Luxury Travelers often search for hotels that are affluent but also a little off the beaten path. These 5 apps can help you create a luxurious and personalized vacation.
Escapio pulls hotel information from 40 website and customer reviews to fin you the perfect hotel in 50 countries.
Luxtripper allows you to choose what weather you desire and what you would like to experience to give you a personalized list of hotels that fit your taste.
Urban Havn allows you to stay in luxury homes with 24 hour amemities and services.
Le Collectionist lets travelers book guest rooms in the owners villa with their own concierge.
Suiteness is a site for luxury hotels but with a membership you also recieve airport transportation,a a concierge, and extra hotel options.
Click here to read the full article by Dan Peltier on Skift.
Private flying is more than a luxurious experience. Emergency charter flights by private jets can also be used as part of a natural disaster response or crisis. These private flights can be medical flights, supply deliveries, provide evacuations, assess an affected area, or also assist in keeping businesses operating by getting personnel to and from destinations.
When the unexpected happens, such as natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, emergency charter flights can aid in many ways to keep businesses and emergency services operating. This article will explore how private charters are called on during crisis situations to help rescue operators, businesses, and individuals.
We’ve all seen the news: photos of flooded streets, crowded airports, hanging cranes, and utter chaos across the East Coast. Hurricane Sandy was the largest storm to hit the northeast in a lifetime.
As a result of Sandy, the power in many suburbs of New York remained out for over one week after Sandy’s decapitation. More relevant to our business, over 18,000 commercial flights were canceled because of Sandy. All of the New York area airports were shut down.
Furthermore, Teterboro, the main private jet airport for New York City, as well as LaGuardia, were both flooded, trapping aircraft on tarmacs and in hangars for days.
Requests for Private Flying Due to Cancelled Flights
Whenever there is a nor’easter, hurricane, volcanic eruption, or nearly any type of natural disaster or severe weather system within or near North America, flights get canceled. When flights get canceled, our phones begin ringing off the hook almost immediately.
About 90% of the calls we receive during these times are from displaced airline passengers who don’t proceed with our services once they realize the difference in the cost of flying private vs. flying commercial. The remaining 10%, however, are legitimate users of business jets, whether for all of their flights or only some of their flights.
When we get a call from a legitimate business jet user during one of these splurges, the question arises… “Are business jets a secret weapon against inclement weather and airport conditions?” The answer to this is that “it depends.”
Private Flying or Not, Some Conditions are a No-Go
In the midst of Hurricane Sandy, New York was imperiled by wind gusts in excess of 70 mph. In a situation like that, no plane will fly in the area. ALL flights will be cancelled, whether they are private or commercial, as was the case with Sandy. Some private jet passengers will be upset by this fact given how much they’re paying, but the fact of that matter is that aircraft can only operate safely under more favorable meteorological conditions.
When airports begin to open however, private jet passengers will be the first to get in and out. While JFK and LaGuardia were still closed in New York after Sandy passed, the White Plains airport opened up. Private jet providers were able to route nearly all NYC traffic through White Plains while nearly all commercial passengers were still grounded.
Likewise, when one part of the country is hit by a large storm, an airline’s flights will be delayed all over the country as a result of the chain system that makes up an airline’s route network. For private jets and emergency charter flights, however, whose schedules are not defined by a pre-determined and inflexible schedule, that is just not the case.
Ways Emergency Charter Flights are Used for Natural Disasters
Emergency Evacuations
Quickly transport people from disaster zones to safety, bypassing commercial flight restrictions.
Medical Flights
Airlift injured people or transport medical teams and supplies to and from affected areas.
Supply Deliveries
Deliver food, water, medicine, and emergency equipment/tools.
Transporting Personnel
Transports medical and emergency workers and aid organizations.
Assessing Disaster Zones with Aerial
Conducts aerial surveys to assess damage, plan relief efforts, and coordinate response strategies.
Book a Private Jet Flight with The Early Air Way
Whether dealing with a natural disaster or something else, The Early Air Way has you covered. We offer a range of private charter fleets to suit your needs and whatever the destination may be. Book a flight today.
Conclusion
When emergencies strike, emergency charter flights offer speed and the ability to gain access to damaged airports, making them invaluable during crisis situations.
