Charter broker or operator: who should arrange your flight?

Every private flight in the United States is operated by a company holding an FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate. Whether you book that flight directly with the operator or through a broker changes what happens before you board, not what happens in the air.

An operator sells seats on the aircraft it manages. If you call an operator with twelve jets, you will be offered one of those twelve, and the quote will reflect where its aircraft are positioned that week. That is fine when the fleet suits your trip and the plane is nearby. It is less good when the best aircraft for your route belongs to someone else.

What a broker does

A charter broker owns no aircraft. For each trip, a broker canvasses the operators whose aircraft fit the mission, compares pricing and positioning, checks safety ratings and crew experience, and negotiates on the client's behalf. The broker's incentive is to keep the client, not to fill a specific tail.

Good brokers add two things operators cannot: breadth and independence. Breadth means access to thousands of aircraft across hundreds of certificates, which matters most on short notice, at peak dates and on unusual routings. Independence means the safety check is done by someone who does not profit from a particular aircraft flying.

What to ask either one

Who holds operational control of this flight, and what is their ARGUS or Wyvern rating? Is the quote itemized, including repositioning, crew overnights, landing fees and the 7.5% Federal Excise Tax? What are the cancellation terms? What is the insurance limit? How many hours do the captain and first officer have in type?

US Department of Transportation rules (14 CFR Part 295) require a broker to disclose that it is a broker, to name the operating carrier before you sign, and to state its own liability insurance. If a company avoids those questions, choose another.