Private Jet Charter FAQ

The Early Air Way flies globally. We’re happy to take you anywhere we can legally land with a runway long enough, and proper services.

This really depends. Often, we can get a plane moving on as little as two hours’ notice. It’s important to note that that’s after we’ve received your confirmation and payment, however. If you want the best options, you should not count on waiting till the day of your trip to book travel.

A minimum of two days’ notice is advisable for the strongest options. You’ll generally get better options when making a trip request on a weekday as well (the day of travel doesn’t matter). We have access to our complete network during regular business hours.

Actually, yes. Unless you’re taking a plane on a world tour for a month, there’s a diminishing return on an advanced booking more than two to three months ahead of your trip date. It’s advisable to wait until approximately three months in advance of your trip to make your reservation.

We work with many different types and sizes of aircraft. You can read more about them in the “Aircraft” tab above. Roughly speaking, the max capacity of each size is indicated below. For most planes, filling seating to max capacity will reduce everyone’s comfort.

TurboProp:                  5-9 seats

Very Light Jet:             4 seats

Light Jet:                      6-8 seats

Midsize Jet:                 7-8 seats

SuperMidsize Jet:        8-9 seats

Heavy Jet:                    10-16 seats

Airliner:                       30+ seats

This is a very common question we receive and can be a little tricky to picture if you haven’t physically been on private planes of differing size.

Private jet comfort and experience is all about cubic volume (width, height [the ability to stand], and length); not about the number of seats onboard. You can take eight people on both a Citation II light jet and a Gulfstream GIV heavy jet. The cost difference will be significant, but so will the whole experience. Eight people may have a good time on the Citation, but they won’t be comfortable. Eight people on the Gulfstream GIV will have plenty of personal space, and the ability to get up and walk around. Even though the GIV may seat up to 14 people, you’re paying for an enhanced flight experience, not just unused seats.

Some do, and some don’t. It depends on the type of plane you’re on, and the unique configuration of that particular plane.

When on a midsize and larger aircraft, berthing (full flat) capabilities become the norm. Some berths take up more than one seat however, so the seating capacity of a plane will often shrink when the beds are made up. An eight-passenger plane that has a couch for seating becomes a six-passenger plane if the couch will be a bed, for instance.

No. When you fly a corporate jet in the United States, there is NO TSA SECURITY. You’ll be able to get out of your car, get right on the plane, and go. To ensure safety and compliance with federal law, we do verify that every passenger is not on the TSA no-fly list in advance of the charter.

Most passengers arrive right at their departure time. If you arrive 10 minutes prior to your departure time, you’ll likely be wheels up at you scheduled departure time.

If you arrive more than 20 minutes prior to your departure time, you’ll risk having the sit and wait in the FBO. There’s no need to arrive more than 20 minutes prior to your flight, unless you’re departing from a European or Asian airport, in which case we suggest you arrive 30 minutes prior to your flight.

Two.

Unless it’s made very clear to you before booking that you’re on a specific TurboProp with one pilot, you will always have two pilots onboard.

Yes, but we need to know in advance. You may be amazed by the number of passengers who fly private just for their furry family members.

While most of the planes in our network are pet friendly, a small few are not. Please let us know if you’re traveling with pets and we’ll make sure you end up on a pet friendly aircraft.

Dogs may walk right onboard. Cats need to be in carriers; sorry Tabby.

Planes come with what is known as “standard stock.” Standard stock varies from plane to plane depending on its size, individual owner, and whether there’s a flight attendant onboard.

Generally speaking, you can expect the following in included standard stock:

• Bottled Water
• Sodas
• Beer
• Basic wine
• Alcohol minis
• Chips
• Candy
• Nuts

Additional catering can be ordered, and will be billed as extra on completion of travel. Our caterers can get pretty much anything on your flight. When on light jets and many midsize jets that don’t have ovens or microwaves, we suggest ordering items that are best eaten cold. Heavy jets will have a flight attendant with full galley however, so hot meals are possible.

Approximately two out of three charter planes in the US are currently WiFi-equipped. If WiFi is important to you, please let us know when making your trip request and we’ll be able to let you know if your plane will have WiFi or not before you book it.

A WiFi-equipped plane will have one of  two types of systems. On most planes, the standard system is a “Ground to Air” powered system, which is free for you to use. WiFi on these planes only works when you’re flying over land, over the 48 contiguous states.

On heavy jets, which frequently fly overseas, you’ll more often find satellite-based WiFi systems that work around the world. Satellite data is billed to you at our cost, which can approach $10.00 USD/megabyte. WiFi bills on satellite planes can add up fast. You’ll never have a surprise WiFi bill however, as we’ll make it very clear if you’re on a plane with a satellite WiFi system.

Flight attendant service is included on heavy jet trips only.

We accept wire, check, and all major credit cards. Payment for a flight is required before the trip date.

The majority of our trips are paid for via wire; it’s fast and secure. We also accept all major credit cards with a 4.5% processing fee.

We do not. We sell individual charters. You will have full control over your trip, and will not have strangers onboard.

About one third of charter planes require something known as “Owner Approval” prior to final confirmation. Once you sign off on a plane that requires owner approval, the owner of that plane is given the opportunity to either APPROVE or DECLINE your trip. Your trip isn’t truly confirmed until we have an owner’s approval.

The planes that require owner approval are usually the newer and larger planes, such as G650’s and the like. It can be an inconvenience for the charter buyer, though it’s a reality of the air charter market with any company, not just The Early Air Way. We’ll always make your aware if your trip is subject to owner approval and guide you through the process.

We’re truly available 24/7/365 for current reservation holders. We take our responsibility to you seriously when we accept your booking.