Friday, March 02, 2007

Leave that Automated System Behind and Go for a Personal Contact to Get the Best Quote Available

You want to shop around for your next private jet charter flight to see if you could get a better rate. You go to a private jet charter broker's website; you enter your itinerary; you get the $16,000 automated quote for a New York to Miami flight for which you paid $14,000 with another broker last month. You know you probably blew twice as much as that 2 grand markup at the Cesaer's Palace last month; but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right? 'These guys are nuts,' you cry out hitting the back button on your browser.

Don't let the automated quoting systems on private jet charter websites limit your options. Always keep in mind that the quote you receive on automated systems are approximate and can be beat 90% of the time by the firm's aviation specialist to whom your quote is assigned.

1. Ensure that you enter your phone number and email address in the quote form and wait for an email or call from an aviation specialist to get the most competitive quote. Leave a comment indicating the best time and best method at which you could be reached. Follow up by contacting your carrier's info@yourcarrier.com email address within 24 hours of submitting your quote, in case some external obstacle out of your carrier's control has prevented a specialist from contacting you.


2. Some automated quoting interfaces allow you to leave your contact information and search for a flight, without the need to submit it. When you don't submit your quote, the aviation specialist will only have your contact information, and he/she will be unable to start the search for your preferred aircraft
immediately. Remember, aviation specialists have to search for available aircraft by sorting and investigating their list of operators that manage private jets.

Allow yourself and the broker as much time as possible to search for the aircraft, and price you prefer. Surf back to your carrier's website and submit your quote with your point of origin and destination, even if the quote is priced outside your budget. Then email your carrier at the info email address and ask if your trip can be accommodated on your budget; include your approximate budget in a range - e.g. $20K to $25K, preferred aircraft, departure and destination. This way, your carrier can start seeking the most competitive quote for your charter flight immediately. Your aviation specialist has more time to search for your preferred aircraft, and price.

If you just leave your contact information without submitting your quote, and a specialist is unable to reach you for a day, that's a day of time that the specialist could have been searching for your preferred aircraft and price. Remember, planes are available for charter on a first come first serve basis. If you are quoted a short trip online on a Learjet 45 for $10K and your budget is for $8K, your Aviation Specialist may have another contact that could do the trip for $8K. Your specialist may receive a call from a client requesting that Learjet 45 on the day he/she could not contact you and secure it for the other passenger.


3. Let the broker know what you have budgeted for your trip. Your broker needs to know the budget to immediately rule out quotes that are out of your price range.


4. Let the broker know at which speed you have to get to your destination; private jet travel is scheduled to fly and land when you decide. The specialist should know what aircraft is required to fly to your destination on time.


5. Disclose the lowest quotes you received from other private jet charter companies. You may find that the last trip you were quoted had too high a markup for you to swallow. A professional aviation specialist will take a cut on his standard margin just to get your business. However, the specialist can only do that if he/she knows what you've been quoted elsewhere. Don't lie; aviation specialists have a good sense of the general price range of a trip. If you give them a price that is below that range they will know and stop wasting their time with you.


6. Let your broker know what peripheral services you require: catering, ground transportation, security. Ensure all amenities are included in the final quote, so the aviation specialist wont have an excuse to markup the quote after its written.


7. Secure your flight as soon as your Aviation Specialist finds the ideal aircraft and quote suited for your budget, for aircraft is available on a first come first serve basis.

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Via Top7Business

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posted by blimpbot @ 5:05 AM