Jet Charter Reviews provides a comprehensive
list, ratings and reviews of
jet charter companies.
Flying on any private jet is a wonderful experience, but there are a lot of differences between the jet charter companies.
Some of the companies own their own planes and have pilots and crew on staff, while others are simply brokers that do nothing more than make a reservation for you with another company.
Some companies force you into buying a certain number of hours in advance, and others actually sell a time share or fractional share of an airplane.
There are also many differences between private jet charter operators regarding the services and amenities they provide.
Some companies provide gourmet meals, cooked to order (some even offer chefs right on the plane!). Other jet charter companies simply buy some catered food and re-heat it onboard the aircraft. Also, if you like wine and drinks, make sure that you know whether or not your jet charter company charges extra for these. We know of many people that were surprised when they received their bill and found that they were charged hundreds of dollars for drinks and wine (if you think hotel mini-bars are expensive, just wait until you see what some private jet charter services charge for food and drinks).
On-board entertainment in another consideration. Do you want to surf the internet, or watch live TV, or play with other electronic games? Some charter companies charge extra for these, some do not. And some do not even offer these services.
A very important consideration is the overall price. Some jet charter companies have very complicated pricing plans, which often offer you a low-ball basic price, but then add on thousands of dollars for deadheads, landing fees, extra miles, telephone use, pilot and crew fees, and fuel surcharges. It can really be very complicated and some companies like to hide the real price that you are going to pay.
But you don't have to call a bunch of companies and try to figure out the complicated pricing structures because we've done the work for you.
We've evaluated the price, the service, the quality of the aircraft, the maintenance history, the pilot training and experience, the safety records, the amenities, the customer service, and more... and have developed this comprehensive list of the top 10 Jet Charter Companies.
The best of the companies offer premier service, with no commitments required.
THE LIST
1. Private Jet One Rating: 100
Private Jet One (www.privatejetone.com) comes in first place because they do everything perfectly. From having the nicest jets in the industry, to impecible service, to their own pilots and gourmet food, every aspect of the flight is nothing short of perfection. And they're reasonably priced with no add-ons. For the same price (or less) than the competition, you get a whole lot more.
Let's take a look at some of Private Jet One's advantages:
- Superb Gulfstream aircraft
- Flawless attention to detail
- Lower hours on aircraft than most in industry
- Maintenance performed in-house (not subcontracted)
- Pilots are company employees (not subcontractors), with superb credentials and experience
- Gourmet food (not re-heated catered meals)
- Legitimate, up-front pricing (no up-charges for entertainment, food and beverage, landing fees, fuel surcharge, etc)
- Great aircraft availability
- 30-years experience
Disadvantages: None.
2. Trans-Exec Air Service Rating: 99
Trans-Exec Air Service (www.transexec.com) is a top of the line, premier private jet carrier - with clients that read like a who's who of Hollywood. From the biggest stars to media moguls, the ultra rich and famous insiders all fly with Trans-Exec. And the company's service, experience, safety and attention to detail is flawless. So why aren't they in the number one position? It's simple: Trans-Exec operates like an exclusive private club and their planes and service are available only to members of their Priority Program. They only offer charter when they have availability, which is not too often because as a member of the Priority Program, one of your perks is that an airplane will always be available, 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. If a member calls up at midnight and says "I want to go to Las Vegas," the plane will be ready, with a full crew and all the amenities, within 45-minutes. To pull off this remarkable feat, Trans-Exec only has about half their fleet in the air at any given time. Accordingly, it's rare that the company has an open slot that they will offer for charter, but when they do, you can expect incomparable service that is second to none.
Let's take a look at some of Trans-Exec's advantages:
- Superb Gulfstream aircraft
- Flawless attention to detail
- Perfect safety record
- Maintenance performed in-house (not subcontracted)
- Pilots are company employees (not subcontractors), with superb credentials and experience
- Gourmet food, with on-board chefs (not re-heated catered meals)
- Top shelf spirits, rare wines
- Legitimate, up-front pricing (no up-charges for entertainment, food and beverage, landing fees, fuel surcharge, etc)
- 32-years experience
- Unsurpassed aircraft availability
- An attitude of "Whatever you want, we will deliver"
Disadvantages: Exclusivity means that most aircraft are on reserve for Priority Program Members, so booking an occasional charter flight may be difficult.
3. Marquis Jets Rating: 84
Marquis Jets (
marquisjet.com) is the charter division of NetJets (more on them later). The Marquis Jet Card program requires the user to purchase hours in advance in 25-hour increments. Then each time you fly, the hours are deducted from your pre-paid time. We don't really like this idea for a number of reasons, including that it requires a large upfront payment, and for the fact that if you are down to your last couple of hours and want to fly anywhere that takes more hours (say 4 or 5), you have to purchase another 25-hour card. This is good for Marquis Jets, but not so good for the customer.
On the positive side, the company has a variety of aircraft to choose from, so if you don't need the space a luxury of a large Gulfstream jet, you can probably find a smaller, less expensive plane to use. However, this "exchange" is based on availability, and comes with a surcharge that sometimes makes the exchange no less expensive.
Another challenge is aircraft availability. While they operate the NetJets fleet, which is the largest in the industry with over 800 aircraft, they also have the largest customer list, which means getting the flight you want, when you want it can be challenging. The company's website states that reservations can sometimes be made with as little as 10 hours notice, but require 120 hours (5-days) during "peak" periods.
The company also has complicated pricing, with added fees for a variety of items.
Let's take a look at some of Marquis Jet's advantages:
- Large selection of aircraft
- Owned by NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway company
- 10-years experience
Disadvantages:
- Must purchase 25-hour blocks of time
- Complicated pricing with up-charges and fees
- Catered food
- Some flights are subcontracted to other charter operators
- Some aircraft log high numbers of flight hours
