Tips For Chartering A Plane

Looking for tips for chartering a plane without overpaying? Chartering an airplane offers various advantages, such as the ability to choose your own flight times and obtaining access to smaller airports. By flying into smaller airports you can get in and out of places more quickly. This is especially true when you can find smaller airports near larger metropolitan areas.

1. Look for flights as early as possible. Plan to charter your plane in advance. Certain times of the year may be difficult for chartering private aircraft. This is especially true around the holidays, school vacations and major sporting events.
2. Contact plane owners directly. If you want to save money on your charter, you may want to try contacting aircraft owners directly. You can call your local FBO (fixed base operator) to find out if there are any potential private aircraft owners who are looking to rent out their aircraft. This will cost less than using a third-party aircraft broker.
3. Fully read the contract. Make sure to fully read over the contract before you make any commitments to a plane charter. Keep in mind that you will be paying for ground time in addition to flight time. You want to check for things such as rounding time increments. For example, a 40 minute flight may be billed as an hour flight due to minimum billing increments.
4. Look for empty leg flights. If you are looking for a one-way charter, you may want to research empty leg flights. You can save money by utilizing aircraft which are returning back to their home bases. If you cannot find an empty leg flight, your costs will usually be higher. The reason for this is because you will have to pay for ferry fees on the return leg of the airplane charter.