DefinitionsExplained
What Is aCharter Flight
The difference between a charter, a scheduled flight, a private jet and a business jet, in plain terms.
A charter flight is a whole aircraft, booked by you
A scheduled flight is published in advance, sold seat by seat, and departs whether you are on it or not. A charter flight is the opposite: you hire the entire aircraft, and it departs when you say, from where you say, to where you say.
That single difference produces everything else people associate with private aviation. There is no check in desk because there is no manifest to reconcile against a seat map. There is no gate because the aircraft is yours. Departure time is when everyone is aboard rather than a published slot.
Charter, private, business and executive mean roughly the same thing
The vocabulary is loose and largely interchangeable in ordinary use. A private jet, a business jet, an executive jet and a corporate jet all describe the same category of aircraft. Charter describes how you access it: on demand, by the trip, without owning it.
A chartered plane and a chartered jet are the same idea applied to different airframes. Charter includes turboprops, which are not jets at all and which are frequently the right answer on short sectors and short runways.
Who actually operates the flight
In the United States, commercial charter is flown under FAR Part 135 by a certificated air carrier. That certificate sets minimum standards for maintenance, crew training, duty limits and operational control, and the operator is inspected against them.
A broker, which is what we are, arranges the flight between you and that carrier. We do not own or operate aircraft. You should know the operator name, certificate and tail number before you commit, and any broker reluctant to tell you is a problem.
What it is not
It is not a scheduled service with a private cabin. It is not a seat you buy individually, which is a separate product with a separate legal structure. And it is not, despite the rate cards you will find, a service with a fixed published price.
Charter pricing moves with where the aircraft is positioned when you call, which is why we run a sealed bid rather than publishing a figure.
Questions
Definitions
What is the difference between a charter flight and a regular flight?
A regular flight is scheduled and sold seat by seat. A charter is the whole aircraft, hired by you, departing on your schedule from the airport you choose. There is no gate, no check in queue and no fixed timetable.
Is a charter flight the same as a private jet?
Effectively yes in ordinary use. Private jet describes the aircraft, charter describes how you access it. Charter also covers turboprops, which are not jets but are often the better answer on short sectors.
What is a charter plane?
Any aircraft hired in its entirety rather than sold by the seat. That includes turboprops, light jets, heavy jets and converted airliners.
Who operates a charter flight?
A certificated air carrier, which in the United States means an operator holding a FAR Part 135 certificate. A broker arranges the flight but does not fly it, and you are entitled to know which operator holds the certificate before you commit.
Is chartering safe?
Commercial charter operates under stricter regulation than private flying under Part 91, covering maintenance, crew training and duty limits. Beyond the certificate, third party auditors examine operators against standards above the regulatory minimum. Ask which audits an operator holds and when they were last renewed.
Photography on this site is representative. It does not depict a specific aircraft, operator or tail number offered for charter.