This method of flying is known by additional names, such as executive charter, air taxi and jet charter. It is all the same thing, no matter how you choose to refer to it.



This is a less expensive way to get a lot of the benefits airplane owners have. There are a few alternatives. The usual alternative is on demand charter. That alternative is a simple pay as you fly system. As the flight's charterer, you contract for the plane to transport you from one location to another. You will pay for your flight either before taking off or after landing. Today air charter providers have different rates, so you can save some money if you compare the prices. You could make your flight reservation through one of your local operators or through one of the national air charter brokers.

Jet cards are another option. They serve as flight debit cards. First you need to put down a couple of hundred thousand dollars. After you do so you will get to fly on a certain type of airplane for a predetermined number of flight hours. If you do not use all of your flight hours by their expiration date, they will expire or you will get a refund for your unused balance.

Another popular air charter choice is fractional ownership. With that type of program you have a partial ownership of one airplane or one type of aircraft. You share it with some other people. The air charter companies are the registered owners of the aircraft. The air charter companies maintain all of the airplanes in their fleet and will provide the pilots and flight crews, along with any catering that is desired.

In fractional ownership programs you will purchase an exact share, which usually will be somewhere from 1/16 to 1/2. That purchase will get you the usage of an aircraft for a predetermined number of flight hours. The usual minimum number of hours is about 50 per year. In addition, you will have to pay for each of your flight hours. On top of that you will pay for fuel and flight fees.

Today jet charter planes come in a wide variety of different sizes. The larger jet planes are called heavy jets. There are other jets called medium jets and light jets. The smallest jet today is the very light jet, which usually is called a VLJ. If you decide that jet flights are going to cost more than you want to spend, you always can decide to become a fractional owner of a single-engine piston airplane instead.

If you plan a shorter trip, then a helicopter charter might be right. The aircraft charter service has grown rapidly in recent years with the vast spread of the Internet. Now the information on the locations and availability of different aircraft is accessible nationally. Instead of your having just a few yellow pages choices, you now can go online or can let one of the air charter brokers find a flight for you.