Analyzing Your Options When It Comes To Private Jet Travel

By Erina Array

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When you are considering the choices available to satisfy your private jet travel needs, you may receive advice about the different methods of private jet travel available by someone who has never personally examined your travel requirements. This is a common occurrence in the aviation industry, because there are many sales people that try to oversimplify what's actually a much more complicated issue - "Which private jet travel option is really best for me?"

Trying to answer this question with as little confusion as possible has brought about the creation of a guideline that actually works for just a few individuals in certain circumstances. In fact, there are so few individuals whose needs are fulfilled with this method that it has become a myth.

The particular guideline says one will need to choose between jet cards, aircraft charter, fractional or whole aircraft ownership based on a basic formula of hours flown per year. The guideline goes something like this:

1. If you fly privately less than 25 hours each year, you need to charter.

2. In the event you fly privately between 25 to 50 hours a year, you should purchase a jet card or block charter.

3. If you fly privately somewhere between 50 and 200 hours per year, it is best to use fractional (want to guess which promoters invented this guideline?)

4. If you fly privately over 200 hours per year it is best to buy your own personal aircraft.

The actual issue with this basic formula is that it doesn't take into consideration your own unique needs and assumes your desires are the exact same as everyone else's. In order to make a fully informed choice, you need to take into account many more factors than just the amount of hours flown per year. As an example, if your company has a need for 20 hours of flight time each year, but the flights all begin in different cities, your requirements will conflict with the recommendation to utilize charter if your local charter operator does not have aircraft based in these cities.

If you fly 100 hours each year, but most of the trips come from one airport or area and come back inside a day or two, again this suggestion won't make the very best fit for you, because a fractional share or jet card will likely be far too expensive because their model is based on higher, "one-way" pricing. Of course there are quite a few other considerations also, such as the convenience factor, tax advantages, availability, and so forth that can't possibly be considered within the confines of a one-size-fits-all guideline.

If approached for help in choosing the most effective private travel option for a client, I initially determine the client's needs. How often does the client fly? Are the majority of flights one way or round trip? Do all flights begin and end in the same location? Does the client ever have need for multiple aircraft at the exact same time, maybe flying several teams in different areas of the country to various places simultaneously? What is the client's tax situation as it relates to depreciation of the asset if a share or entire aircraft were purchased?

Are there passive earnings issues? What's the client's most pressing concern in terms of traveling? Does the client prefer to have a relationship with their flight crew or keep them at arm's length? After that, a full mission evaluation is conducted, that includes a financial evaluation of the various alternatives available. On rare occasion the guideline will fit my recommendation, however most of the time the guideline leads a person to more expensive options than needed.

Don't be misled by the myth that your requirements can be met with a guideline. With a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of your travel requirements, a consultant can structure one or a number of private jet travel options in combination to develop a solution that truly meets your needs.

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