Last month, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that commercial airline passengers will now be able to compare the fees and charges of 30 of Britain’s major airports and the top 21 scheduled airlines serving the UK. Similarly, earlier this year, the CAA partnered with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to produce a simple guide for businesses that advertise and sell commercial flights and holiday packages to ensure that they are operating within legislative boundaries. This guide stipulates that businesses must provide customers with clear and non-misleading information regarding price and terms of service. All mandatory and unavoidable charges must be included in the advertised price covering anything from taxes and surcharges to administrative and payment fees. The costs and details of optional extras must be clear and easy to find, as well as being provided on an ‘opt-in’ basis so as not to deceive customers into unknowingly purchasing something they don’t want or need. Agents must give customers honest and fair information in a timely manner in order to ensure that they know all the details that may affect their decision on which flight or holiday to choose.

The CAA believes that passengers should be able to have free access to all information required for them to make an informed choice when planning their travels. In the UK, scheduled airlines’ offerings are so extensive that travellers can easily become confused and overwhelmed when trying to find an option to best meet their needs. Having fees, charges and information displayed transparently to customers enables them to clearly compare their options, regardless of how they choose to book their travel arrangements (whether directly or through an intermediary), and make the best buying decisions.

We must ask ourselves why, therefore, this level of transparency and choice is not offered to private jet travellers as well?

The answer has always been that it is just too complicated, that there are just too many variables affecting the fees and charges and thus the overall price of a charter (such as aircraft, number of passengers, time of day, day of week, etc.). It has therefore always been considered impossible to provide travellers with a clear list of prices for each airport or aircraft combination. With scheduled flights being just that – scheduled – fees charged are consistent, predictable and easy to calculate, whereas private jet travel is ad hoc and extremely personalised; no two private flights are exactly the same, so prices can vary dramatically. The complicated pricing structures and the vast range of service options available to the customer make it difficult for operators or brokers to provide the client with all the relevant information. This means that private jet customers do not have easy access to the charter options available to them, let alone have an ability to compare different options in a transparent way. No one should underestimate how complex private aviation can be, but neither should we consider that what was impossible 10 years ago should necessarily still be impossible today. This was the thinking behind our approach; at Stratajet we now know that with the right information, calculations and technology, anything is possible.

We wanted our customers to have easy access to clear, accurate information in the ‘timely manner’ that the CAA was referring to, regardless of their itinerary. By having access to a wide range of aircraft, airfield fees and handling prices, as well as the databases and algorithms required to store and process this data, our clients can search, compare and book any compatible combination of aircraft, airfield, departure/arrival times, etc. in addition to selecting their desired terminal and inflight services. Having precise prices (rather than the ubiquitous 'estimates’), together with a clear choice of what’s available and the ability to filter results, affords private jet users the same degree of transparency taken for granted by commercial passengers. They are able to choose exactly what they want in terms of aircraft amenities and ground services whilst making sure that money isn’t wasted on anything superfluous. Ultimately this level of freedom, choice and transparency ensures that the customer has as much (or indeed as little) input as they would like with regards to the options for their trip, whilst simultaneously enhancing the level of service they receive.

Stratajet shares in the CAA’s quest for transparency in aviation; we strongly believe that a customer should be able to choose a service that meets their requirements. In terms of chartering a private jet, whether a customer is looking for the cheapest, fastest or most comfortable option, they should be able to easily see what is available and make informed choices accordingly. The application of this ideal is significantly more challenging for business aviation than for commercial, due to the industry’s highly varied and ad hoc nature; however we believe it is an absolute necessity in order to ensure a strong, healthy future for private aviation.

Christina Hayes
Marketing Assistant