Thanks to the growing security chaos at the airports, companies now increasingly prefer to travel through private charter jets.
According to a survey conducted by Air Charter Guide, there was an 80 percent increase in business-related bookings of private jet charters within two weeks of Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when commercial airlines were hijacked to ram into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Similarly, private jet service companies reported a rise in demand from their customers, both old and new, following a terror alert in the UK.
Following 9/11 and the subsequent increase in terror threats, stringent security checks at the airports have made the whole experience of traveling even more frustrating and exhausting.
One has to endure long queues, all kinds of checks and intimate body searches to board an aircraft. Confiscation of even petty things such as nail clippers and tweezers has become a common sight at the airports.
Hence, when we explore the reasons why more and more people are now preferring to travel by private charters flights instead of commercial flights, despite the obvious difference between costs, the reasons are quite a few:
o In the wake of terrorist attacks, security is unquestionable. In a private air charter, you know exactly who the pilot is, what type of baggage is on board and who the fellow passengers; if any, on the flight are. This provides the much needed peace of mind.
o Time is money for business travelers. Private charters have become even more popular among top corporate executives whose time is too valuable to waste in long queues. There is no question of delayed or cancelled flights; as the private flight is scheduled only at the time you want. In fact some organizations don’t mind spending an extra bit on arranging private jets for their senior staff too apart from their top executives.
o Private flights enable the optimum utilization of time and ensure confidentiality. You can work on your laptops, conduct meetings; just about everything in the sky that you can do on the ground in your office. Fax, e-mail, phones, computers; everything is easily accessible.
o Private charter flights maximize the productivity of the employees by saving their valuable time.
Apart from business honchos, an increasing number of common people are also considering private flights as a preferred alternative to commercial flights.
Charter-aircraft operators now claim that as many as 90 percent of their inquiries are from new or first-time charter customers.
Apart from convenience, privacy and comfort, private air charter also provides better protection and security in these chaotic times.