With up to four classes of seating, from economy to business, to first, squeezed into their cabins, commercial aircraft would appear to offer something to accommodate every level of corporate clientele, but not quite. There is much more than leg and elbow room for corporate travel planners to consider when sending employees under their care far and wide for their companies.
“While private charter is not the solution for every individual trip or group movement, given the right circumstances, the benefits of private aviation for business travel justify the cost,” said Erica Merrill, Director of Business Development at Air Partner, whose extensive background includes experience managing corporate travel accounts across multiple industries. “Too many companies try to cut costs on transportation for business travel, with potentially detrimental results, including decreased productivity and missed opportunities. Among the biggest regrets are lost time and lost opportunity. It is time for them to rethink the equation by focusing instead on how the comforts and conveniences of private aviation can maximize employee performance both on the road and back at the office.”
Nothing makes sense in business unless it makes money. From that perspective, travel pays off, even at a time when video-conferencing services are accessible on every laptop, desktop, and mobile device. According to a 2021 report from American Express and American Express Global Business Travel, for instance, 85% of decision-makers surveyed said that business travel leads to higher profit and revenue, while 90% agreed that it helps advance the professional growth of their employees*. More recently, according to a study by Oxford Economics, each dollar invested in business travel produces $12.50 in revenue and $3.80 in profits.
With the above in mind, for companies presented with frequent travel across the globe, private aviation offers wide-ranging benefits beyond the security and privacy that come with sharing a cabin with colleagues. Indeed, traveling with fellow workers alone is much more encouraging for meetings, strategy sessions, and preparation for the business matters that will be at hand after landing.
To that end, Air Partner account managers rely on connections built over the company’s 60 years in global aviation to secure the right aircraft at the right price for their clients’ needs. That includes access to over 7,000 aircraft from very light jets ideal for short hops with up to 4 passengers on board, to large jets and global jets boasting multi-zone cabins sized for a dozen or more passengers. And should a last-moment hitch arise, a backup aircraft is guaranteed. In addition to access, Air Partner’s expertise also accounts for a deep knowledge of ever-changing international travel requirements to minimize stress and eliminate research and guesswork on behalf of travelers.
Private aviation also offers time savings that commercial airline passengers can only dream about. Aircraft sized for modest corporate charters are typically able to access many if not all of the 5,000 or so private airports in operation across the U.S. That means passengers can expect to arrive closer to their business destination and depart closer to their homes, eliminating the need for time-consuming travel through traffic to major airports, which are often convenient only to the large cities they neighbor.
Along with geographic convenience, small private airports used for private aviation are also far more conducive to working remotely compared with their plus-sized competition. So, no need to arrive an hour or more early for check-in or to stand in line to reach a TSA security checkpoint, much less make a long hike to the gate where the actual boarding process may run up to 50 minutes for a major air carrier before the doors close 15 minutes prior to departure.
And all that is assuming commercial aircraft stick to their schedule: According to recent analysis by NerdWallet of arrival data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, delays occurred on from 19% to 32% of flights from the 10 largest U.S. airlines between January and March 2023.
Beyond the potential of lost productivity, travel via commercial airline also multiplies the negative physical and mental implications that are part and parcel of the business travel experience for many. According to a study published by the Harvard Business Review that cited a Columbia University School of Public Health Survey, frequent business travelers who spend 14 or more nights away per month had significantly higher body mass index on average and demonstrated clinical symptoms related to mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
The convenience of private aviation can do much to alleviate such negatives by removing causal factors such as time away from home and family, unhealthy or irregular meals, and disrupted sleep schedules. Air Partner account managers and the global team behind them offer clients catering services with the option of choosing exactly what they’d like to eat and drink on board and can eliminate inevitable hassles of international flight by collecting and completing customs and immigration paperwork for clients before their private aircraft even leaves the ground.
“Time is money, whether it is spent in traffic, at the airport, or above the clouds, so it makes sense for companies to utilize the fastest, most convenient, and comfortable means to get their business travelers where they need to be,” noted Simon Moore, Air Partner’s Group Charter - U.S. Senior Vice President. “Air Partner’s charter services are geared to work for companies by providing transportation solutions that enhance business travel for employees on the move, rather than make it a grind.”
