Airplane Charter

Compensating Airplane Accident Victims and Survivors: A National Responsibility by Lala C. Ballatan

2007-07-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

Are you one of those people who have an inexplicable fright with flying and airplanes? Every one of us has that nervous reaction with the thought of having to ride airplanes and actually be high above the ground.

It is because we have one dominant thought in our heads. What will happen if something very wrong occurs during the flight? Isn't it very terrible to contemplate?

Airplane accidents per se are tragic. Being in an airplane accident is simply devastating and horrifying. There would be no words to describe how terrifying it would be if a loved one or we become a victim of this kind of tragedy.

Annually, airplane accidents always find its way into the headlines of news stories. In every such occurrence, there is always the loss of lives that bring excessive trauma to their survivors.

Losing a loved one is a painful experience. However, untimely losing someone we love to an airplane accident is very excruciating.

What are the causes of airplane accidents, by the way? Who is primarily at fault or liable for such incidents? According to a survey of 2,147 airplane and/or aircraft accidents starting 1950 - 2004, the determined causes of airplane accidents within such period are the following: - 45% are due to Pilot error, either weather related or mechanical related. - 33% are undetermined or missing in the record - 13% are due to mechanical failure - 7% are because of the effects of the weather - 5% are because of sabotage - 4% are due to human error like error in controlling the air traffic, loading of aircraft improperly, incorrect maintenance measures, contamination of fuel, misunderstanding, etc. - 1% comprise other causes This survey however does not include private, military and charter aircrafts. This survey shows that there is a big possibility of liability for airplane accidents. Therefore, if you have been a survivor or have lost a relative through an airplane accident, it is possible for you to file for an aviation accident claim to recover damages caused by the injuries or loss you have gone through. In the United States, there is assistance provided to survivors of airplane accident victims according to type and place of the accident. Victims of smaller airplane accidents that took place outside of the country provide limited financial assistance to the victim's beneficiaries. On the other hand, major aviation accidents that took place within the U.S. skies can grant the victims' survivors with benefits through a complex interaction of state and federal laws along with the international law.

Under certain federal laws, airline companies are given post-accident requirements, which they have to follow. These requirements include setting up of services for family support like grief counseling, deployment of individual caregivers, assisting families in identifying remains and possessions of their loved one, setting up a communications network and other needed services by the surviving family members of victims.

Each survivor of airplane accident victims can benefit a lot from availing of various aviation accident claims.

Aside from the airline company, smaller commuters and commercial aircraft operators offer their voluntary services during and after airplane accidents. Institutions like the Red Cross also go out to give their services.

Dispensing of adequate airplane accident claims and services to the survivors and surviving families are but small comfort in place of their loss. Still, it is their legal right to receive or avail of such claims.

Our Professional Los Angeles Lawyers are expert in handling Personal Injury cases specifically Airplane Accidents .

About the Author
Lala C. Ballatan a.k.a Kay Zetkin discovered the pleasure of writing through her daily journals way back when she was 10. With writing, she felt freedom - to express her viewpoints and assert it, to bring out all concerns -- imagined and observed, to bear witness.
About the Author

CHARTERING A PRIVATE JET PLANE by Morten Hansen

2007-07-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

Air traffic has certainly changed since 911 with higher security, longer lineups, and restrictions that are often hard to comprehend. That's why you need to know the advantage of chartering a private jet plane.

If you are a CEO, executive, or business traveler that's been using commercial airlines I don't need to tell you what a hassle that's become since 911. Never mind what you can't bring along, and then there is all the wasted time before boarding. And then trying to get some work done on the laptop can be touch and go due to confidentiality issues and a snoopy person in the seat beside you. It's enough to make you decide to not go.

The problem is staying home isn't an option. Your traveling is an integral part of your successful business. But you do have options and one of those is to charter a private jet plane. There are many advantages to doing that. In fact many corporations already know the advantages which why they spend thousands on chartering a private jet plane for their company.

