosing public or affinity charters often comes with certain discounts. The industry of flight chartering is striving for more competitive prices. Many charter companies offer membership cards which come with special offers.

How to book a charter flight?

Although it may seem that personally organizing a flight is a lot of work, in reality, booking a charter flight requires only some forethought from the client.

Provide some essential information

An individual wanting to book a private charter flight has to choose from a myriad of companies offering the service. Then, a few important aspects of the flight have to be decided.

Besides the essential information of the schedule and itinerary of the flight, an individual booking a charter has to know how many people will be on the plane and what luggage will be brought.

Leave the rest to the professionals

This information is essential for the charter company to give the best options on the aircraft that will be booked. Each plane has different seating arrangements and luggage space dimensions. Knowing the essential information beforehand will allow the client to be matched with the optimal aircraft.

The rest of the planning is left to the charter company, which will without a doubt create a personalized experience that will satisfy every need of the client.

Closing Thoughts

Charter flights provide an exclusive and luxurious flight experience for individuals and companies. The many different types of such flights allow the clients to pick the most suitable option.

From completely private experiences to more inclusive options, chartering offers a variety of people the chance to personally organize their trip.

Avoiding the hassles of commercial flights and having a completely individualized voyage might seem like a pipe dream but is, in fact, quite an achievable feat.