If you are curious about the world of Private Aviation, perhaps the first question to enquire is just to know the pricing of private jet charter.
Logically, the first step is searching online for a range of offers, and whilst many providers will have online price estimators, how accurate are these?
In summary, even though we have our own online pricing system, the actual price can vary.
Personally, I would advise taking an online estimate as anything other than a guide price. It does, however, serve the purpose of setting a minimum expectation of cost, which inevitably will be greater than a standard commercial fare.
Why can there be such a difference between an online estimate and a real world price?
Some may say it’s a tool to generate an enquiry with the offer of a low price, a sceptical view that some may use this as a strategy to warm the client up ready to engage them with a real world price.
This may be partially true, but there are other reasons to consider.
Online systems generally do not take into consideration (Cabotage, crewing issues, applicable taxes, Peak Pricing, Airport surcharges and overnight or extension costs) all of which can dramatically change the estimated price. In most instances this normally leads to a much higher actual quoted charter price.
Hypothetically, if the accuracy of pricing was greatly improved, would it still be the right route for booking private air travel?
Personally, and with consideration to the cost of what these services can amount to, I would far sooner discuss with an individual what you are specifically looking for.
Cost is obviously a leading factor when researching, but equally should be the service level and quality of the aircraft. You can make assumptions perhaps on the age of the aircraft, but you can also take into consideration the total amount of hours flown on the aircraft, how recently it was last refurbished and the general way the aircraft is operated, i.e. any long periods of time away from base etc. All of which will have an effect on the condition of the aircraft.
Additionally, suppose that something needs to be changed on the flight either by the airline or the client (Weather or airport delays, mechanical or crew issues), remember that an app does not exhibit empathy nor the ability to work outside of the basic facts of a trip – until such a time we would always recommend building a relationship with your account manager.
Will Artificial Intelligence improve online price estimates?
There is nothing to stop improvement, of course, but openly, there is still a long way to go. Speaking from a personal perspective, the ability to have someone personally oversee my trip is (and always has been) an incredibly valuable tool.
Comments