There are three main reasons to do just that - speed - security - convenience - comfort.

A private jet plane can get you there much faster than a conventional airplane. For example lets look at the Boeing 747 which is one of the fastest consumer airplanes at 550 mph or 880 kph, however there you can charter a private jet plane like the Citation X or Cessna that can do 600 mph which is almost the speed of sound. 50 mph adds up really quickly. Combine that with no wasted time at the airport.

Security is actually tighter for a private jet plane with everyone having to be screened but that also means you don't have to worry about security risks. This is incredibly helpful if you are a politician or a foreign dignitary, or a powerful executive that could be targeted. And the good news is that these are very realistic security checks. No worrying about the nail file with more concern for real threats.

Speaking of speed when you charter a private jet plane you won't be wasting hours standing in a line to check your luggage in and get screened. With a private jet you have your own area to check in and it save a great deal of time.

And then there is comfort. When you charter a private jet plane you can stretch out, relax, or get some serious work done in comfort. Enjoy the finest wine or a great meal depending on how far you are flying. The attendant is at your beck and call and the plane is like your personal office. No cramped feet, no lineup at the washroom, no sore back from sitting in uncomfortable seats.

A private jet plane is the way to travel if you are a frequent traveler that wants to get to their destination safely, quickly, conveniently, and in comfort. And the best news is a private jet plane is more affordable than you might think.

About the Author
Morten Hansen has been focused on the Private Jet area for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that makes it easier for people to understand the different issues about Private Jets. For more details about Private Jets visit our website www.PrivateJetTips.com

The Difference Between Finding a Cheap Domestic versus a Cheap International Airfare by Kai Vorpahl

2007-07-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

While US domestic airfare is a lot more volatile (i.e. prices change a lot more frequently) the price difference between major travel sites such as Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, and the airlines sites is often no more than 10-20%. There are exceptions where going with a lesser known carrier such as Allegiant Air or US3000 Airlines can save you substantially more but by and large for most of US domestic travel this remains the case. Sellers of domestic airfare pretty much fall into 2 categories: (1) the airlines and (2) online travel agencies. There are a few niche players but they service a very small market. Therefore, when shopping for domestic airfare deals the "when to buy" is commonly more important than the "where to buy."

The opposite is true when securing an international airfare bargain. The "when to buy" is still important (as in don't wait until the last minute) but the "where to buy" is a lot more important. This is because airfare to Europe, Asia, Africa, and South & Central America are somewhat less volatile (may not change as frequently) but the price difference between different vendors can sometimes be as much as 50% or more. There are several reasons why that is but the two major reasons are (1) the type of fares that are offered and (2) the number of players in the field.

The Type of Fares
Without getting very technical there are basically 2 types of international airfare; published and unpublished. In the domestic market 97% of leisure fares are published (give or take). A published fare you can refer to as a retail fare. The airline creates the fare and the rules associated with that fare and then publishes the information through a clearing house called ATPCo (Airline Tariff Publishing Company). ATPCo then distributes the fare to the global distribution systems. Online and offline travel agencies in turn retrieve these published fares via one or more of these systems. Everybody has access to the fare. An unpublished fare (also referred to as a negotiated fare) is still being released via ATPCo but part of the "fare rules" is an indicator of what seller is allowed to access and sell the fare. It is essentially a private fare. One other difference is that published fares have to be sold at the price determined by the airline (no mark-ups or mark downs) while a private fare can be marked up. That is why you see online and offline agencies add a service charge of anywhere between $5 and $50 to a published fare ticket. With a negotiated fare the airline will receive a set amount and the seller is allowed to mark up (add his/her margin) to that fare. So, a seller may negotiate a $300 fare from New York to London with airline X and then mark it up and sell it for $345. Another visible difference between a negotiated and a published fare is the fact that on many (almost all) negotiated airline tickets you will not see the actual price you paid for the ticket. Instead you will either see a much higher fare or only tax information. A published fare tickets will show exactly what you paid for the ticket (excluding any service charges). As a general rule, negotiated fare tickets are frequently cheaper than published fare tickets (There are instances when an airline may have a "fire sale" that undercuts the fare levels of negotiated fares) and that is why "the where" is more important than "the when" when it comes to buying international airfare.

