Charter jet sourcing is more than just finding the lowest price. Here’s how good brokers save you time and add value.
The adage in booking a private charter jet is you call three brokers looking to get charter quotes. Then they each call the same three operators, and voila, hours later, or perhaps the next day, you get quotes for the same three jets from the trio of brokers. There may be a grain of truth there, but that adage is more wrong than right. Here’s how it works.
Sourcing, in part, separates brokers, as they have different methods.
Some brokers have a sourcing desk or department.
In other brokerages, the broker you are dealing with does it directly.
Some brokerages have approved lists and only source from those operators.
Others source the broader market of Part 135 operators.
However, even those brokers may have a do-not-use list.
When I’ve asked brokers why they do not use specific operators, it tends to be a reliability issue.
Since your trip is only as good as the operator flying it, brokers are generally reticent to use operators where they have had too many negative experiences.
Generally speaking, if that operator has a low price, and you want the lowest cost, the broker will typically present the quote but not recommend it.
Either way, it’s best to understand that you will probably not get quotes for the same three aircraft from three different brokers unless your request is particular.
The more specific your request, the more likely you will narrow the options, and you could see duplication.
For example, you want a Challenger 350 that is under five years old, with a specific type of WiFi and a divan in the rear instead of club seats.
READ: 16 reasons to use a private jet charter broker
To give you a closer look, one broker recently shared their process—and the paper trail—for sourcing private jet flights when customers make requests.
For each of the half-dozen requests we reviewed, there were between eight and 24 options that fit client specifications.
That was after considering requests for pets, WiFi, aircraft vintage, refurbishment, third-party safety requirements, etc.
Client specifications include oversized luggage, sporting equipment, stand-up cabin, and specific configurations.
Brokers typically use online directories for the initial pass.
However, experienced brokers and sourcing desks also call operators they do business with.
That’s partly because they say the online charter jet directories don’t list available aircraft.
On the other hand, aircraft that show as available when the broker calls are, in reality, not available for that trip.
After eliminating aircraft from online B2B charter jet platforms that don’t fit client requirements, brokers contact the relevant operators via email, text, or call if it is time-sensitive to confirm and get hard quotes.
Most online pricing is just an estimate.
What happens next is where the fun starts.
Since some online charter jet databases charge operators per aircraft, an operator won’t list their entire fleet.
It could turn out that half of what’s listed isn’t what’s available.
The operator may have another similar aircraft available for that trip.
Floating fleets—large operators in which the airplane goes from customer to customer instead of returning to base—only quote an aircraft type, not a specific tail.
One aircraft type a floating fleet operator uses may have vintages ranging from brand new to 15 or 20 years old.
That single aircraft type could also have multiple cabin layouts.
Some of those types could have updated WiFi. Others could have older versions.
Floating fleet operators typically don’t confirm the specific tail until 24 hours or less before departure.
That’s because the operator optimizes their scheduling in real-time throughout the day.
A crew that thought they would be spending the night in Pittsburgh could, based on fleet optimization software, end up in Boston.
If you have vintage requirements or want a specific WiFi or cabin configuration type, that could eliminate most floating fleet operators.
READ: Comparing the five ways to fly by private jet
Either way, brokers say the pricing presented online is where the negotiating begins.
Brokers often focus business on a select group of operators.
While some brokers boast access to over 5,000 or 10,000 aircraft, brokers know volume is essential.
Something goes wrong; being a regular wholesale customer gives that broker more clout on behalf of their client.
The broker usually narrows the options to three or four after finding what’s available and negotiating prices.
It could be that there are two midsize and two super-midsize options.
The client wasn’t sure what they wanted, so they wanted to see each option.
The idea is usually that if you can get a bigger jet for marginally more, that’s a good deal.
Each operator and aircraft may have different cancelation terms.
Good brokers take the time to understand whether or not you might need to change or cancel.
They then take cancelation terms into account.
For the six trips we reviewed, the number of quotes and pricing ranged from:
30 of 94 quotes required owner approval.
That’s where the aircraft owner has to approve the trip.
While sourcing desks and brokers often source multiple trips simultaneously, the process is not the simplistic one it’s usually made out to be—i.e., make three calls and collect a commission.
Good brokers double-check refurbishment dates, ensure cabin interior pictures are up-to-date, and check notes about specific aircraft from past flights to ensure any issues have been addressed.
Part of what you are paying a good broker to do is narrow down the multitude of quotes.
While it may be fun to use instant booking sites, you can’t beat a good broker’s knowledge of operator reliability and clout when something goes wrong if they do regular business with that operator.
For example, this broker had a trip from San Juan to Pittsburgh.
The airplane had to overnight in Pittsburgh before repositioning for its next flight from Memphis.
In Pittsburgh, it needed to be deiced.
The operator tried to bill the broker.
Ultimately, he agreed to split the deicing bill and ate the cost since it was a good regular client.
Many charter contracts allow for post-trip billing, including deicing, even after you’ve landed.
Of course, you could do it yourself.
READ: Ad hoc Private Jet Charter: The anti-jet card solution has risks, too
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