Flying Private Class

The sky's the limit

by Julie Hawrishok

Many people have a love-hate relationship with flying. On one hand, it's a fast way to travel: you can hop from one continent to another in a matter of hours. For vacationers quick travel is ideal, as time spent at the final destination is far better than time spent in transit. For corporate fliers, air travel enables face-to-face contact with partners and clients, regardless of geography.

On the other hand, flying has become a time consuming and often annoying process. Long check-in lines, increased security measures and unavoidable layovers diminish productivity and enjoyment levels. Cramped seating, lack of privacy and boisterous co-passengers, even in first class, sour the flying experience.

It's no wonder that many frequent fliers are opting for a more personal and controllable air travel experience. Private jets and chartered flights are gaining in popularity, allowing passengers to customize their itinerary, from departure time to which jet they are on. Currently in North America, there are over 500 jet-charter companies, with about 3,000 planes available at any given time. It's easy to make traveling enjoyable again if you can hire your own jet.

There are several ways in which to acquire your own plane for your business trip or personal getaway. Chartered flights are ideal for those passengers who fly fewer than 50 hours each year. If you need to send four employees from Toronto to Vancouver for a meeting, you can avoid the hassles of commercial flight and charter a plane for roughly the same cost, allowing your employees to work while in the air. Chartering planes may be more economical than commercial options, though there are hidden costs associated. For example, if a plane has to be flown in without any passengers to pick you up, most carriers will stick you with the bill. Or, if your meeting in Vancouver lasts three days rather than one, there will be costs involved in housing the plane and the pilots.

Another popular option in private air travel is fractional ownership. Fractional ownership is ideal for those who fly more than 50 hours each year. How it works is simple: you buy a share in a plane from the managing company. The company will guarantee the use of that plane, or a better plane, depending on availability and destination and will send out a plane to you, regardless of where you are at the time. In turn, you pay a monthly amount plus any additional fees for the hours you are in the air.

With so many options in private air travel, it's difficult to determine which option is best for you. Below is a list of popular private air travel companies and their advantages:

BlueStarJets is run out of New York City, with branches across the U.S. and a Canadian branch in Montreal. One of the hallmarks of BlueStarJets is their cost-effective alternative to the high cost of fractional aircraft ownership in the form of the SkyCard program. The SkyCard, unlike fractional ownership programs, has no membership fees, acquisition costs, monthly management fees or long-term contractual commitments. SkyCard membership has five levels, ranging from the $50,000 deposit level to $1 million. You'll only pay a per hour fee for in-air time. The more you fly, the higher the membership level you will want. Membership gives you access to the fleet of planes, including lightweight craft for short trips, medium jets and heavy jets for longer trips. BlueStarJet also has a fleet of helicopters, should the destination be close. At members' disposal are such planes as Bombardier Challengers, Gulfstream II to V, Learjets and Boeing Business Jets. For more information, check out www.bluestarjets.com or call 1-866-JET-TIME.

While many private air travel companies only allow their clients to choose which class of aircraft they want, Charter Auctions allows clientele to choose specific planes that fit the needs of every trip. Travelers submit a trip request and the online auction system sends the bid to a number of flight operators. Since the operators are competitive, impressive savings are very likely. For more frequent fliers, Charter Auction offers a Titanium Membership with perks including first-class concierge service, guaranteed fixed pricing and escrow services. For more information, call 1-800-370-7719 or check their website: www.charterauction.com.

Flight Options is one of the biggest fractional ownership programs, with a wide-ranging fleet of lightweight, medium and heavy planes. Flight Options can customize purchase plans for their clients, taking into consideration variables such as frequency of flying and regular destination spots. A monthly guaranteed maintenance cost covers all fixed costs: pilots, training, insurance, hangaring and administration. Fractional owners only pay for occupied flight hours; if you're not on the plane, you're not expected to pay for anything. While some travelers may be concerned with locking up cash into a partial purchase of an aircraft, Flight Option guarantees liquidity. If personal or business situations change and you need to get out of your agreement, Flight Options will buy back your share of the aircraft. Pricing options and flexibility make Flight Options a cost-effective alternative to commercial air travel. For more information, visit www.flightoptions.com or call 1-877-703-2348.

There are countless other private air travel companies in North America, each of which operates under charter, auction or fractional ownership plans. Each private company adheres to strict safety regulations while still providing exemplary service, quality and pricing options. Should you consider commercial air travel be more of a hassle than a convenience, private air travel companies will help bring the enjoyment of flying back to you.