Astute Aviation Partners With The Air Nanny

We are delighted to announce our partnership with The Air Nanny, the long awaited, first of it's kind international chaperone nanny service.

“It makes perfect sense to us, this just adds another fold to our offering. We are a customer-centric business here, and we know they will just love this new addition. It’s always great to be working with progressive, industry-leading businesses so we are looking forward to developing this new partnership.”

— Zac Hancox, Astute Aviation CEO

This is the first time a private jet charter company and a VIP nanny service have joined forces to offer this out to their clients. This gives our professional clients the opportunity to maximise their careers, without sacrificing family life. 

On the other hand, this gives our leisure clients the opportunity to escape parent life, even fleetingly. They can have the first couple of days of a vacation alone to relax and unwind, before we deliver their little VIP's to them later on in the holiday. 

We are very excited about adding this to our offering, it comes just in time for the summer season and will be available on all of our chartered flights.  When chartering a private jet, luxury dining is a given but for little VIP's turkey dinosaurs and chips is often a preferred option, which is something we can make happen for them! 

For more information on The Air Nanny ask our charter team, or visit their website www.thehotelnanny.com/air/ 

Wether you're looking to charter for business, or pleasure let us tailor your Astute Experience, why stay grounded?  

COURCHEVEL NOW ABLE TO ACCEPT CHARTER FLIGHTS

You heard right, courchevel is now accepting fixed wing chartered flights  

Until last June, the only way in and out of courchevel airport has been by helicopter, now the game has changed. Courchevel airport is nestled high in the alps meaning approaches are steep and runways are short, making it near impossible for fixed wing aircraft to fly in.

As you will most likely know, commercial aircraft will fly into larger 'hub' airports due to aircraft performance and commercial constraints. These airports such as Geneva, Chambery & Grenoble are located fairly close to most ski resorts, but you are still looking at a lengthy road journey from these airports to any of the alpine ski resorts. Most of our clients decide to fly into either St-Moritz of Geneva as these offer the best onwards connections either by helicopter or executive road transfer. 

Transfer by helicopter has long been the preferred option when heading for any of the main ski resorts, purely due to the time you gain actually in resort. By road Courchevel is around 2.5 hours from Geneva and similar from nearby airports. By helicopter you are looking at anything from 20-60 minutes from any of the main hubs, this time saving on a return trip and means that you're gaining almost an entire day on the slopes, well things have just taken another step in the right direction. 

The Alpine Operator 'Alpine Airlines' is now offering direct, fixed wing charter flights for up to 5 passengers on its fleet of Vulcanair P68. This is a huge step forward in charter for ski! 

So how long will it take to fly from your chosen Hub, to Courchevel? 

• GENEVA - 20 minutes

• ST MORITZ - 50 MINUTES 

• CHAMBERY - 15 MINUTES 

• GRENOBLE - 20 MINUTES 

however you're not tied to leaving from any of these hubs, this will still be a fully chartered flight so you have the freedom to decide when and where you would like to depart, the only constraint is the aircraft's range! That said this aircraft will fly you from Paris to Courchevel non-stop in roughly 1 hour 30 minutes. 

The big question here is in regards to safety, is this pushing it too far? 

Well in actual fact, the pilots that crew these flights are exceptional mountain aviators. They have thousands of successful landings in their log books for this airport, and with a strict training and currency stipulation from the French Civil Aviation Authority this is safe, time efficient and beautiful way to fly directly into the alps.  

 

For more information please feel free to contact one of our charter team, we are more than happy to help with any questions or queries.  

Pets on Private Jets

Can I take pets on a private jet? That's right, when chartering a private jet you can have your four legged companion right there with you in the cabin.  

Flying commercially can be a traumatic experience for any animal due to the completely unfamiliar environment and loud noise. We know that pets are a part of the family, and that flying in the cabin alongside their owners can make all the difference to how an animal will handle the flight. Taking a pet on board is incredibly easy to organise, and we are able to make all of these arrangements for you when organising your private jet charter. We have even chartered an aircraft for the sole purpose of flying someone's pets to them!

