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At Omni Air Transport, we know many passengers have questions about the differences between flying first class on commercial airlines versus chartering a private aircraft. 

There is a general perception that chartering a private flight is only feasible for the highest ranks of the elite. This is no longer the case. Today, there are a greater number of chartered flights, increasing accessibility and making private charter a great choice for business and leisure travelers alike. 

Before booking a commercial flight, consider the following advantages of flying private jet charter.

 

First Class vs Private Charter

 

Flexibility

Private charter offers flexibility that commercial airlines simply cannot match. Everyone has to deal with the unexpected, but when your time is particularly valuable, having the ability to adjust your travel plans in response to changing circumstances is a major advantage.  Meetings may need to shift suddenly, reaching a key deal may take longer than expected, even your destination may change at the last minute.

Try asking a commercial airline to give you another two hours to wrap up negotiations. Commercial airlines are notoriously unaccommodating when it comes to last-minute changes, as their business is focused on turning over as many aircraft as possible, filled with as many passengers as possible. Even if they happen to offer a later flight to your destination, it usually comes at the expense of hours of layovers or additional stops. In many cases, you can lose an entire day of productivity as a result.  

With a private charter, downtime is minimized even when the circumstances change unexpectedly. 

Privately chartered flights work around your schedule, even if it changes, and they never leave without you. 

However, your time is not only valuable in the professional context, but personally as well. Whether you’re looking to extend your vacation a day to catch one more sunset or move up a departure due to a meeting change, the flexibility and convenience of private jet charter allows you to maximize your precious leisure time too.

 

Location

The frustrations with commercial air travel begin with overcrowded airports. O’Hare. Denver. DFW. LAX. Newark. LaGuardia.  Frequent travelers know these places all too well, and many have a horror story or two at each. 

How does the experience continue to worsen? Travelers feel as if they have no alternative. Major commercial airports continue to become increasingly crowded as airlines try to maximize the number of flights per day. These days, even trips between relatively close cities often require at least one layover.  This could mean dealing with three different commercial airports in each direction. 

Imagine being able to avoid these hassles altogether. Private charter air travel gives you the option of using smaller airfields with easier access, fewer delays, no crowds, and far less frustration. You can leave from closer to home, fly to where you are actually going, and land closer to your exact destination. 

 

Private Charter means Flexibility to Flight Plans

 

Privacy 

Whether you are looking to spend quality time with friends and family or preparing for a business meeting, flying private jet charter means avoiding security checkpoints and packed terminals. Flying charter means boarding through a private terminal or even the ability to pull your car right up the aircraft.  

Chartered air travel is also a particularly good option when travel plans involve activities that require you to bring along items that are heavily restricted aboard commercial flights, such as hunting gear, ski equipment, or larger valuable goods.

Once you’ve boarded the private charter, you’ll no longer have to worry about shared facilities, keeping your possessions confined or disruptions from passengers you don’t know. 

The inherent privacy of chartered jet travel means you are free to conduct business or communicate even sensitive information without prying eyes or the possibility of inadvertent disclosure, further reducing your downtime.  

Even if your goal is simply rest and relaxation, the privacy of chartered air travel allows you complete control over your surroundings to create the most relaxing flight environment possible.

 

Economics

Many people incorrectly believe the price of chartering an aircraft will be exorbitant.  While it is true that a single first class seat on a commercial flight will typically be less expensive than a chartered flight, such a comparison fails to take into account the many advantages of private charter travel. Consider the opportunity cost. For many of our customers, saving at least a half day traveling each direction represents a value that more than exceeds the difference in price on paper. This is in addition to the many other conveniences and superior amenities not found in first class commercial travel.

Chartering a flight means you are renting the entire plane. All those seats are yours. When you put people in those seats, it makes that cost per seat plummet. The more passengers you travel with, the lower the cost per person. Extrapolated with passengers, those numbers make a lot more sense to businesses and cost-minded executives. 

When comparing the cost of private charter with commercial flights, consider that not all first-class accommodations on commercial flights are made equally. Domestic first-class flights barely compare with the same-class seating on international flights. If you are flying domestic, the accommodations and convenience benefits of first-class seating does not come close to private charter. 

 

Intangibles

While there are many levels of air charter, passengers expect a luxurious travel experience when flying privately. When flying aboard commercial flights, what is on your plane was already predetermined before you left. With private flights, luxury accommodations and even customization is an option. 

You can pre-select the menu, entertainment, size of the plane, departure time, beverages, etc. Private charter flights can also have certain technologies available for the discerning business traveler. Need to have a teleconference en route to your important meeting? Just tell your charter service and it can usually be arranged.

You rent the plane for your charter flight but a full-service air charter service like Omni Air Transport can serve as your concierge service with an infinite number of options. From ground transportation and catering to destination dining and event tickets, we not only personalize your chartered flight experience for you and your passengers, but we can help plan every detail of your trip. 

 

Safety

Omni Air Transport takes flight safety seriously. This is not only a commitment to safe flight operations — for which Omni carries the ARGUS Platinum, Wyvern Wingman and IS-BAO Stage III safety accreditations — but the commitment to the health of our passengers and crew members (Read about our new policies and procedures as a result of Covid-19).

We feel that with all these considerations along with the current uncertainty regarding Covid-19, the benefits of flying privately through a charter continue to grow over commercial flights. 

 

Omni Air Transport Focus on Safety Jet Maintenance

 

Time

Time is ultimately the most valuable resource we have. Think of all of the commercial flights you have taken, and all of the hours you have spent in airports simply waiting to travel. 

When flying commercially, there are countless ways to lose valuable time. Consider the time spent on booking and planning, arriving one to two hours before the flight, time spent in security checkpoints and navigating large airports, layovers and delays, and even unexpected flight changes. 

In contrast, charter flights can be easily booked and customized with dedicated support staff and concierge services, early arrival is only 15 minutes ahead, no time spent in security checkpoints, no navigating large airports, no layovers. Not to mention the time saved by being able to fly from airports closer to your home and land closer to your destination.  Private jet charter drastically reduces the hours you spend traveling by eliminating the hassle and delays that are endemic to large commercial airports. 

 

Conclusion

For business travelers and vacation experiences, the scorecard is clear— if you can make the numbers work on private air charter, it turns the most painful parts of travel into the easiest.

With Omni Air Transport, we have a knowledgeable team of professionals willing to help make your next business travel or vacation experience a memorable one for all the right reasons. When you book your next flight, consider flying with an entire team dedicated to making sure you have the best experience possible.

Charter your next amazing flight experience with Omni Air Transport