Private Charter Flights for Families

If you are travelling with older or younger generations, navigating through airports, long check-ins, security checks and rushing from A to B may seem a daunting process - Remember the immigration delays on the UK last year in May?

'E-gates back online after chaos at Heathrow and other UK airports' : The Guardian

When major airports such as Heathrow Airport or Paris CDG suffer a glitch in their systems, the results cascade into a major incidents.

1. Choice of Airports and Logistics

If you are constrained to the schedule of an airline, even before you start, you need to wrap your itinerary around the timetable of the airline(s). At best this may mean an early / late finish every day, or at worst specifically altering / cancelling your meeting plans. Not so much of a problem with a trip to Paris for example, but more complex if meetings are in a more remote location.

2. Check In and Security

As an example, if you are flying within Europe, Heathrow Airport requests passengers to be at the airport 2 hours prior to arrival… Before we hear the remark that the use of a private airport lounge may negate this wastage, it can be hard to conduct meetings and instructions under the prying eyes and ears of hundreds of other lounge users, and some of this time is needed to clear security queues and get to the gate.

3. Delays at Major Airports

When delays happen (weather, congestion, industrial action, security concerns) it only takes a small delay to roll into a bigger one – aircraft out of position, terminal stands not being available etc. They all contribute to delays before you've even departed.

4. Arrival Immigration and Baggage Claim

Just look at what happened on the 7th May 2024 in the United Kingdom. Once you have landed at your destination the trouble is not over - you still need to walk to immigration, queue, process and collect luggage, and post Brexit these queues can take time. Even a conservative 30 minutes is time nonetheless wasted and as we have seen, an IT failure at passport control can result in 3+ hours delays. Not much fun if you have a meeting to make, or if you're looking after younger or older generations in your group.

Interior of Bombardier Global 6500 Series Private Aircraft

Using private jet charter can save you so much time.

Here's how:

• By using Smaller Airports

You can save transfer time by picking an airport closer for you – this is your schedule after all so you don’t need to think of using major airports such as Heathrow or Gatwick; smaller is definitely better. Airports such as Farnborough and Biggin Hill are not dependant on E-Gates working, so there is less reliance on IT infrastructure upon departure and arrival.

• Choosing Bespoke Departure Times

Set a departure time which works for your schedule – you can save hours off your day by choosing a departure time which best fits your needs, rather than committing to a preset schedule.

• A Speedy Check In

Forget 120 minutes, when you fly privately, from arrival you can be airborne in as little 30 minutes.

• Having Adaptability

Travelling privately does give you a greater degree of flexibility on the day to adapt to challenges. Bad weather, for example, restricts arrivals for any aircraft.

For many, the workaround from travel may be a Teams / Zoom catch up within the confines of your office, yet seeing something / someone first hand really sets an impression that a computer screen cannot and something many CEOs will testify to when managing a global entity.

With major airports recommending a 120 minute check-in for commercial airlines, travelling privately can see you airborne within 30 minutes from arrival, at a schedule requested by you from an airport perhaps closer to your destinations than major hubs. All these factors can save you a substantial amount of time in the day.

The time onboard need not be wasted either, with the journey time open for private conversations, negotiations and strategy meetings. With more adaptability to your schedule your focus can be on the matter at hand, not the logistical issues of making your next meeting or getting your flight home.

You don’t need a behemoth of a private jet to get from A to B as well. Many Very Light Jets are capable of 2 to 3 hour trips and can transport up to 6 passengers. Logically the drive for time efficiencies should be a major factor for any company, but we understand that sustainability can still remain a significant barrier to overcome. We can address this by ensuring every flight performed by ourselves is carbon offset – not just the passenger but the entire aircraft.

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If you're considering flying privately for your next trip, at Jet Members, we would be delighted to help. Our Account Managers can advise you on local airports, flight times, aircraft options and sustainability considerations. Feel free to give us a call on +44 1932 961 465 or email us at request@jetmembers.co.uk