How to check a charter operator before you fly
Certificates, the aircraft list, audits, insurance and crew: the checks that tell you who is really flying you, and how to make them in under an hour.
Stop 4 of 6 · Check who flies
Safety
Checking an operator, spotting illegal charter, crew duty limits and winter operations.
Safety in charter is mostly invisible to the passenger, which is why it pays to ask. Our safety pages show what to check before you pay, how to recognise a flight sold without the right certificate, why crew rest rules shape your schedule and what de-icing means for winter departures.
Grey charter, how to recognise an illegal flight
A flight sold for money without a commercial certificate can look exactly like the real thing. Here is how the rules are bent, why it matters and the signs to watch for.
Two pilots, rest and duty time, why crews shape your schedule
Flight time limits, duty periods and minimum rest decide whether your long day works with one crew. What the US and European rules say, and how to plan a same day return.
Winter flying, de-icing, holdover time and realistic schedules
Before take-off the wing must be clean, and in winter that takes time, fluid and sometimes a queue. How de-icing works, what it costs and how to plan around it.
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Operator Check
Ten questions to ask before you pay, with what a good answer sounds like.
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The other sections
- CharterHow on-demand charter works, who actually flies you and which way of buying suits you.
- CostsHourly bands, the lines of a quote, empty legs and why one way costs what it costs.
- AircraftFrom turboprops to ultra long range jets: classes, cabins and the right size for a trip.
- Routes & AirportsClassic city pairs, Alpine airports and how to choose where you take off.
- On BoardCatering, luggage, flying with pets and staying connected above the clouds.