As a UK resident you can take your pets to any European country without the need to quarantine, providing they meet the regulations. There are dedicated airports across the UK that make travel with your furry friends as straightforward as possible - and although this list is not exhaustive, it shows that wherever in the country you are, pet travel does not need to be complicated. 

• London Biggin Hill
• London Oxford
• London Stansted
• London Heathrow
• London Farnborough
• London Gatwick
• London Ashford
• Edinburgh
• Manchester
• Blackpool
• Cambridge 
• Doncaster
• Leeds Bradford International

                                                                     Images from New York Observer and CNN

When chartering an aircraft into the United States, you will need to be able to prove that your pet has had the appropriate vaccinations for its age, most importantly the Rabies vaccination. Cats and dogs must also be over 8 weeks old and weaned. 

Whatever your reason for flying , we would love to help you organise your trip. After all, life is about adventure so why stay grounded? 

Get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts today and let us tailor a schedule to suit you +44(0) 203 880 9005

www.astuteaviation.co.uk

How much does it cost to charter a Private Jet?

how much does it cost to charter a private jet? 

The cost of chartering a private jet his based on a number of factors, of which the main are:

• Size of Aircraft 

• Distance of Flight 

• One Way or Return

• Airport Landing & Handling Fees 

• Empty Legs 

 

Size of Aircraft

The size of the aircraft is key when choosing the correct private jet for your trip! It wouldn't make sense to charter a jet for two people from London to Paris on a 16 seat 'Ultra Long Range' 'Global Express', the cost would be disproportionately large. It might be surprising to find that this happens more often than might be expected, purely due to a lack of understanding. 

A more appropriate private jet for this kind of short range trip could be a ultra light Citation Mustang. Fast, inexpensive in comparison, and with plenty of luggage space to bring back all your continental purchases. 

Distance of Flight

There are circumstances where the number of passengers becomes irrelevant when deciding on the size of the aircraft required for a journey. For example, if the requirement is for two people to charter from London to New York, a larger private jet is required purely due to the fuel needs.

The use of a larger jet will also generally result in a reduced flight time. Generally a private jet is charged at an hourly rate, so the longer an aircraft is airborne, the more it will cost. 

One Way vs. Return

It might seem logical to assume that a one way private jet flight would cost less than a return, however there are factors that mean this is not the case. Generally it will only cost slightly more, or perhaps even the same to return on the same aircraft. 

This lack of difference in price is due to the jet still needs to return, even if the passengers are not, so the cost of this return leg will need to be recouped from the single outbound journey. 

Landing and Handling Fees

Landing and handling fees are commonplace at every airport in the world. Each airport will charge a fee for the landing and handling of the aircraft. These costs will vary based on the weight of the aircraft and where in the world you are landing.

Airports like London Farnborough are fairly costly to land at, but more than make up for the cost with its proximity to central London, and dedication exclusively to private aircraft.

The other factor to consider is the parking cost associated with the airport in question. Parking a private aircraft can be a very expensive ordeal. Parking can be so expensive in fact that it can often be more economical to fly the aircraft back to its home base in order to avoid these parking charges, these are referred to as 'empty' legs. 

Empty Legs

Empty legs present a significant money saving opportunity, as operators will offer these legs to paying customers at a substantially reduced rate. The downsides to this are apparent: the route is set (however operators can usually be persuaded to make minor detours if desired), and the date and time of the flights are not adaptable, so you would need to align your schedule with the movements of the aircraft. 

Another situation where an aircraft will have an empty leg, would be when passengers are wanting to be collected from anywhere other than its home base. This will also be offered out at a reduced rate. 

Whatever your reason for flying , we would love to help you organise your trip. After all, life is about adventure so why stay grounded? 

Get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts today and let us tailor a schedule to suit you +44(0) 203 880 9005

www.astuteaviation.co.uk