Private Jet CharterMost people who book a private jet never deal with the company that owns or flies it. They book through a charter broker: a company that finds the right aircraft from the operators that hold the certificates, compares their prices and arranges the trip.
That is how most charter is sold, in the United States and in Europe. It works well when the broker is good and badly when it is not, so it pays to know what a broker does, how it earns its money and what to ask before you send a deposit.
01 Broker or Operator: The Difference
An operator holds the air operator certificate for the aircraft. In the United States that is a Part 135 certificate from the FAA; in Europe an AOC from the national authority under EASA rules. The operator employs or contracts the pilots, maintains the aircraft and is legally responsible for the flight.
A broker holds no operating certificate. It acts for you: it asks several operators for prices, checks that the aircraft and operator suit the trip, negotiates, and handles the booking, payment and changes. The aircraft you fly is always an operator's aircraft, flown under that operator's certificate.
02 Why Use a Broker at All?
No single operator has an aircraft of every size in every city on every date. A broker can ask operators wherever the right aircraft is, which often means a better price, an aircraft already near your departure airport, or an empty leg flying your way.
A good broker also does the work you would otherwise do yourself: comparing quotes that are written in different ways, spotting fees left out of the headline price, checking that the aircraft has the range for your passengers and bags, and handling the trip when weather or a mechanical problem changes the plan.
Choice
Prices from several operators, not one fleet.
Price
Competing quotes and empty legs on your route.
Checks
Operator certificate, aircraft range and runway fit.
Support
One contact before, during and after the flight.
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