Renting a private jet to fly to a ski resort or island is very easy if you have enough funds in your account.

Renting a private jet to fly to a ski resort or an island is very simple if you have enough funds in your account. "Gazeta.Ru" looked into how much it costs for an aircraft that allows you to take a shower, play Xbox, and enjoy dishes from top restaurants.

In Moscow, there are dozens of companies ready to offer private jet rentals. The booking process is straightforward: you just need to fill out a flight request, sign the necessary documents, and pay for the aircraft. Planning your flight a month or two in advance is not necessary at all. According to Dinara Giliyankhanov, Senior Manager for Key Clients at Leading Charter Technologies, you can fly even 2.5 hours after ordering, depending on the technical readiness of the aircraft and the crew's ability to get to the airport.

Passport control for VIP clients differs little from the standard procedure in economy class: document checks, baggage scanners, and metal detectors. The only differences are the terminal (departures are handled through the VIP terminal) and the check-in time. A business jet passenger only needs to arrive at the airport 15 minutes before departure. However, it's also possible to be late for the flight. "Clients often run late, we are used to it, although there is a limit on waiting time. For example, a flight from Moscow to Nice takes 3.5 hours, plus an hour is needed for preparation. The crew's working time is 12 hours, so a five-hour delay is quite acceptable," explains Dinara Giliyankhanov.

Vnukovo-3 is considered the VIP airport in Moscow, and Pulkovo-3 in Saint Petersburg. In principle, a passenger can depart from any airport that has an ICAO and IATA code. The main limitation is the length and width of the runway for a specific type of aircraft.

In most cases, the crew consists of a captain, a co-pilot, and a flight attendant. According to Alexander Osit, a VIP client manager at Jet Vip, the same staff as in commercial aviation are assigned to private flights. There are two key requirements: the pilot must have permission for the specific type of aircraft they are flying, and the crew must have experience working on that aircraft. "Of course, flight attendants undergo dozens of various courses, but certifications cannot guarantee service at this level," says Osit.

Special attention is given to onboard catering. The company allocates €150–200 for it.

According to business aviation staff, high-level clients are accustomed to dining at specific establishments, so aviation companies often engage catering services.

"Many passengers are currently on diets, like macrobiotic diets. Therefore, we usually use restaurants that are in the top five. These are the restaurants of the Novikov Group, Maison Dellos, and other establishments of similar caliber," explains Alexander Osit.

By the way, smoking is also allowed on private jets. Moreover, it's not necessary to go to the restroom for this. "The permission to smoke depends on the policies of the airline that owns the aircraft and the policies of the private jet owner, as some of them belong to individuals who lease the planes to airlines. If the owner and the airline allow it, then passengers can smoke right in the cabin. Such jets have good ventilation, and the cabin is well-maintained," explains Azat Mulgimov, CEO of Air Charter.

VIP aviation services are used in various situations. These can include business trips, flights for sports teams to competitions, family vacations, weddings, motivational trips for company employees, or celebrity tours. On average, a business aviation company organizes 60 to 100 flights per month. "We have three offices in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, plus a subsidiary in Almaty. At the beginning of the year, we arranged a world tour for Iron Maiden. For us, it was one contract, but there were about seventy flights — Africa, Australia, South and North America. It's difficult to calculate the exact number of flights; statistics can be tricky," explains Azat Mulgimov.

Overall, a VIP aircraft is designed for 5–19 passengers.

Starting with 19 people, a group charter is required (by the way, this can be either a VIP jet or a regular economy or business-class aircraft rented for large groups). "The average aircraft accommodates eight people. It features five standalone seats that can be adjusted and transformed into a full bed, and a three-seat sofa where a person up to 170 cm tall can lie comfortably," says Dinara Giliyankhanov. Aircraft with two cabins are also very popular. One cabin is for children, nannies, and the wife, while the businessman can conduct negotiations with partners in the other cabin, both in person and online. Internet works excellently on all private jets.

The cost of a flight is determined by the client's needs. "We can do anything; it's a matter of price. A shower, PlayStation, king-size bed, LED disco ball — any whim. Although it usually doesn't get too extravagant. Most requests are related to catering and the aircraft itself — it should be new and as comfortable as possible," explains Alexander Osit. When calculating the price for a business jet, managers consider several factors. First, the type of aircraft — the larger it is, the more expensive the rental. Second, the flight route — the longer the flight, the more advantageous the hourly rate (sometimes short routes can cost the same as longer ones). The number of passengers also affects the cost (each requires VIP terminal access and VIP catering) and the number of days the aircraft will be on standby (a flight with one day of standby will cost less than one with 2–5 days of standby).

The most popular winter routes are Moscow — Courchevel — Moscow (from €40,000) and Moscow — Chambéry (from €24,000 one way).

In the summer months, passengers mainly fly the Moscow — Nice — Moscow route (from €35–40,000) and to Italy (both to islands and popular tourist cities). Budget-friendly destinations include Riga (€10,000 for a one-way flight) and Berlin (€14,000). According to business aviation staff, recently, private jets have also been used for flights within Russia. Several popular destinations include Saint Petersburg (from €5,000 one way and from €27,000 for a round trip), Sochi (from €22,000 for a round trip), and Simferopol (from €17,000 for a round trip).

However, there is still a possibility to save on private flights — thanks to so-called empty legs (situations where the aircraft flies without passengers). "For example, if an aircraft is based in Warsaw, and we have a passenger who needs to fly from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. In this case, the aircraft flies from Warsaw to Moscow, then to Saint Petersburg, and then back to Warsaw. The flight Warsaw — Moscow — Warsaw is what is called an empty leg. The passenger still pays for the flight, as they understand that the aircraft must come to their departure point. At the same time, the airline, having received the flights already paid for, can offer such a route in the market to other passengers through aviation brokers, but at a price about half as much."

This means that in such a scheme, the flight will cost not €20,000, but €10,000.

There are quite a few offers in the market for such flights, but they are unpredictable and not planned. The lifespan of such offers is incredibly short, and if we know that a client is interested, we reserve with the airline and then contact the client to discuss all the details. Our expertise lies in having information about all airlines, their fleets, and plans, allowing us to find similar solutions for clients," explains Azat Mulgimov.

Situations involving route changes, flight cancellations, or emergency landings are also accounted for by companies, although they are usually discussed on an individual basis. According to Azat Mulgimov, issues related to technical malfunctions of the aircraft caused by weather conditions are under the crew's control, and the crew makes decisions independently. If a flight has to be canceled for reasons other than technical ones, most of the costs fall on the passengers. By the way, a flight route can only be changed if it is the passenger's personal aircraft and their personal crew.

Source: https://www.gazeta.ru/lifestyle/style/2016/12/a_10455305.shtml