JetHub Aviation Industry Blog

Use private jet cards over fractional jet programs.

Charter jet cards are normally a prepaid block of number of hours on a type of jet; or probably a specific category of jets which are light, mid-size, and heavy. Even though some card programs charge a higher hourly rate than other charter companies, they guarantee availability of an aircraft and they charge you only for the number of hours you are flying on the plane. The typical hourly rate will be same as that of a chartered plane. If you initially fly on longer trips where it is impractical to keep the plane waiting for you, a charter company will normally charge you for the repositioning, or the least of minimum usage fee of two hours per day; this is to keep the plane at your destination until you are ready to return home.

While with fractional jet programs, customers or owners purchase a share of the plane, instead of the entire plane. The cost is pro-rated from market cost of a full aircraft. Owners or customers then have assurance of access to that plane with as little as four hours of notice. Fractional customers or owners pay a maintenance fee every month and also an hourly operating fee when occupied; this is not the case at all on jet card programs. Charter jet cards do not charge you with this; they only charge you with the number of hours of your flight. The operating fee is charged only when a guest is on board; this is not when the plane is flying to a get to a destination, or returning to the home base after completing a flight.