From Maine to California: Tours and Trips

How To Fly Like A "Baller" (Without Overspending A Dollar)

Planning an unforgettable bachelor party seems to go hand-in-hand with spending a fortune, but it doesn't have to be that way. Book a private jet to transport the groom-to-be and the rest of his male wedding party to cool destinations like Toronto, Niagara Falls, or Las Vegas for an incredible night out (or weekend getaway). Here's the lowdown on booking affordable charter flights from your local airport.

Figure Out The Headcount

Before you can really plan anything, you need to have some idea how many people are going to come along on this epic adventure. This is true for two reasons:

1. Charter services can host as few as two to over a hundred guests. You need to make sure you are booking a plane large enough to accommodate all the guests, while ensuring that you aren't paying for a bigger aircraft than you need. 
2. The cost to rent a charter flight is not based on the number of occupants, it is based on the aircraft size, hours of travel, and airport fees. You can divide the charter expense among lots of people for the greatest savings. (Making charter flights a cheap way to shuttle your large group of friends.) Once you've roused up some interest in the trip among the groom's friends and kin, you will see the travel expense per individual start to drop dramatically.

Find An Aircraft Charter Broker

Is it possible to book a charter flight and make all the necessary arrangements yourself? Absolutely, but it does require a lot of planning. You will want to research various charter companies, coordinate your departure and arrival times, sign contracts, and arrange for food and beverage service yourself. If you don't want to worry about the details, you can use an aircraft charter broker to book the flights.

An aircraft charter broker will locate and research charter crafts available for the times you intend to travel. Your travel broker will help to set up everything from the flight scheduling to beverage service (open bar?). An added benefit of using a charter broker is his or her expertise on pricing. You won't have any surprises, because your broker will help you to anticipate the final cost of the trip.

The expertise of an experienced aircraft charter broker are a huge part of the value he or she can offer you. He or she can shop effectively shop around for flights that meet your needs, enabling fast arrangements for even last-minute travel plans.

Look For Empty Legs

When a private jet takes its passengers to their desired destination, it doesn't just wait around for them to leave. That jet will fly back to it's hub (home) empty if there are no passengers scheduled in it's current location for pick-up. 

How do you benefit? You keep your travel dates flexible, so you can hop on the jet's return flight for significantly less money. Some companies will allow you to travel for 50% or less of their usual asking price, if it means they are recouping their expenses for flying an empty plane home. (Kind of like gas money for the flight.) 

Schedule Red-Eye Flights

Charter flights can be had at any hour of the day, but less popular travel times can lead to substantial savings. Some major airlines will offer charter fares for their planes at a discount if you are headed to their hub. Your group may not hesitate to leave your local airport at 11 pm if it means saving a ton of money on travel expenses. 

​Once you have a preliminary headcount, you are ready to contact an aircraft charter broker like Airco Charters for the bachelor party no attendee will ever forget. Look into the possibility of extra savings that empty leg flights and red-eye traveling offer, too. Dividing the cost of a charter flight with friends potentially makes traveling in style on a private jet cheaper than flying coach (and definitely cooler).