But as you can see, when it isn’t safe to fly, private jets will not get you there. When conditions get marginally better, a private jet can get you in/out of the storm zone days after a commercial carrier’s service resumes.
The general aviation industry has been an invaluable tool for businesses, individuals, and even rescue operations over the years in offering service to/from storm and disaster zones days before commercial carriers could do so.
Avoiding Phantom Aircraft Quotes - The Early Air Way
Avoiding phantom aircraft quotes is crucial when booking a private jet to ensure transparency and fair pricing. Phantom quotes occur when jet charter brokers advertise unavailable aircraft at low prices to lure customers. As a consumer, you’ll need to verify the facts and find a good, reputable private charter provider.
It happens all the time, a client calls us and requests a private jet charter quote for a trip in the distant future. We then go ahead and render a formal proposal, only to be thrown back a quote purportedly provided by a competitor that is not only less than our quote but less than the operating cost of the plane! As deceptive as it is, it does happen, and here’s why.
Is there some secret to getting private jets for less that we’re missing? As a jet charter buyer, I know you want to believe that the answer is yes. Unfortunately for everyone, however, the answer is no. What we’re up against are known within the business as phantom aircraft quotes, and they are a significant burden to the industry and the unsuspecting consumer.
What the Quote Process is like for Genuine Private Jet Chartering
When a consumer requests a quote from an ethical charter provider, said provider invests a decent amount of time into confirming the availability of an aircraft (or several aircraft) well suited for the trip and then works up a formal proposal that includes all relevant costs.
The entire quoting process generally takes anywhere from 30 minutes to about three hours, depending on several factors. When you have a solid quote like this, you can rest assured that if you book that quote [when the aircraft is still available], the specific aircraft it is based on is immediately locked down for your trip, and you’re good to go.
What are Phantom Aircraft Quotes?
However, there are many private jet charter brokerage firms that will provide you with phantom aircraft quotes. The idea here is that you’re given an offer that is meant to be lower than the legitimate competition. These quotes are often generated within about 5 minutes since no real aircraft is being sourced for them. If you then book one of these trips, you actually have no real aircraft reserved for your flight, even though you believe you do.
Sourcing After the Fact…
The “phantom quote” private jet charter provider will then start to try to source an aircraft long after you allegedly confirmed the trip. A lot of time is saved this way since the legwork is only being done for booked trips as opposed to most requests.
Sealing the Deal Could be 50/50
If the provider scores a great deal for themselves after you’ve already booked, then you’re set. If they don’t, you’ll likely get a last-minute call explaining that “the owner is using the plane you booked,” “there was a mechanical failure,” etc. All of which could hypothetically happen with a legitimate reservation (with odds below 1%), but in this instance are falsified to lead to the statement that you either need to fork over more cash or release the reservation for a refund.
In the end, you’ll likely spend significantly more than you would have spent with a reputable provider to begin with and will waste a lot more time doing it.
Red Signs and Spotting Phantom Quotes
If you think this is a rare practice, think again. Unfortunately, it’s pretty common. A few red flags that you have a phantom quote are the following:
Your quote seems oddly inexpensive.
Your aircraft is offered to you as “XXX aircraft type, OR SIMILAR” (beware of “or similar”)
There are a few legitimate reasons a private jet charter company wouldn’t have your tail number immediately or can’t give you photos of the “exact” plane you’re flying, most of which involve the use of “floating fleets” of aircraft, which is a legitimate and cost-saving practice. These are still signs that you could be being swindled, however.
No Phantoms Here, It’s Real at The Early Air Way
If you’re looking for a reputable company that won’t give you false or phantom aircraft quotes, fly with us at The Early Air Way. We provide honest quoting and a phenomenal experience when you book a private jet.
Conclusion
Many times, I have sat across the desk from the CEOs of other reputable private jet charter providers, trying to confront this issue.
As a consumer, it is crucial for you to know precisely how your flights are being sourced and to ensure that when you book a flight, a specific aircraft really is booked for you. The real lesson is to work with a company that you trust.
I can tell you that you sincerely do have a good selection of trustworthy private jet charter providers who are worthy of your business; there are many out there who are not, however.
