Travelling smarter with charter.(THE "HOW TO" GUIDE)

With the extra costs, fees and taxes associated with commercial flying, businesses and groups may find choosing a charter to be a more cost-effective alternative.

The first step is to research the carriers in your area. It is helpful to know what type of aircraft they utilize to assess the number of passengers they can accommodate.

This can usually be done with ease via the Internet. Your initial point of contact should be the company's charter sales department. Here, staff can assist you in finding the proper resources such as charter aircrafts or passenger service flights that can help meet your budget and time restrictions.

Have your request ready when you make that initial call. Remember, the charter sales team works for you. As a valued customer, it is the charter sales department's job to make planning your flight easy, convenient and cost-effective.

Be sure to give all of the necessary details to ensure you get the price that is right for you, based on the routing you plan to take. If you are a group planning a trip, be clear on the number of people you plan to take, what the purpose of the trip is, the approximate time of travel if possible, and the nature of the group. Most charter companies offer 'group rates' that can save you money.

Another important question to ask your charter sales representative is how the charter operates with respect to billing. Understanding what you are paying for will always be to your advantage. Most oneway charter flights include an airport of origin.

This location is not always your point of departure. This is referred to as positioning miles and is almost always included in the final price of your charter. This is also true for the return trip, because the aircraft may have to position back to its point of departure. As the customer, it is important to know that you can utilize these positioning sections known in the industry as "positioning flight or empty legs".

Ask your representative if the company can make use of those empty legs for another customer, sharing the price. Also ask if they have any aircraft in the area on your days of travel, you could use those positioning flights to save money.

As a business or corporate traveler, be sure to ask if holding time is included in the price, and what rate any hours above these are billed.

Time is money in the business world, and many corporate customers take day trips to meet with clients, and return home the same day. If your purpose of travel involves more then one day, ask for a price comparison for a pick-up and drop-off, verses the aircraft staying with you. In some cases this proves to be a cost-effective option.

When the final price is given, remember to ask if the price is inclusive of all fees, taxes and surcharges. This ensures that you aren't surprised when the final billing is completed. All charter companies will provide you with a faxed or e-mailed quotation so that you can ensure your requirements, pricing, and routing were understood.

Cancellation terms should be clearly stated on all quotations.

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