Around the flight
What we arrange, and who is responsible
A charter is more than the aircraft. These are the things we handle around it — each one described as what it actually is, including the parts that are the operator's decision rather than ours.
Ground transport both ends
Arranged to meet the aircraft, and held if the flight moves.
At most business-aviation airports a car can be driven to the aircraft steps, which is the part of private travel that saves the most time and the part most often left to the traveller to organise. We arrange it at both ends and keep it tied to the actual flight, so a delayed departure moves the car rather than stranding it.
- Booked against the tail number and the FBO, not against a scheduled time.
- Re-timed by us if the departure moves, without you making a second call.
- Quoted as a line on the charter estimate rather than settled later.
Catering to the cabin
Ordered against the galley the aircraft actually has.
Catering on a private flight is limited by the galley on board — a light jet has no oven, and a hot meal on one is not a service level, it is a physical impossibility. We order against the specific aircraft, so what arrives is what can be served, and dietary requirements are passed to the operator in writing.
- Matched to the galley on the assigned aircraft, confirmed after the tail is allocated.
- Allergies and dietary requirements passed to the operator in writing, not verbally.
- Ordered to the departure time, and re-ordered by us if the slot moves.
FBO and handling
The terminal you use, chosen rather than defaulted.
Most business-aviation airports have more than one fixed-base operator, and they differ in where they sit on the field, how they handle customs, and what they charge. The operator will default to whichever they have an arrangement with. We tell you which one you are being routed through and what it means for your arrival.
- Named on the quote, with its location on the field.
- Customs and immigration arrangements confirmed for international arrivals.
- Handling and ramp fees itemised rather than folded into a single figure.
Passengers, pets and documents
The paperwork checked before the day, not at the aircraft.
Private does not mean exempt. Passports, visas, customs declarations and pet import rules apply exactly as they do on a scheduled flight, and an aircraft can be held on the ramp for a missing document just as readily as a passenger can be refused at a gate.
- Passenger manifest, passport and visa requirements confirmed against the actual routing.
- Pet carriage confirmed with the operator in advance — it is the operator's decision, and it is not automatic.
- Customs notification handled for international arrivals, with the arrival airport's own requirements checked.
Changes and cancellations
The operator's terms, given to you before you commit.
Charter cancellation terms are set by the operator and they are considerably firmer than most travellers expect — inside a short window a cancellation can carry most of the charter price. We put the specific terms for your specific quote in front of you before payment, rather than referring you to a contract afterwards.
- The operator's cancellation schedule stated on the quote, with the dates it steps at.
- What happens on a mechanical or a weather cancellation set out separately, because the two are treated differently.
- Any change fee named up front, so a schedule move is a decision rather than a surprise.
Accessibility and medical needs
Confirmed with the operator against the specific aircraft.
Boarding a business jet means air stairs, and the cabin is not step-free. What is possible varies enormously by type, and it is the operator who decides. We ask the question in advance and give you the answer for the aircraft being offered, rather than a general assurance.
- Step height and boarding arrangements confirmed for the specific type.
- Oxygen, medical equipment and accompanying carers cleared with the operator ahead of the flight.
- Where a type will not work, we say so and price an alternative that will.
What we will not tell you we do
We do not own aircraft, employ pilots or run an FBO. Every service above is something we arrange with the operator or a supplier on your behalf, and every one of them appears on your quote as a cost rather than as an unexplained inclusion.
Where something is the operator's decision — whether a pet travels, whether a wheelchair can be accommodated on a particular type, whether a schedule change is permitted — we will get you the answer before you commit, and we will tell you it is their answer rather than ours.
