When deciding the best way to travel by private jet there are so many things to consider that it can be daunting. How well do you know your way around fractional ownership, wholly owned aircraft, prepayment card programs, charter brokers, direct charter providers, membership fees, depreciation, hourly rates, empty legs, crew charges, overnight fees, maintenance expenses, etc.... ? It is important to choose the right arrangement in order to get the best value from your private jet experience.

     As the number of incentive for passengers to avoid commercial air travel continues to grow, so do private jet options. This trend in the marketplace is turning increasingly in favor of the discerning traveler as rates go down and availability goes up on luxury jet flights. Unless you are flying more than 400 hours a year, chartering a private jet is the best value for maximum flexibility, jet selection and competitive prices.

     Below are nine reasons why chartering a jet through a broker or a direct charter provider can make the most financial sense:

1. Private jet charter versus commercial airline travel: for example, the cost for two adults and four children flying first class is often comparable to that of your own private jet flight purchased through a charter company. Given all the convenience of flying privately, jet charter becomes an attractive option for travelers who once thought they were restricted to commercial air travel.

2. Private jet charter versus fractional or prepayment options: on a light jet, charter costs can be as little as $2,000 per flight hour, $2,300 for prepaid flight card program or $3,000 for fractional ownership.

3. Jet availability: chartering through a charter broker provides the best availability. Fractional programs and small charter companies can be subject to blackout dates and lack of availability due to jet maintenance. This can be one of the most important factors during the holiday season and high vacation travel times.

4. Jet selection: charter brokers have access to a premier network of more than 2,000 jets and are not restricted to a certain type of jet or jet class as with some fractional programs or charter companies that only have access to a certain aircraft.

5. Charter representatives available 24/7: charter brokers can provide flight quotes in as little as one hour to 15 minutes and jets can have your plane ready to take off within four hours.

6. Supplemental luxury jet charters: jet charter provides greater flexibility with no commitments, which can be a great value when used in tandem with other jet services such as fractional ownership and prepaid card programs.

7. Luxury travel made easy: perfect for the luxury traveler who utilizes private jet service on an occasional or irregular basis.

8. Maximum flexibility: without the hassle of jet ownership, maintenance, crew costs and storage expenses, there are no extra costs to detract from the experience. Simply contact a charter representative, reserve a flight and off you go.

9. High safety and quality standards: most charter companies adhere to the highest safety standards and work with aircraft and pilots that are Part 135 and have excellent safety ratings with risk management companies.

Business Flying vs. Airline Flying

     The continuing popularity of travel by private aircraft is partly due to the fact that these planes have access to nearly 5,300 airports in the United States, compared to the 558 served by the large airlines. In addition, approximately 70 percent of all airline passengers travel to or from the top 30 air carrier hubs.

     Being able to use smaller, less-congested airports located closer to one's final destination is a huge part of the utility and flexibility of private air travel. In fact, most business aircraft operators prefer to use these so-called "reliever airports" in major metropolitan areas instead of airline hubs whenever possible. That is why private aircraft operations at the busiest U.S. airports are usually only a small percentage of total operations at those facilities.

     Business aircraft operations in the New York City area are a good example of this. At New York's major airports (Newark, LaGuardia and Kennedy) private aircraft comprise only about 3 percent of the total operations because most business aircraft operators use alternative airports--Teterboro or Morristown in New Jersey or Westchester County and Islip in New York.

     Similarly, many of the airports that accommodate the most private jet travel have little or no airline service. Partly because so many private aircraft are based in states with the largest population centers (California, Florida, Texas, New York and New Jersey) the list of top 50 airports by private aviation operations is dominated by airports located in those states.