Sellers of TravelSellers of international airfare fall into the following major categories:
(1) Major Airlines
(2) Charter Airlines
(3) Online Travel Agencies
(4) Offline Travel Agencies
(5) Global Consolidators that sell to the Public
(6) Global Consolidators that do not sell to Public
(7) Ethnic Consolidators or Destination Specialists
(8) Student Travel Consolidators
(9) Tour Operators

Major AirlinesThese are the carriers we are all familiar with such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM and many more. They offer airfare via their own website and many of the other sellers listed above. They may offer web specials on their own site. They do not charge a service fee.
Charter AirlinesIn Europe this type of airline is a lot more common than in the US. A charter is basically when a tour operator "rents" or "charters" an airplane to fly vacationers from their departure gateway airport to the destination airport. There are a few airline companies that offer service from/to the US that have their roots in the charter business. They regularly offer year round or seasonal service to/from a few select US airports to a single country. They are FAA approved and must meet all airline safety rules & regulations. What sets them apart is their business model that allows them to commonly sell seats cheaper than the majors. Some of these alternative airlines are LTU, Condor, FlyGlobespan, or Martinair to name a few. They usually also do not charge a service fee.

Online Travel AgenciesPlayers in this category are Travelocity, Orbitz, Cheaptickets, Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire and so on. They sell published and unpublished airfare. They charge a service fee. They also habitually try to sell you other travel components such as hotel accommodation, car rentals, attraction tickets and/or travel insurance. If you are going overseas for a vacation buying a package (where the seller will bundle an air component with one or more land components) can be an option and may save you money. In a future article I will cover the advantages and disadvantages of packages.

Offline Travel AgenciesAlso referred to as brick and mortar travel agencies, these are the traditional agencies that you would walk into, sit down and book your travel. Depending on size and target market they may also double as an ethnic consolidator or destination specialist. They also have access to consolidator fares not offered directly to the general public. Brick and mortar agencies almost always charge a service fee.
Global Consolidators that Sell Directly to the PublicMany times these are travel agencies that have decided to "cut out the middleman" and go directly to the airlines to negotiate their own private fares. This allows them to then re-sell them at a lower price without loosing their margin. In order to get decent private fares a global consolidator would have to offer $100 Million+ in annual agency sales. Most of the negotiated tickets are sold without a service fee. If a consolidator sells a published fare they regularly add a service fee.

Global Consolidators that do not Sell Directly to the PublicIn the days prior to online internet travel very few agencies would act as their own consolidator. Instead they worked through middlemen (consolidators) that negotiated deals with the airlines. A consolidator would negotiate that same $300 deal mentioned above, add his margin and then sell it to a retail agency. The retail agent would then add her margin and sell it to the public. As the Internet took shape, agencies could reach a much larger audience and therefore gained the clout to negotiate directly with the airlines. Nevertheless, there are still many agencies, offline and online that offer middlemen consolidator airfares. Due to the sheer volume consolidators can offer to an airline these fares could still be a bargain even after several mark-ups.

Ethnic Consolidators or Destination SpecialistsThese are probably one of the least known (by the general public that is) sources for inexpensive airline tickets. They are also some of the hardest to find. The US is a nation of immigrants and ethnic consolidators have traditionally serviced their ex-patriot or immigrant community. They were and still are the cheap sources for airfare back to the home country. Unlike global consolidators that can turn over $250 Million+ in sales a year these ethnic outlets may only turn over $2-5 Million a year but most of that can go to 1 or 2 carriers. They are highly specialized and have long-standing relationships to their preferred carriers. These long-term, reliable relationships are the reason why some ethnic mom and pop operations are able to secure airfare rates that are 20-30% lower than any of the online mega agencies. Destination specialists are similar to ethnic consolidators in terms of size and style. They have become true experts in a country or region and have built relationships. The difference is that often they are targeting the foreign independent traveler (FIT). Like I mentioned, the airfare bargains some of these outlets can offer are often hard to beat but the challenge is finding them. Google and Yahoo and any of the other search engines often do not find them.

