Many people today are flying by charter jet. Whether for business or personal reasons, there are many advantages to chartering a jet rather than flying by commercial air. Besides the convenience, charter jets also offer security and efficiency over commercial flights.
When you’re booking a flight on a charter jet, you will either be working with an operator, a company registered with the FAA and subject to licensing and numerous safety regulations, or a broker, a professional who books flights through various charter operators.
Safety and value are two important priorities when booking a charter jet. Be prepared with our list of 10 questions you should ask your broker or operator.
- Does the operator have a current FAA 135 Operating Certificate? Can the broker or operator provide you with a copy?
- Is the aircraft in question registered with the FAA?
- Can the FAA confirm the information provided? You can search by N-Number on the FAA website.
- Has the aircraft been in an accident? The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) lists aircraft accident reports for up to 10 years.
- Does the operator have any unresolved citations issued by the FAA? Your local FAA office maintains information on citations they’ve issue for five years.
- Does the aircraft you are considering have proper insurance? The operator should be able to provide a Certificate of Insurance for liability on any aircraft in their fleet.
- Will the operator list you, your passengers, and your company or organization as additional insured and provide you a copy of the Certificate of Insurance? Most operators will be happy to do this for you.
- Has the operator been audited by an independent auditing company? Can the broker or operator provide you with a copy of any recent audits for operational procedures, pilot training, or aircraft maintenance?
- Is the operator or broker listed in any lawsuits or have they ever been sued for any reason? If so, get the details and any publicly available court documents.
- Has the operator or broker ever filed for any form of bankruptcy? Are they out of bankruptcy at this time? Can they guarantee your payments will be applied to your flight only?
Photo via DoubleM2
