Last week we visited a small private jet operation in the UK to inspect their brand new Super Light executive jet. The aircraft has one dedicated owner. It’s in fantastic condition, and the crew was extremely professional and friendly. Commercially, the aircraft is well priced in the market. On all accounts, you could not fault them. Yet a question raised from someone in their operations team paused us for thought.
"Do clients prefer using larger aviation companies, or are they looking for niche operators that can provide more tailored packages?”
This was a little hard to answer because both have their merits, and no two clients are the same. Operationally, we would always use whichever option best meets the client's needs, but to someone new to chartering private aircraft, is a bigger airline better?
The argument.
Take the argument for using a larger private jet operator; they have in essence a larger fleet so they can handle a greater volume of business day to day, but with more private aircraft to oversee, charter costs of the operation can be higher.
From a commercial aspect as well, larger operators may also have trouble amending specific contractual clauses if needed, adopting more of a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. A smaller private charter operation is in the reverse position; it is more likely to meet specific commercial or legal requirements, but is constrained by availability at peak times.
Then, consider the value of appreciation your business gives to the supplier — what may be the level of attention given to your trip if it’s the 15th flight of 40 per day, rather than being the sole charter customer on the day? You would argue that the smaller charter operator will be more focused on the needs of the specific flight in hand, but if there is a problem with the aircraft or crew, is there the ability to recover the flight?
You also have to contend with some clients’ perception of the airline / brand, perhaps from an inexperienced point of view, that:
“The charter flight services on a smaller airline may be niche, unknown, and below expectations. A bigger airline will at least have uniform service standards?” and / or:
“A larger airline operation is perceived to be safer in some way?”
Each of these points may be more relevant to the experience of the operation as opposed to the size, as dutifully explained by the chief captain, citing that:
“My type rating, ongoing commercial training, frequent medical checks, compliance and accountability procedures, ramp inspections and maintenance requirements are in no way different from larger private jet operators.
Not only is this a legal obligation in order to perform commercial flights, but I have the additional concern of maintaining the cabin in the very best condition for the owner, something perhaps less appreciated if the aircraft is part of a generic fleet being operated nomadically and with multiple legs to be flown each and every day with differently rostered crew… you have to factor this in if you’re trying to deliver the very best service – you lose the finesse when a crew is interchanging aircraft frequently.”…
These are all fair points, yet does the allure of size still win over service? We all love a fancy restaurant but perhaps are guilty of a cheeky visit to a fast food outlet. One may deliver a much tastier hand-crafted burger to a limited audience, versus going down the road and grabbing a generic Big Mac or Whopper for instance.
If you are looking to arrange a private charter, what’s your personal preference – smaller or larger operators?
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