Have you ever wondered what it’s like to charter a private plane? While air charter is a common alternative to flying commercially for executives, it’s also a standard method of transportation for goods. Aside from the cost, one of the most apparent differences between flying on a commercial airline and chartering an airplane is renting a seat on a plane vs. renting the entire plane. While it may be more cost-effective for people or cargo to fly commercially, chartering a plane becomes the logical solution when time is money.

Time is of the Essence

When it comes to a company’s supply chain, a missing part could equate to losing money every minute until the part is replaced and the supply chain is running smoothly again. It’s not uncommon for companies to resort to air charter in these situations. Additionally, when executives need to arrive at an important meeting and have no time to waste, air charter ensures that they land precisely when they need to be there.

Benefits of Charters

One of the most significant benefits of chartering a plane stems from the flexibility surrounding the process. Aircraft used for air charters are readily on a runway, surrounded by a team of professionals who make it possible for charters to take flight in less than two hours, in most cases.

If you need a mission-critical flight sooner than what’s readily available in the commercial market and need to minimize the risk of cancellation or delays for yourself, your product or a crucial piece of your supply chain, air charter is the optimal solution. There is a higher probability that freight simply will not fly when scheduled commercially, as compared to booking a charter where there is a low probability of the aircraft not flying on time. While chartering a plane may seem extravagant to some, it comes down to an opportunity cost: spending more to solve a problem quickly and efficiently vs. waiting for a commercial flight and risking losing money and business.

When timing is of the utmost importance, as is the case when booking an air charter, it helps tremendously to be well-prepared for an impending deadline. The following list contains the necessary information that will be needed when booking a charter, along with a couple of tips. While all the information listed below is not required to obtain a quote from the carrier, it helps generate an accurate quote estimate.

Important Shipment Information to Gather Before Booking

• Shipper contact information
• Shipper company name
• If the shipping company is not the paying company, the company name and a contact at the consignee should also be provided
• Billing authorization number (if applicable)
• The shipping company, address, city, state and zip code (if applicable)
• On-site contact at shipper
• Dock or special instructions
• Consignee, address, city, state and zip code (if applicable)
• On-site contact at the consignee
• Dock or special instructions
• Ready time, including time zone
• Need time, including time zone
• Pieces
• Weight
• Dimensions
• Hazmat (Yes / No)
  • If Yes, obtain UN# and Class
• Services required
  • Door to Door
  • Door to Airport
  • Airport to Door
  • Airport to Airport

Other Helpful Tips

• If this is your first time booking a charter, calling the air charter company is typically best to initiate the request
• If you’ve already booked a charter with the air charter company, email requests generally are the best way to initiate the Request for Quote (RFQ)

About Our Air Charter Solutions

Ascent On-Demand manages more domestic air charters than any other company in North America. Our clients know that when a supply chain disruption occurs, and an air charter is needed, our teams know precisely how to expedite the process to deliver on time anywhere the freight is needed.

Our air charter team will determine all facets of arranging the air charter, including:

• Which airport to use, in part based upon the length of the runway and determination of which aircraft can or cannot land at each airport
• What type of aircraft is needed
• How the plane will be loaded, including whether a specific airport has high-low drivers to load/unload the aircraft
• What the hours of operation are for the fixed-base operator (FBO)

Contact our team to learn more about our On-Demand air charter solutions.