Is there a best time to book a private jet?
Travel is very much top of many of our minds at this time of year, with January being the peak month for booking a holiday for the summer ahead. But is this the right time of year to get the best deal on airlines, or on private flights?
Travel search engine Kayak recently analysed over one billion airline flight searches in order to discover when the best prices could be secured, and when to travel, in order to get the best deal.
Kayak claims that finding the best deals for airline flights online can depend on the hour – and more importantly – the time of year. In the Spring they found it best to book at 11.00 while 21.00 was the optimum booking time in the Autumn.
And when it comes to days of the week, those flying on a Thursday and returning on a Monday get the best airline seat prices. If you return on Sunday, you may be charged the highest premium.
However, the study suggests that there is no magic algorithm for booking an airline flight.
And what about private jet travel? At PrivateFly, we live and breathe algorithms. Our online flight search is continuously updated with live aircraft and airport information to calculate the most accurate market pricing for every flight itinerary. Due to this, we know that private jet pricing and availability can change with market conditions, and can sometimes change quickly.
Here are some FAQs about how timing can affect your private jet price and choice:
Does my flight departure day & time impact the price?
Private jet pricing is not impacted by day and time in the same way as airlines – there is no extreme price hike in the school holiday periods for instance. But the opening hours of the airports you use can play a role in the price.
For example, some airports are not open or have restricted openings on weekends and holidays. So, you would need to choose an alternative airport which can impact the cost (up or down) and may have a longer ground transfer.
The private jet industry is 24 hours, and at PrivateFly, we operate a global service, so it’s business-as-usual around the clock. But time of day can have an impact, as not all airports are open 24 hours. Some will offer extended operating hours, but charge an out-of-hours fee, so your flight price would carry a premium in this case.
Will I get a better price if I book further in advance?
Not necessarily. Private jet charter pricing is calculated on several factors including aircraft location, flight duration (including positioning), hourly rates of the aircraft, landing and handling fees. But these rates don’t increase purely based on the lead times.
The business aviation industry is set up to facilitate short notice scheduling, so there is no discount for booking in advance. But doing so does mean in some cases that there is a wider availability of aircraft, so a better choice of options and prices. So booking further in advance does mean PrivateFly can source and secure the best-placed aircraft to meet your needs.
On particularly high demand days, such as around major sports or lifestyle events, limited aircraft and slot availability can sometimes mean you pay higher for the same routing compared to a normal day. So when you’re flying in for major events, we always recommend booking further in advance than usual.
I need to book a ‘go now’ urgent flight, will I pay a premium?
The short answer to this question is no, but again availability is the deciding factor. At PrivateFly, our technology allows us to be exceptionally responsive to ‘go now’ private jet flight requests. Our platform is integrated with the planning and scheduling software used by global aircraft operators. So we can pinpoint aircraft which are already on the ground or transient.
This means that for last minute private jets, we can comfortably go from request to airborne in under two hours (our record is 43 minutes).
For a personalised quote for a private jet charter flight – whatever time or day you want to fly – contact us or call our Flight Team (24 hours) on +44 1747 642 777.
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