{:en}How to book a business charter? Spending long hours flipping through multi-page directories and browsing search results on the web, calling dozens of airlines and sending out numerous emails? To spend a lot of time, get confused about the types of aircraft and the names of airlines, until you finally get excited in the eyes of the multi-valued prices? Or, having taken off the headache, turn to a broker and pay significantly more money? – Well, no, you say, because we live in the era of high technologies, virtual reality and the Internet! And you will be right. These days, you can buy anything without leaving your computer – from food to luxury goods, from a concert ticket to a first class ticket for any airline in the world. Online systems have made the ordering and purchasing process simple and convenient. Online retailers threaten to squeeze out the retail tycoons in the future. What about business aviation? We decided to understand the intricacies of the world wide web.
Who is who?
If you type in the Google search engine the phrase “ordering an aircraft”, the list of results will contain about 27,300 links. This or similar phrases typed in English give out 5-6 times more options. It's no wonder to get confused. However, upon closer inspection, all this sea of sites can be divided into three understandable categories.
Firstly, a significant part is made up of web representations of broker companies, which act as intermediaries between the flight customer and the aircraft operator. Secondly, these are the actual sites of the airlines. And thirdly, these are much more rare sites, which are independent marketplaces that allow the buyer and seller, client and service provider to meet.
Brokers
On the Russian-language Internet, the websites of brokerage companies, as a rule, have only some form of feedback. Having filled in the fields of such a form, the client makes a more or less detailed request for the flight, which is sent by e-mail to the broker. Examples of such sites are www.eastunion.ru (East Union), www.vip-aero.ru (Business Aviation), www.planeta.aero (Planet Air Group). As a rule, experienced brokers have a solid base of airlines that directly operate the aircraft, having processed the proposals of these companies, the broker prepares his own, which is offered to the client's attention. This method can hardly be called a masterpiece of Internet technologies; it is almost identical to sending a letter by regular e-mail. In addition, there are now more than a hundred brokerage companies on the Russian market, including small one-day firms, and working with an unfamiliar company is often risky. As a rule, a broker is chosen on the basis of a recommendation or based on his own experience, and not only on a high-quality beautiful website.
Brokers' online offices are very fond of disguising themselves as airline websites. You can sometimes distinguish the web page of a brokerage company by examining the section titled “Our Airplanes”, “Charter Fleet” or the like. The fleet of business aviation airlines, as a rule, has several units, very rarely exceeds a dozen cars, while brokers represent almost all existing models. Another characteristic feature is the lack of specific information about a business jet, for example, registration number, year of issue, etc. are not indicated.
Another way to sell flights over the Internet, which can be found on the websites of professional intermediaries, is the so-called Empty Leg lists, lists of free routes, that is, sections of the route along which a particular plane travels without passengers. In order to use the aircraft more efficiently, airlines are trying to reduce the number of such flights and are trying to find fellow travelers, offering to organize a flight on the same or close to the route of the route at a reduced price. Having received such information, brokers can publish it on their own websites, again acting as an intermediary between the client and the airline.
When sending a request to a brokerage company, you should remember that the intermediary will take a commission for organizing the flight, the amount of which depends on the total cost of the flight. On the other hand, you should count on the broker to take care of all the issues related to collecting information about the supply on the market, prices and all the nuances associated with organizing the flight. Professional assistance in ordering a business charter makes the whole process more convenient for the client, however, financially, this is not the most economical way.
Airlines
On the websites of Russian business aviation airlines operating their own aircraft fleet, the customer, at best, will also face only a more or less detailed feedback form. For a change, an interactive distance map or an approximate flight cost calculator may sometimes be offered. The sales department of the company receives a message that includes the schedule, itinerary, sometimes additional requirements and the client's contact details. Only after that will the staff check the technical feasibility of the flight, calculate its cost and offer possible options. The client receives information about the possibility of performing the flight and its cost not in real time, but only after the company has processed his request. And on a global scale, the online charter booking form is implemented only by a few airlines. A striking example of this is the website of the American Sentient Flight Group (Privatejets.com), where the customer is presented with a real opportunity to book an aircraft from the company's fleet in real time. Naturally, prior registration is required to access this kind of service. True, for a Russian client, Sentient Flight aircraft based in the United States are unlikely to be of significant interest.
Ordering a flight directly from an airline can be cheaper than contacting a broker. But in order to get a complete picture of the supply on the market, you will have to contact a large number of operators, whose fleet on average consists of 1-3 aircraft.
