03 April 2017

3 travel schedule sappers (& how private aviation speeds things up)

Air travel is often associated with queuing and wasted time. You arrive at the airport hours in advance, stand in lines and then wait around until you’re called to the gate. But with private aviation, it’s not like that at all.

While many people associate private jets with luxury, in actual fact, one of the major benefits is the amount of time it can save you.

These are the three biggest schedule sappers at the airport, and how private jet charter can speed things up.

1) Security queues

Official advice is to arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight – and many passengers allow more, just in case (especially with security becoming more rigorous in many airports).

Security queuing times can vary enormously and are hard to predict. So there’s a big buffer built in there. Airlines can’t afford to have lots of passengers delaying a flight. So security may take an hour and a half on a bad day, or just a few minutes – but then you’ll still find yourself waiting around at the terminal.

How does private aviation save time?

When flying by private jet, you might not even realise you went through security. While you still go through the same process, the FBOs often make it so seamless, you don’t even know it’s happening. For most flights, we recommend passengers arrive 15 minutes before takeoff. So that’s two extra hours saved before you even take off.

2) Connecting flights

For some itineraries, connecting flights are impossible to avoid when you travel by airline. Smaller airports or destinations away from major cities often require you to connect to a second airline flight – which can add hours of additional time to your trip.

How does private aviation save time?

Private charter jets can use ten times more airports than commercial airlines and the schedule is totally bespoke, taking you direct from A to B in a single flight. So flight connections are much less common.

3) Ground transfers

While an airport may serve a certain city or destination, your travel clock doesn’t stop when you land. Ground transfers can add a huge amount of time to any itinerary.

How does private aviation save time?

In some cases, airlines operate at airports that are further away from the city centre than those private aircraft can use. In New York for example, JFK is 20 miles from central Manhattan, whereas the dedicated private jet airport, Teterboro is just 12.

The same is true in the Alps, so during Europe’s ski season, travellers using smaller airports such as Samedan St Moritz or Sion, can save hours of driving time.

And even if the distance is the same, using a smaller airport is always going to be faster. Take London RAF Northolt and Heathrow – both around 15 miles west of central London. But getting in and out of Heathrow is rarely a speedy drive. Northolt will always make for a faster transfer.

It can also save time at the departure stage, if you use an airport closer to home. Some of our London-based clients who live in Kent will fly from London Biggin Hill, much quicker than travelling across London to other airports.

Our Flight Team will be able to recommend the best airport for your trip at either end of the journey – getting you closer to where you need to be.

Ready to save time on your next flight? Talk to a member of our Flight Team for advice and pricing on your private jet travel options. Contact us (24 hours) on +44 1747 642 777.

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