Online you will find that there are a number of private jet charter companies and it may be difficult to decide which one to book a flight with. Selecting the right company to do business with will make or break the experience and it is important to make sure that you do your homework before booking your charter flight.
To begin with you will want to locate a few different charter companies and then look them up under online FAA directories to find out which companies are charter operators, charter brokers, and what crafts and locations the offer. It is important to realize that there is a difference between brokers and operators and those who are serving as private charter brokers are not authorized by the FAA since they act more as a travel agent then as a company and therefore it is best to steer away from brokers and deal instead with charter operators who are governed by FAA regulations.
Before dealing with a charter company it is also a good idea to make sure and take the time to validate the company that you are considering dealing with. In order to do this correctly you will want to make sure that you check up on all of their official documentation to make sure that they are a legitimate company that is in good standing with the FAA. In order to accomplish this you will need to check up with the FAA and make sure that they have a valid Part 135 air taxi certificate, that all their insurance documentation is in order as well as to follow up on any third party audits that have taken place to make sure that the company is in compliance with all industry regulations and is meeting all safety and training requirements. Making sure all the documentation is in order will help to make sure that you are dealing with a legitimate company and one that makes safety its number one priority.
A nice looking website and excellent customer service are important but in the end you will want to make sure that the company you are dealing with has a proven track record of excellent service and safety standards that go above and beyond the FAA minimum requirements. Do your homework when you are selecting a private charter company to do business with and I assure you that your efforts won’t go unrewarded.