To many people, chartering an airplane is an unheard of luxury, but there are many companies available today that make full-service air charters easy and accessible to virtually everyone. Whether you’re looking for a plane for a small group or large party, air charters can be found relatively quickly and simply. By utilizing the combined strength of Internet resources and companies that are already in place for discount charter air travel, you’ll find that chartering a plane doesn’t have to be as difficult or as expensive as it sounds. Here’s your guide to chartering a private jet to Cancun.
Figure out what size plane you need. Chartered air crafts typically come in three sizes and the hourly rate is dependent on the size. There are three common size classes, including small, medium and large jets. Your jet size will be determined by the number of passengers you need to transport, so make sure you have an accurate head count of travelers in your group. Small jets typically seat between five and eight people, mid-size jets seat eight to 12 and full-size jets seat 10 to 18 passengers. Small jets average cost is around $2,500 per flight hour, mid-size jets cost about $3,200, while full-size jets cost about $4,500.
Shop for a charter company. Use the web to find a listing of charter companies and do some research on each one. Check into the routes and cities that they serve and cross off those who do not have a route to the city you’re traveling to. Start planning early and be patient. The sooner you start looking for planes, the more knowledgeable you’ll be of this type of travel and the more likely you’ll be to find deals. Create a few mock trips and be creative in your planning.
Check the companies reputation. After you’ve narrowed it down to a few select companies, you should check the company's reputation in he air travel market. Charter aircraft companies aren’t as accessible as commercial airlines, but you can still find reviews and opinions on companies by doing a noninvasive internet search. Chartering private planes is expensive, so you should be getting the very best for you money by hiring from a highly reputable company.
Get a quote. Contrary to popular belief chartering private jets isn’t as expensive as you might think. An average five-hour international flight for a long weekend (three nights) aboard a mid-size jet with all costs included would be, on average, about $22,200. A mid-size jet holds about eight passengers, so the cost per person would be $2,812.50. Browse the web and get price quotes from several companies.
Look into empty legs. Empty legs or deadheads can drastically cut the cost of a chartered air plane flight and are available from most charter air craft companies. An empty leg is a flight segment an aircraft must fly, whether they have passengers or not, in order to get into position for a scheduled charter. You’ll have to do a little more leg work to find out about the availability of these flights, but a simple phone call to the companies customer service will get you headed in the right direction.
Join a membership program. Most charter aircraft companies have membership programs that you may join. These memberships can get you exclusive deals on charter flights, discounts on popular routes and a more accessible list of available aircrafts. membership programs may have a one time fee or yearly fees, so make sure that it’s cost effective for you to join. Don’t join a membership program if you’re only planning on taking one flight a year because it probably won’t serve a purpose.
Consider additional costs. In addition to flight hour charges, there are other standard costs to consider before chartering a private jet. You will also be responsible for the planes overnight charges, international taxes, landing costs and on board catering. If you charter a plane for a round-trip flight, you will be responsible for the days the plane sits in the airport waiting for you, which can be up to $600 a night.
Have your documents in order. There is a big difference in chartering for domestic flights and chartering for international flights, so be sure to give yourself enough lead time to process necessary documentation. When flying to Cancun, you’ll be entering another country, so all of your passengers must have unexpired passports. You will need to provide your carrier with the name, birth date and passport information for each passenger in your group before you travel.
Book your jet. Once you’ve gone through the above steps and effectively found the right company to suit your Cancun travel needs, you’ll need to book the flight. If possible, book your flight with a generous lead time in case you need to make changes. You’ll need to pay a portion, if not all of the flight costs, and in most case you’ll be required to leave a deposit as well. Enjoy your flight!
