International travel has been difficult to arrange for some time, as a result of the pandemic that ravaged the world from 2020 – 2022. But as the summer of 2022 invited many to take to the skies once again – for both business and pleasure – the aviation industry once again suffered a blow in the form of dwindling staff, coupled with strike action.
With travel plans frustrated for many, alternatives to commercial travel are becoming all the more popular – chief of which is private air travel. But what are the differences?
Tailored to your Needs
First and foremost, one of the most obvious differences between private and commercial travel concerns the customisation of travel plans. Commercial flights are bound to a relatively strict schedule, to which you as a traveller need to adhere in order to travel. Private flights, meanwhile, are beholden to the needs of the client.
This means that, where travelling commercially requires you to arrive at the airport at a pre-set time for a pre-set departure window, private travel enables you to set off at your own pace. You get to choose your travel time, and hence your plans are not formed around an immovable air travel schedule.
Choice of Destination
This flexibility continues into your choice of destination – and your connections from that destination. Commercial flights are rigid in their movements, flying regular routes between airports with occasional planned stopovers for fuelling. These routes take in major airports around the world, but are nonetheless inflexible.
With private travel, the number of available airports to which you can travel expands significantly. From smaller airports to remote airstrips, you can tailor your destination acutely – while avoiding the hassle of making undesired stops. Indeed, your trip can include various stops of your own choosing.
Time is Money
Not only are private jets eminently customisable, but they are also much more time-efficient. Whether you are a business traveller looking to maximise your time on the ground, or a holidaymaker looking to make the most of your holiday time, private travel shaves crucial hours off your travel time and gives you control of your schedule – a boon that makes private jet prices thoroughly worth it.
Private jets achieve this over commercial travel in two distinct ways. Private jets are faster vehicles than commercial jets, owing to their design and size. This means less time is spent in the air, and you get to your destination quicker. But private jets also eschew many of the airport checking processes that add time to travel plans. Commercial travellers are subject to security checks, whereas private travellers are not.
The Lap of Luxury
Lastly, it is a simple truth that private jets are a much more luxurious experience than commercial planes. A standard commercial flight might see you sat in economy class, with tight seating arrangements and minimal legroom. Even first-class travellers share the cabin with a number of others, and receive minimal attention from cabin staff.
Private jets afford the whole cabin to their clients, and often concierge staff to attend to a wide range of requests. They afford a great degree of comfort, and a maximal amount of privacy – enabling travel in comfort and style.