How Much Does Air Charter Cost?

Posted January 19, 2015

It’s not uncommon to dismiss a service due to pre-conceived ideas of how much it will cost rather than weighing the benefits versus the actual expense. Often the two warrant close analysis. For example, chartering a flight can often be more cost effective than flying commercial when all factors are considered.

So how does the cost of chartered air travel compare to the price of commercial flights?

PAY ONLY FOR AIR-TIME: It is necessary to know where you are going, or more to the point how long the aircraft will be in the air, as this plays a big part in determining the cost of chartered planes. How many people you need to transport is another important factor that can determine the size of the aircraft required and the cost. Smaller planes can start at $550 per flight hour, with large planes costing up to $12,000 per flight hour at the other end of the scale.

When considering the expense of business class tickets for a group of employees, chartered flights can often be a viable alternative, as more people travelling can significantly lower the per person cost.

Economies of scale work just as well in the sky. But if you’re just thinking about the budget in dollars, you’re only considering one part of the total equation.

THE FULL COST OF COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS: The best way to understand the financial benefits of chartered flying is to look at the inefficiencies of commercial flying.

Freeways to major city airports are usually congested during the popular flight times, such as Friday nights and Monday mornings, with costs mounting if travelling by taxi. Congestion can be just as bad within the grounds of the airport itself. Even parking your car onsite can be exorbitantly expensive and parking is often situated so far from the terminal that it requires an additional shuttle-commute and even more of your time.

Checking baggage means waiting again, before joining another line for a security check. If you have made it in time for your flight, you generally find yourself waiting yet again before you are allowed to board, You can then look forward to queuing again and jostling with fellow passengers for overhead locker space. On arrival at your destination port you can still expect further delays at luggage claim and exiting the Terminal.

Flying for business is exhausting and time-consuming. Once you place a value on the time expended during the many individual stages of commercial travel and multiply this, as appropriate, by the number in your group – the cost becomes significant.

GREATER CHOICE OF AIRPORTS: Controlling your air travel by utilising aircraft charter gives you the flexibility of organising direct travel. As well as having access to major city airports, chartered flights have the advantage of being able to depart from, or arrive at, more than 300 regional airports throughout Australia. These smaller airports may be closer to your premises or nearer to where you need to be, saving substantial travel time on the ground.

NO TICKETING REQUIRED: Coordinating commercial tickets with connecting regional flights for a group of people can be expensive, complex and time-consuming. The welcome contrast with air charter is that there’s no ticketing required. Your itinerary planning can be left in the capable hands of your air charter host. Whilst it is can be difficult to quantify the time saved throughout an organisation, one can well imagine the trickle-down benefit of having just a single point of contact when organising flights for a group of people.

Using private air charter also removes the possibility of simple logistical mistakes that can be made when organising flights for a group of people through traditional outlets.

PLANNING YOUR AIR TRAVEL BUDGET?: The true overall cost of chartering flights for corporate travel is usually far lower than expected. Inversely, the true cost of commercial flying is often significantly higher than the mere ticket price when all variables are considered. The many variables, frustrations and limitations outside your control add to the cost in time, which of course in turn costs money.

Air charter is often the smarter way to move a small or large group of people when all elements of the scheduling of people’s transport over long distances are considered.

To find out if chartering a flight would suit your travel budget, speak with a member of the Corporate Air team for a fixed price on your next trip.