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CHOOSING AN AIRCRAFT:
Private aircraft available for charter include Turboprop aircrafts
and three categories of business jets – small/light jets, midsize/medium
jets, large/heavy jets – and ofcourse helicopters. Your choice
of a small, midsize or large aircraft will likely depend on price,
distance and comfort. Small and midsize jets generally are configured
to seat six to eight passengers, but a midsize jet cruises at
a higher speed, has a longer range before refueling, and offers
a larger cabin. Cabin height on light jets is less than five feet,
so they provide comfortable seating but you have to stoop to move
around in the cabin. The cabin height of a midsize jet is about
10 inches higher, and on a larger jet you can move freely.
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WHICH IS THE RIGHT AIRCRAFT FOR MY CHARTER?
Frequent charter customers often develop preferences for a particular
jet, but it is not necessary to have a specific aircraft in mind.
HI FLYING CHARTER Executive can make recommendations depending
on the length of the trip, how many people are traveling and the
amenities needed for a particular trip. Light jets are suitable
for trips of 1,000 miles or so. Four or five executives will generally
be comfortable in a small cabin for one or two hours. If executives
are flying for more than two hours and plan to conduct business
in the cabin, a medium-size jet may be more comfortable. For five
or more hours of flight, travelers would be most comfortable in
a large jet.
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WHAT ABOUT TURBOPROPS?
Along with light jets, turboprops are among the workhorses of
the business aviation industry. They travel at slower speeds and
lower altitudes, and are not as quiet for conducting business.
However, for short trips of less than 1,000 miles, turboprops
can be a good option when cost is a consideration. Turboprops
generally seat six to eight passengers, similar to a light jet,
with a slightly smaller cabin size.
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WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL AMENITIES IN A JET AIRCRAFT?
Light jets generally have comfortable leather or fabric seating
and many have seats that can be arranged for face-to-face meetings
across a small table. Amenities differ in each aircraft, but most
business jets have flight phones. On large jets, video monitors
and DVDs may be available. Large jets are very nicely appointed;
most have a large conference area, a kitchen and full bathroom.
Some have a shower and sleeping room. If you need a specific amenity,
let us know when making your reservation. The same type of aircraft
may have different configurations (e.g., conference tables or
sofa-type seating) so we can help locate the right configuration
for your needs.
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WHAT ABOUT LAVATORY FACILITIES?
Lavatory information is useful to have in advance, as some aircraft
do not have suitable private lavatory facilities, which you generally
would want to have for flights over two hours in length. Small
and midsize jets usually have an enclosed rear lavatory with a
curtain or accordion type door, but because of the cabin height,
they are not the same as airliner lavatories. Some jets seat up
to eight people, but the eighth seat may be a covered chemical-flush
toilet that doubles as a passenger seat. Only large jets have
full-size, standup lavatories with sinks.
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AND THE PRICING AND THE COSTS?
Charter customers pay for the time the aircraft is actually in
the air, along with charges for airport use, taxes, other fees
and optional services such as catering and ground transportation.
Most aircrafts have a daily minimum usage requirement, with the
standard at two hours of flight per day. For one-way trips or
multi-city trips not returning to the same city, the operator
incurs the cost of returning the aircraft to its base, so customers
are charged for that return flight time. For trips with an overnight
stay, the additional costs of the crew's overnight expenses are
included in the price of the trip. For trips longer than one night,
the distance traveled will determine whether the plane will wait
for you at your location or return to its base and then fly back
to pick you up at the end of your trip. When given a quote, you
may want to determine which costs are included and verify that
the quote is guaranteed. The price for a charter business jet
trip may be quoted differently depending on what's included and
who's doing the quoting.
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WHAT COSTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE STANDARD PRECHARTER QUOTATION?
HI FLYING CHARTERS guaranteed quote includes the number of hours
the plane is in the air, domestic taxes, landing fees, ramp fees,
fuel surcharges and, if applicable, any overnight expenses of
the crew. After the completion of the trip, HI FLYING CHARTERS
bills at cost the expenses of de-icing, catering, limousine services,
use of flight phones and any international fees.
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WHEN DO I PAY AND HOW DO I PAY?
Payment for a charter flight is not unlike purchasing commercial
airline tickets; you are expected to pay in full before the scheduled
trip. Payment can be made by credit card, Paypal,wire transfer,
cheque / pay orders or cash. Additional costs outlined above are
billed at cost after the trip. Because international fees vary
by country, these also are billed after the trip.
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WHAT IS HIFLYING CHARTERS CANCELLATION POLICY?
Cancellation charges @ 20% if cancellation is done atleast 72hours
prior to scheduled departure of flight. @50% if cancellation is
done less than 72 hours prior to scheduled departure of flight
and 100% if the flight is cancelled less than 24 hours prior to
flight
In case of Air Ambulance services, if due to unfortunate circumstances,
the patient condition deteriorates and is unfit to travel or if
the patient expires, complete charter fees is charges after takeoff.
An example is when a last-minute cancellation is made after the
aircraft has left its home base to travel to the customer's point
of departure. This “repositioning” cost is the responsibility
of the customer
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WHAT ARE REPOSITIONING CHARGES?
If a jet is not available for charter at your airport, one will
be flown in to pick you up. A repositioning fee is charged to
cover the charter costs to move the aircraft from its home base
to the desired departure airport. A repositioning fee will be
reflected in our quote; the amount depends on distance, time and
airport charges.
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CAN I AVOID REPOSITIONING CHARGES?
HI FLYING CHARTERS advises customers when the aircraft they want
is not available from the airport selected, but is available from
another airport in the vicinity. When cost is a consideration,
customers may elect to depart from the other airport.
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CAN I MAKE LAST MINUTE CHANGES IN THE SCHEDULE?
HI FLYING CHARTERS is available 24 hours a day, but customers
should be mindful that we will try to accomodate the changes as
much as possible. Minor changes may be possible however major
changes in schedules may be difficult at times.
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WHAT ABOUT LUGGAGE?
While there is no limit on how much luggage can be brought on
board, a rule of thumb is to allow one large bag per traveler
on a midsize or large aircraft. If you anticipate bringing unusually
large or odd-shaped luggage, including golf clubs or skis, report
this to HI FLYING CHARTERS Executive in advance so the operator
can properly gauge weight and space requirements and ensure everything
can be accommodated. Customers occasionally travel with pet dogs
and cats in the main cabin. If you want to bring a pet, you should
inform our Executive so that we can obtain permission. We have
never experienced a problem bringing pets on the flight as long
as it is discussed in advance. Provided there is room in the cabin,
four-legged friends are welcome to travel with their humans.
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WHAT ABOUT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS?
A flight attendant is part of the standard crew for large jet
trips. Flight attendants for small and midsize aircraft are not
standard but can be requested. If the trip is long and a meal
is planned, the most comfortable option may be to charter a large
jet.
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WHAT ABOUT FOOD AND CATERING?
Complementary onboard snacks usually include chips, crackers,
peanuts and beverages (soft drinks, water, juices). For longer
trips, you may want to consider optional catering, which is billed
at cost after the trip. HI FLYING CHARTERS can arrange for any
type of private catering request, including appetizers, entrees,
desserts and alcoholic beverages. The caterer arrives an hour
before the plane is scheduled to take off, so that prepared foods
are fresh. When selecting a menu, remember that small and midsize
aircraft generally do not have microwaves, so hot food cannot
be reheated before serving. Cold foods are generally a better
choice. Keep in mind that aircraft cabins are contained spaces
and foods with strong aromas will permeate the cabin.
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