A Helpful Guide to Private Charter for Executive Assistants

C-Suite travel may seem like a daunting topic to those unfamiliar with it. It can appear difficult to acquire insider knowledge about the logistics, associated costs, and advantages of private air travel when one approaches it for the first time. We are writing today speaking directly to the working professionals who manage the daily schedules and activities of executive leadership personnel. Specifically, we are addressing the topic of private charter and sharing some insider information so executive assistants can approach it from a more informed vantage point. Private aircraft charter is the product we offer and it’s a relatively easy sell when one considers the time valuation of C-level professionals. A simple understanding of the hourly value of a traveling executive will vary from company to company. Good executive assistants should have an accurate number prepared to make smart bottom-line oriented decisions that maximize the precious time of their executive officer(s). With that said, let’s learn more about C-Suite travel aboard private jets and address some common pitfalls that can be avoided with a little insider knowledge!

Finding a Jet Broker

Private jet brokers are salespeople competing in a very narrow and competitive market. Some brokers are good, others not so much. Lucky for us, this market is so competitive that brokers who offer sub-par services struggle to survive more so than in other sales-driven markets. Word travels fast in the on-demand charter industry because it is so small. While many operators like us who offer on-demand jet charter have a team of in-house brokers, at least some portion of business inevitably comes from outside sources. A reputable jet broker is an asset to executive assistants and will be there to help make well-informed decisions about different aircraft types, catering, and other onboard amenities. Our job as the aircraft operator is to represent, to the best of our ability, each broker who chooses to send their high-value clients on a flight aboard one of our aircraft. To find a reputable broker there are many avenues one can follow. We always suggest starting any jet broker search with Wyvern registered broker partners, who have outstanding track records of reliability, safety knowledge, and operational excellence.

Key Points

• Jet brokers will ensure that the expectations of your executive travelers are met.
• Jet brokers help executive assistants understand the advantages of each aircraft type.
• Aircraft operators like us serve as jet broker representatives when we fly their clients.

Tech Stops

International or transcontinental flights push the limits of most small business jets and even some midsize jets. A “tech stop” is nothing more than private jet industry jargon for a fuel stop somewhere between the departure airport and the destination. Time saving and convenience are what drive the demand for private charter and tech stops are best avoided when chartering a jet for business purposes. A mistake in this area might look something like putting your high-value executive(s) aboard a light jet from New York City to Los Angeles which ends up requiring extra time spent in a place like Kansas City to refuel. Executives fly private for several reasons.  Saving time is by far the most common and purely logistical among them. Understanding a little bit about aircraft size and range can work to the advantage of an executive assistant searching for the right operator. Certain operators specialize in one fleet of aircraft, such as large cabin long range jets, whereas others have options ranging from small cabin short range jets all the way into the long range category.

Key Points

• Going from east to west requires more time, and therefore more fuel, for air travel.
• Tech stops are tolerated by some executives, but many see them as an annoyance.
• Knowing about aircraft range helps to narrow down a search for the right operator.

Luggage Capacity of Private Jets

Executive assistants who are new to private jet travel might not understand that private jets, depending on the type, might not have much space for excessive luggage. Large cabin jets in the ultra-long range category, like our fleet of Gulfstreams, can comfortably whisk 14 people and their belongings to destinations more than 5,000 miles away (depending on which aircraft). Midsize jets, such as those which constitute Bombardier’s Challenger fleet, can be more restrictive regarding the quantity of baggage that can be comfortably carried aboard. An executive assistant would be wise to learn about the packing habits of their C-level travelers to avoid the all too common blunder where clients must choose which bags to take and which bags to send in the mail.

Key Points

• Business travel might require executives to pack heavy. Private jets are limited in space.
• Light and midsize private jets have less space than their large cabin counterparts.
• Avoid the mistake of booking a flight aboard a jet that is too small for heavy packers.

The Advantages of Full Service

Many brokers who we choose to do business with have countless resources at their fingertips that facilitate the smoothest possible travel experiences for their clients. Where brokers lack in resources of their own, though, we make it up by being a full service operator. We have our own team of dispatchers and flight coordinators that can facilitate executive transport solutions both to and from the aircraft in addition to tailored inflight catering services. Executive assistants that choose full service brokers or operators can rest assured that their C-suite traveler(s) will be well taken care of.