Independent sites
Now, perhaps we come to the most interesting part. Namely – to sites offering the most convenient and functional services, in our opinion. These resources are independent platforms, a kind of meeting place for supply and demand. Terry Cooper, head of one of these sites – CharterMatrix, for example, in an interview with Business Jet Traveler said: “We do not buy the flight ourselves and are not involved in selling it in any way. We enable charter companies and customers to do it themselves. “
Of more than a dozen such resources, we will consider only a few leading ones, of which AirCharterGuide, CharterX and CharterMatrix are from the USA, Avinode has a European registration, and JETS.ru is focused primarily on Russian clients. Of course, even on these portals it is impossible to make a purchase as simply and quickly as, for example, purchasing a movie or music album you like in an online store. But this is due to the very specifics of the charter market and does not at all depend on the level of development of IT technologies. How is the declared principle of a platform for meeting supply and demand implemented on each of these sites?
AirCharterGuide has a very solid base of business aviation airlines and brokers from around the world. A special service allows you to receive information on offers on the market, including the cost of the flight, in accordance with individual parameters. The site search function allows you to find information on airlines and their fleets, brokers in different regions, or find an airline operating a particular type of aircraft.
The database of the CharterX portal contains information on more than 1.5 thousand aircraft of almost 150 airlines. A directory of brokers and operators, a search function for a service provider for a specific airport complements the capabilities of the site. A separate small section is devoted to business aviation news.
Similar services are implemented on the CharterMatrix website. In addition, this portal differs from others in that it makes money not only on the services provided, but also on the sale of advertising. Another difference is the ability to search for offers and empty tracks using the map. Having selected a specific region, the client receives a list of current offers tied to this particular geographical area.
The European approach is demonstrated by the leader in the region – the Avinode portal. The list of empty flights of both business class and cargo aircraft, the opportunity to get a picture of offers on the market by individual parameters and to get acquainted with the catalog of companies participating in the charter market – all this is available to registered users of the system. The functions of the site, in contrast to democratic overseas counterparts, are aimed at market professionals. Avinode is primarily aimed at the regional European market, therefore it is much more attractive to customers from the Old World.
The Russian portal JETS.ru, presented to the business aviation community a year ago, has focused primarily on Russian clients, and to direct charter customers rather than brokers. That is why we will dwell on it in a little more detail. The current list of Empty Legs – empty hauls from cities of Russia, the CIS, Europe and the Middle East is available even to an unregistered user who, having chosen the appropriate option and adding the necessary comments, can send a request directly to the company that provided this information with one click of the mouse. To access the system for ordering a business charter, the database of which includes the most active domestic and foreign participants of the Russian market, preliminary registration is required. The system includes over 80 business jets (most of which are based in Moscow), represented by almost 40 airlines. The portal catalog contains information about the participants in the business aviation market as a whole, and not just its charter segment, that is, aircraft and helicopter manufacturers, sellers, handling companies, technical centers, etc.
JETS.ru also represents the largest marketplace on the Russian Internet for the sale of business-class helicopters and aircraft, general information about which can be found in the online catalog. In addition, in the information section of the portal, the latest news and other information and analytical materials are always available. The main difference between JETS.ru is that one site contains a whole range of tools for working in the business aviation market – from ordering a charter to buying your own aircraft.
In general, independent sites offer their clients a convenient and economical way to order a business charter. Information about offers and prices from many airlines gives a true picture of the real situation on the market and leaves the customer the right to choose the most suitable option. Using the on-line system also saves you from numerous calls or lengthy searches on the Internet, and the cost of paying for an intermediary. By the way, the fee for using the system can be charged in different ways – from commission after ordering a specific flight to a constant subscription fee, but in any case, its size is much less than the average broker's fee.
The choice is yours
We hope that now you have got some idea of what awaits you after typing the phrase “ordering an airplane” in the search engine line. All the results will fit into the framework of the diagram we have drawn: brokers, airlines and independent sites. If you are ready to pay extra to get rid of self-monitoring of the market and additional organizational issues – feel free to contact a broker. But it is better if this company is recommended to you by someone. The possibility of getting a bad service for a lot of money in this case is quite large. If you have time in store, and you have some experience behind you, you can contact the airlines directly, but it is not a fact that the result obtained on your own will be optimal. Finally, if you want access to a tool that saves you time and money, then using the services of independent business charter booking systems may be the best option. The choice of a specific site depends on your own preferences.
