When you book a charter flight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the fare can be higher than that of a commercial flight. What may be a surprise is what goes into calculating that cost because it includes more than just the distance flown and the number of people. When people think about charter flights, they think about being able to skip much of the security theater that holds them up from getting on the plane or about having the cabin space to themselves and not being stuck among random passengers who may not have the best in-flight behavior. The cost of the flight really relies on additional travel that is necessary for the flight to even happen, plus other issues.
Positioning Flights
A positioning flight is a flight meant to get the plane into position. If you are flying from New York to Chicago, and the closest jet the charter company has is currently in Boston, then the flight from Boston to New York is the positioning flight. Those flights cost money. You have fuel costs, cleaning costs, and personnel costs, including pay, benefits, and lodging, that depend on when the plane gets there versus when it has to leave with your group as passengers. All that has to figure into the cost of your tickets; otherwise, the charter company would lose money on each flight.
The Extent of Post-Flight Cleaning
Are you hoping to score a smoking flight by using a charter jet service instead of flying commercial, where you haven't been allowed to smoke for years? Then your charter jet may require more cleaning when your flight is finished. Charter companies often have jets marked as smoking and non-smoking, but even then, a smoking-reserved jet can begin to smell of stale smoke very quickly. It would take extra time and personnel to remove that odor, and the costs associated with that would be passed on to you.
The Weight of the Jet at the Time of Landing
This is going to sound odd at first, but the weight of the jet when it lands — that means the combined weight of the plane, passengers and crew, luggage, supplies, and so on — can affect the price of your trip. Airports often charge landing fees that are based on the combined weight of the plane when it lands. So, if you have a particularly large group that is carrying enough luggage to bump up against the plane's limits, your trip cost will be higher than if you were flying by yourself with just a couple of suitcases.
Now that you have a better understanding of how your charter trip is calculated, you can plan your trip so that you aren't adding more to the price than you need to, such as through having too much heavy luggage. Hiring a charter jet is a great way to travel, and having a little more control over how much it costs can make the trip more enjoyable. Contact a private jet charter company for more information.
