Jet Cards are prepaid hours of occupied flight time. The great benefit is that they lock in a fixed hourly rate for a given type of aircraft. There are two broad types:

1. Specific hours on a given aircraft or size of aircraft. These are normally sold as 25 hour options, and start at about $165,000 for light jets. Some providers may offer special cards for as few as 5 hours.

2. Specific deposit, where you deposit a sum, typically starting at $100,000, and this locks in rates on different aircraft sizes. The larger the initial deposit the lower the hourly rates you can lock in.

Jet cards are offered by fractional operators, large and small fleet operators and charter brokers.

There are many reasons to use private jets and jet cards. The reasons that we hear most often are:

• Time Saving, You can arrive at the airport just minutes before your scheduled departure time, fly directly to your destination, make productive use of your time onboard, avoid overnight stays, avoid waiting in lines at the airport,

• Privacy, it’s your plane to have open meetings and discussions, and stay out of the limelight

• Flexibility, planes can be ready in a few hours, and can change schedules to suit you

• Reduces Stress, no rushing to meet a fixed departure time, no hanging around in crowded airports

• Image, a private plane projects a well run, efficient, successful individual or organization

There are many good reasons to charter private jets, but you need to do your due diligence before signing on. Here are some questions to ask potential providers, with a much fuller set provided in the Guide to Private Aviation.

• What is the independent safety rating on the fleet being offered?

• What aircraft types are included in the program?

• Are there any repositioning fees?

• How often do the pilots receive training?

• What is the geographic area included in this program?

• Are there any blackout periods?

• What are the callout notice periods to get a plane?

SherpaReport analysts have interviewed private aviation customers and management working at various providers and have spent hundreds of hours researching the various options. The result is an in-depth, independent Guide to Private Aviation, that includes details on each of the different options and the major providers.

Answer the questions below to get an initial idea of which private aviation option may be best suited to you, then download the complimentary Guide to become an informed buyer.

If you have any questions after reading the Guide, or you just want to discuss options, please feel free to contact our President & Senior Analyst, Nick Copley. His email is included in the Guide.