Why Not Charter Business Jets?

If you’ve ever had a bad experience on a commercial airline, you may have gotten off the plane thinking, “Next time I’m going to charter a private jet.” Maybe next time you really should charter a private jet. Seriously, while it sounds like a slightly outrageous idea, it might be a better—and more affordable—idea than you expect.

One problem many business travelers face with commercial flight is that flights don’t leave from their location (or destination) when they need to leave. They end up leaving hours, or even a full day, before they need to, and spend that time away from the office and away from home, just to be on time. When you charter a private jet, it leaves when you want to leave, from where you want to leave, and you don’t spend a lot of time at your destination or at the airport waiting, when you could be making much better use of that time.

Another problem is that commercial jets don’t go everywhere. At best, they go to the nearest large airport, which may not be as close as you need to be. You can spend a lot of time traveling to your ultimate destination, instead of spending time in your meetings or working. Even if you’d rather be relaxing in the hotel hot tub, you shouldn’t have to spend an hour in a rental car just to get there. A private jet can land at smaller airports, and can get you closer to your destination. It can also wait at your destination and be ready to leave when you are, so if you’re only there for a short time you can truly “hop” there and back.

If you’ve ever tried to work on a commercial airliner, you probably know that most airlines don’t exactly offer mobile office space. But in a private jet, you can spread out, take the room you need, and actually get some work done on your flight. You can also sleep more easily, which can help you reduce jet lag and be more alert and productive when you get where you’re going.

And of course you won’t have to stand in security lines for an hour, take off your shoes and put your shampoo in clear plastic bags just to get on your private jet. You’ll be able to board easily and quickly, move on into your flight and get where you’re going quickly and without a lot of hassle.

But how much is this going to cost? No, private jets are not exactly inexpensive, but when you add in the cost of hotels when you have to leave early, the time you spend getting to, from and on the airplane, and the prestige factor in dealing with clients and partners, you may find a private jet charter much more affordable than you expected.

The next time a private flight leaves you thinking, “I’m going to hire a private jet,” or even before, take the time to find out what it would take for your business to charter a jet. It’s probably much less “out there” than you think.