There are any number of options available to the discerning traveller these days, however one stands out as, perhaps, the most luxurious form of air travel – the private jet. While the idea of owning a BBJ or a Learjet might be above and beyond the dreams of all but the most successful in life, there are more affordable ways to enjoy the luxury of travel by private jet.
Fractional ownership and various other schemes have existed in one way or other all over the world. But it’s only recently that we’re being to see real competition open up in the Middle East. Firms like Execujet, NetJets, Air Charter International, Royal Jet and Vistajet have exploded what was, until recently, a reasonably limited environment.
The services are essentially the same: you pay a set fee for a block of time on a specific class of aircraft, as a result you’ll have a set number of hours per month in which you may make use of their aircraft. Companies also offer one-off trips, however the real savings are to be made by engaging in long-term agreements, “The biggest reward is that we constantly try to improve the hourly rates that the client is paying; our advanced system allows us to see and track what hourly rate the client has paid on previous flights and we always strive to improve on that,” says Claire Brugirard, strategic business manager of Air Charter International.
ExecuJet go a step further, offering a range of concierge services, “Our clients can be provided with a full suite of services which includes transfer management, car hire, hotel accommodation and tickets to all major events,” said Helle Brodsgaard, ExecuJet’s charter manager, Middle East. The system is essentially the same regardless of which company you’re dealing with: You pay a fee and that entitles you to use the company’s aircraft for a certain number of hours. Frequent fliers will receive preferential rates that improve over time.
Royal Jet is perhaps the one firm that offers something a little different. If you’re an aircraft owner, the company assists you in making your purchase and from then on, will cover all your management and maintenance needs, including crew hire, for a set yearly fee. Designed to dramatically reduce and consolidation costs, the practice is something new for the company, having begun April of this year.
NetJets having embraced the fractional ownership approach, do things a little differently than the others, but the end result is, essentially, the same. Fractional ownership involves buying shares in an aircraft and dividing your use of that aircraft up according to the percentage you own, costs are also divided in this manner. It’s an interesting take on aircraft ownership and has made travel by private jet much more affordable. Clients might expect to go into a little more detail working within this model than the others, but that’s not to say it should be discounted.
According to Brodsgaard, the market over the last few years has changed gradually, no longer are private jets the sole preserve of high net worth individuals, corporations and governments have joined the financial elite in reaping the benefits of tailored air travel. While the current conditions seem set to result in a natural cull of charter companies, Air Charter International’s Brugirard is bullish, “We have started to see a steady growth in charters, the market seems to be picking up again and those charter companies that will still be there in a couple of month’s time have proven to be very strong.” The law of the jungle clearly applies to those of us working in the skies.
www.aircharter-international.com, www.execujet.net, www.njme.com, www.royaljet.com, www.vistajet.com
