Dealing directly with charters can save money - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Enter the business jet charter, a highlu efficient way to fly. What the executive losee in added cost is more than made up for in time andstressz management. "The folks that are really interested in our service are those that recognizerthat ... time is thei r only non-renewable resource," said Jamesd Lara, president of Kennesaw-based FlightWorks. With charter companieds feeling the economic squeeze ofthe times, there are air chartetr companies that operate at a "minimalk standard" in order to respond to the day's cost Harold Coghlan, president of Magic Express Airlinex Inc.
and a longtime member of the Nationao AirTransportation Association, said safety shouls be a consumer's No. 1 concern when choosinh an aircharter service. Coghlan said consumer often make the mistake of going for the cheaper service provider without considering the risksd ofdoing so. "Perhaps they are cheaper but they are not usinfg a more experiencedflightr crew," Coghlan said. "That's why you always want to ask what type of safety record thecompany has." Coghlan said companies with experience are much more transparen with potential customers and are also more likely to have a chartetr certificate, which itself necessitates the company obtaih insurance.
"You always want to ask abou t the insurance and thecertificats number," Coghlan said. "The illegal operators are out there around thecountry but, sadly, most people don't know the difference." According to Steved Lemelin, general manager of Lawrenceville-based Georgia Jet, askint questions will help ensure a safe trip with a reputablse charter company. He cautione you should always deal directly with the company itself and not a brokerewhen booking. Too often, he said, "an agenrt will sell the cheapest producy with thehighest They're after their interests, not yours.
" Instead, speak with the salespersohn who books flights for the particular charted company. This helps ensure that the right aircraf t is selected forthe trip, whicgh promises efficiency and the best possibl price. Cost is based on the size of the jet charteredr and priceper hour, ranging from abou $2,200 an hour for a small jet, up to nearlyg $6,000 for a larges one, said Lara. Consumers should also ask about the experiencre and training of the pilot who will be flying them totheirr destination, as determined by number of hourws in the air, not years of Additionally, ask whether the flight company does its own jet maintenancs or uses subcontractors.
Mike vice president of operations, education and economics for the Nationall Business AviationAssociation (NBAA), suggestw that consumers also evaluate a charter service's prior customer servic e and areas of experience. Nichols said consumer s should know whether a charter operatodr can do a particular flighr based ontheir credentials. The NBAA has developedc a 25-question guide for consumersd to usewhen pre-screening charter operators, available at and free to download.
Steve member and secretary of the boarde for the AirCharter Association, noted that consumers should be concernexd with transparency not only in terms of safethy but also in the pricing of an air charter Consumers should request all costs be rolled up and presentedc at booking, said Davidson, who is vice president of marketingt for Air Charter "This is so they don't give you an additionao invoice after the trip for thingse you didn't know Additional charges may be incurred for fuel, catering and Also, there may be expensiver "positioning costs," which are incurred when a planes has to be moved to the passenger'sd location or when crew must stay overnight, Davidso said.
Nonetheless, in a time when each and everhysale matters, an executive's abilitu to travel efficiently counts. "Show up with the most, the most advised Lara. "Then pay for the trip with the deal youjust 1. Verify the legitimach of the air charter service by obtaining its charter certificate number and proofof 2. Ask for and evaluate the company's safetyu record. 3. Choose an aircraft that best matches the need ofthe trip. 4. Meet with and check the experiencwe ofthe pilot.