Story ID: 
European firm introduces advance-charter blocks
By: Ian Goold
Caption: Users of business-aircraft charter who prefer to purchase travel in advance now have another option that the service’s provider claims is different from ot
Word Count: 576
Users of business-aircraft charter who prefer to purchase travel in advance now have another option that the service’s provider claims is different from other products. Under a program introduced early last month, global charter broker Air Partner is offering its new Jet Membership card program as an alternative to the group’s long-established classic charter operation.
The program offers whole-year blocks of charter time in units of 25 hours, 50 hours and 75 hours, which are available on three core “new-generation” types. But where a different aircraft model is more suited to a customer’s specific payload and range requirements (to avoid refueling stops, for example), the customer can mix and match purchased charter time under a global interchange service.
The company claims that Jet Membership is different from other programs that might appear similar in that its market is customers who want to buy whole-year charter capacity in advance and pay for flying time only. In addition, clients retain an element of control of the aircraft and its crew throughout a given booking: since the machine is not assigned to other use after arrival at the destination, customers can leave documentation, equipment or luggage on board and are free to change their schedule at short notice without having to wait for the availability of an aircraft and crew.
The company is marketing the program initially in Europe, where there is an established preference for chartering over ownership. It will then promote the service in the U.S. (home for many people regularly chartering European aircraft), although customers can use charter time anywhere in the world at any time. Fixed-price rates range from $4,787 (e3,900) per hour for a five-passenger Cessna CitationJet/CJ1 through $5,278 (E4,300) per hour for a seven-passenger Citation Bravo to $7,733 (E6,300) per hour for a similar-capacity Citation Excel.
Added to the company’s Web site without fanfare, the Jet Membership program has attracted interest, according to Air Partner, with 50 percent of inquiries reportedly coming from clients of rival packages that sell surplus time on fractional-ownership fleets or corporate aircraft whose charter capacity is managed by a manufacturer. About 30 percent of interest has been sparked among regular charter customers and 20 percent from people who have never chartered, company officials said.
Air Partner marketing director David Macdonald said there are more than 100 of these “core” aircraft in Europe (and “no one else offers the CJ1”), and that the rates represent the “lowest published hourly rates anywhere.” There are no monthly management charges and customers can build working relationships through dealing with dedicated Air Partner account managers.
Clients will make a single up-front payment that covers the 12-month period, with a fixed price notified in advance for each trip. Air Partner said there will be no surcharges added on for additional flight time caused by, for example, ATC delays or unusually strong headwinds.
The company requires 24-hour notice to guarantee availability of an aircraft, which will be drawn from a fleet of 700 European business, executive and corporate charter aircraft–all of which aircraft and operators have been audited by Air Partner. Shorter-notice availability may be possible at a higher fee, said Macdonald.
The group concedes that ad hoc on-demand charter will always be less expensive than package arrangements such as fractional ownership or block-charter card programs because of the lack of guaranteed availability. Customers forfeit paid-for but unused Jet Membership time.