Picture this: You are new to the business aviation market. You understand all the benefits that flying private brings to the table, yet you do not entirely distinguish what’s the right aircraft for your destination and what’s the fair price to pay. Plenty of variables must be considered; your budget, the level of urgency to get to your destination and with whom you’ll be traveling, just to name a few.
1. What’s the safety rating?
But first, the most important questions you need to ask the private jet operator are safety-related. Acknowledging their safety record and rating is crucial for decision making. More specifically, regarding the aircraft, whether if its listed under the local regulations, if its been involved in accidents and if it has been properly insured, are key enquiries. All these questions can be double-checked with the local authority by presenting the tail number.
2. What’s the maintenance history of a specific aircraft?
Furthermore, you can ask for the maintenance history of a specific aircraft or even go further and request information of how maintenance is handled during emergency situations when your aircraft will need to remain grounded for a longer than expected period.
3. Is the crew professional?
Another valid set of questions are those concerning the crew. Getting to know the type of experience that your potential pilots will have covering a certain route is key, although every pilot and co-pilot must comply with a minimum. Further, it is valid to ask the private jet provider for their policies on crew flight time and limits, to distinguish beforehand what is the standard protocol if the trip lasts more than the duty times.
4. What’s the type of the aircraft?
For first time travelers, the advice granted by the private jet provider will be key and in the long run determine the overall private jet experience. The type of aircraft, for starters. If budget is a concern and there’s really no urgency to arrive to your destination, chartering a turboprop instead of a jet would make more sense.
Although slightly slower when compared in a short haul scenario (three hours or less) to jet aircraft, turboprops are the cost-efficient option without compromising comfort nor overall time-efficiency. Private jet providers usually grant three to five different options to choose from depending on the client’s needs and in a way, educate first time travelers before they make their decision.
There is a wide array of private jets and turboprops that meet very specific demands, with an hourly rate for each one. Private jet provider Monarch Air Group wrote about how much does it cost to rent a private jet for a day, which provides general pricing guidelines depending on the aircraft category, seating capacity and range.
In essence, whether you’re a first time or frequent flier, there are no wrong questions to ask for before you rent your next plane. They will only help to reassure your decision to experience the amenities of flying private. All this variables that seem to be accounted for when you buy a commercial ticket, are rightfully there for you enquire.
Private aviation thrives with its tailor-made value proposition, and there should be no information that a potential business aviation passenger shouldn’t be aware of before his or her next flight.
For information on chartering a private jet, contact Monarch Air Group at +1-954-359-0059 or price out your flight here for an instant quote.