Student Travel ConsolidatorsAs the name suggests these are agencies that target students (and in some cases faculty). Just like a global consolidator, they approach the airlines and negotiate special discounts or private fares. The difference is that according to the agreement with the airlines they are only allowed to sell to bona fide students (and faculty) only. Frequently, the students have to be enrolled in an accredited college or university and high school students are not eligible. The same is true for faculty. Some agencies are better than others in ensuring that the person buying the ticket actually is a student.
Tour OperatorsTour Operators are entities that sell vacation packages such as all-inclusive, etc. They negotiate deals with airlines, hotels, ground operators and so forth, package them together, mark them up and then sell them as one product to the public. On occasion they will sell just the airfare (at rock bottom prices) in order to fill empty seats on the plane. Since they have a fixed price that they have to pay the aircraft operator, any empty seat is a missed opportunity. The best chance to get one of these cheap seats is usually to the Caribbean or Mexico.
Sources for international airfare bargains are plentiful. Finding the right one at the right time may make all the difference in whether you get a good fare or a great deal. While getting a domestic airfare deal is often the result of (lucky) timing getting a great international deal is frequently the result of knowing where to look.

About the Author
Kai Vorpahl has over 15 years travel industry experience of which 10 years have been in the online Internet space. He has traveled extensively. For a much more in-depth review go to Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Best Airfare on the Internet He owns http://www.bluemarblescout.com/

Corporate Jet Charter Services by Jonathon Blocker

2007-07-25T09:03:00.001-07:00

If you own a corporation and as part of your business you and your staff do a lot of work-related travel, then you might have considered the purchase of a business jet. But this can pose a significant outlay of resources, whereas corporate jet charter services can provide a cost efficient way for your company to meet its travel needs.

One beneficial aspect of plane charter is that you can charter an aircraft that is the right size to meet your specific needs. Even if those needs change, there are always the right corporate jets available for you. If you have only a few individuals going with you to a business meeting, then you can simply charter a smaller plane. If several staff members are traveling with you, then a larger jet is available to meet your travel requirements.

Unlike owning your own jet, with a plane charter service you can obtain extra services to make your work run smoothly even while traveling. Secretaries, accountants, legal services, and more are all available for your use, as you need them. Try that on a commercial flight.

One of the hassles of traveling on commercial airlines is all the waiting that you must do before you get on the airplane. Waiting in long lines for security screening, then waiting to check in can eat up hours that could be much more productively spent on business pursuits. With corporate jets all you need to do is show up, and the jet is ready and waiting to go.
If you need to hold a private meeting, corporate jets provide an excellent place to conduct business. You get to select who travels with you, and you can spend the travel time as you see fit. You can expect all of your requirements to be met, so that you and your fellow travelers will fly in luxury and comfort, suited specifically to your exact needs. There are no distractions when you are in the air traveling, so a more productive business meeting can ensue.

Perhaps you will have a long flight the next time you use a plane charter, and this can be an ideal time to prepare yourself for the business venture that will be waiting at the end of the trip. It pays to take care of yourself, and you can in style on corporate jets. You can receive your choice of five-star cuisine to meet any dietary requirement. You might need to relax with a massage, and on a plane charter this is entirely possible. Your specific needs and requirements will all be satisfied when you utilize a quality plane charter service, so that you can be focused on what is important: your business.

About the Author
If you own a corporation and as part of your business you and your staff do a lot of work-related travel, then you might have considered the purchase of a business jet. But this can pose a significant outlay of resources, whereas corporate jet charter services can provide a cost efficient way for your company to meet its travel needs.