Charter Flight Booking Advice

By Graham McKenzie

A charter airline works on a contract basis. That means they are set up for a specific customer, and they fly outside of normally scheduled times. The bigger airlines do not advertise as charter companies, however, many of them do offer that type of service.

Most often charter flights transport small groups of passengers to a prearranged activity or destination. Occasionally, members of sports teams and companies use charter services, as well. Even military personnel have been known to book a charter flight. Nonetheless, the majority of charter flights still cater to specific functions. With this kind of booking, the charter company is usually not responsible for selling tickets. Instead, the holiday companies handle ticket sales, and most of these charter flights are a package deal. As part of a holiday set-up, the package includes the price of the ticket, along with accommodations and other services. Occasionally, people want to travel to the destination but do not want all the amenities. They have the option of purchasing a 'flight-only' package, at a cost that is usually less expensive than if they had booked on a scheduled airline.

It's a little trickier to find bargains on charter flights, as opposed to scheduled flights, as comparative shopping engines simply do not include charter fares. Even so, people do use the Internet to book charter flights. Actually, the Internet booking market for charter flights is catching up with the scheduled flight market. An advantage of charter flights is the ability to operate on routes that cannot support a scheduled carrier. Thus, making use of small and medium-sized airports allows service in areas that otherwise, would have none.

Finding the right company can be a little tricky, but if you search the charter companies on the Internet, you can usually find a provider that will meet your needs at a very reasonable price. Regardless of their reputation, however, it is important to find out a little about the company before committing yourself. Do not be shy about asking how the pilots are trained, and make sure ARG/US has approved the flight crew. You will also want to find out how the charter aircraft is serviced, and who is responsible for that maintenance. The safety record of the company is important, as well.

Another area you want to investigate is company stability. One of the disadvantages associated with charter service is that a company can fold unexpectedly. This leaves customers, who have arranged and paid for service, stranded, and there is usually little hope for them to recoup their money. Yet, if the company proves sound, charter flights offer some significant advantages. Not only can they provide private, comfortable transportation for smalls groups, those flights can be booked 24-hours a day, 365-days a year, allowing you to fly on your own timeline.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for South Africa's leading Flight comparison & Booking portal, to book a flight, simply visit our website at: http://www.saflights.co.za
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