With commercial airlines downsizing their fleets and cancelling flights daily, airport travel has become a nightmare. Chartering a private jet never looked more appealing. There are several companies that offer jet card programs, but like any investment, you need to do your due diligence before signing on.

Jet charter cards are perfect if you only occasionally fly privately, and you don't need a fixed number of flight hours per year. They provide a lot of flexibility including no long-term contracts or monthly management fees. They are also a lower-cost alternative to fractional jet cards. For more information see Jet Charter Cards and Membership Clubs on SherpaReport.

Patrick Harris, President of Velocity Jets, LLC was kind enough to provide SherpaReport with a list of questions you should ask if you are interested in getting a jet card. Some of the main topics to explore are safety and operations, the fleet, pilots, pricing, finances, and membership specifics.

• What is the independent safety rating on the fleet being offered?
• What insurance coverage do they offer?
• What is the insurance per person, per incident, and per aircraft type?
• What is the operator's safety record?
• How long have they been in business?

• What is the average age of the aircraft being utilized?
• What aircraft types are included in the program?
• Can we request a specific aircraft type?
• Can we request that we NOT fly on a specific aircraft type or below a certain age?
• Who maintains these aircraft?

• What level of training do the pilots have?
• How often do the pilots receive training?
• Are two pilots used on every flight?
• Are BOTH pilots rated in the specific aircraft they are flying?

• Are the hourly rates guaranteed?
• Are there any repositioning fees?
• Are there any overnight fees?
• What other fees should I be aware of?
• How long are the hourly rates good for?
• Do the hourly rates have an expiration date?
• What about international flights or any flights that are outside of the geographic program area, how does the pricing work in those situations?

• What is the geographic area included in this program?
• Are there any blackout periods?
• Are the hourly rates guaranteed during peak travel times?
• What is the program cancellation policy?
• Can you offer any program references?

• Where do the escrow deposits get deposited?
• Can we use our own escrow account?

Please let us know if you have any thoughts or comments on the above or if you would like to share your Jet Card experience - use the contact us form.