31 Mar Charter airline companies VS commercial airline companies – how are they different?

We’ll try to give you an insight of what each one means by making a comparison between charter and commercial airlines.

Charter airline companies rent their aircraft with the entire crew in order to operate all kind of flights. For example, an aircraft can be rented by a company to serve business services or, most of the times, by tourism agencies that want to give their clients a full vacation package: transportation, accommodation and meals. These routes are especially to popular vacation destinations and can be seasonal or all the year-round. Therefore, the flight schedule and the airports in which the airplane takes off and lands are established by the company that rents the aircraft, according to their needs.

Charter flight are usually operated with small aircrafts, which can land in a multitude of locations, offering the passengers more flexibility.

Commercial airlines have daily flights which can be bought directly by clients. For example, Qatar Airways can have 7 flights per week to New York. The flight can have layovers and they’re not conditioned by buying other services such as meal and accommodation. The flight can be direct or with layovers and you can even change the air operator until reaching the destination.

From the perspective of the passenger, I believe the most important difference is the fact that you can customize your services, your comfort and the intimacy offered by charter airlines. The most important thing for a passenger flying with a charter flight is the time. In most of the cases, the flight is direct, meaning that you won’t waste time in other airports with layovers and you’ll reach the destination in the fastest way possible.

By comparison with a bus ride, it’s like you book tickets for your group of friends to go to the other part of the country in a bus full with 300 people, which has its own route (one longer with various stops). You instead choose to rent a smaller bus with a driver, meaning that you’ll arrive at the destination much earlier and more comfortably. This is what a charter flight means – an alternative displayed by certain tourism operators to reach more easily some vacation destinations.

Also, charter companies can transport passengers who travel for working reasons: big orchestras who have to arrive at concerts, football teams that have important games, important officials that travel for business matters etc.

For future cabin crew, the biggest difference is the schedule. The duties remain the same in both cases. The standards and safety procedures are respected by cabin crew no matter in which regime they work for. Another important aspect is relocation. If you want to stay in your country, a charter company is ideal. You’ll go to your flights wherever the company needs you and then, you can easily come back home.

Some of the benefits that charter cabin crew have are:

• Free travel and accommodation in 4* hotels
• Allowance for the entire duration of the trip
• Medical and life insurance
• Flexibility, cabin crew have the possibility to choose the period in which they want to fly

So, there are certain advantages and disadvantages for both charter and commercial flights. One thing is for sure: both are safe. It’s up to you to choose the company that fits you the best!

We prepare you to pass any airline interview:

1. Join our online course and you will learn everything you have to know about aviation, the airline interviews and its stages. We will make sure you go prepared to your Open Day or Assessment Day! Also, we will also make you a perfect resum and we will assist you during your entire journey to the skies. Details and registration here.

2. If you want to have a broad overview of the role and duties of cabin crew, airline companies profiles, stages of each airlines’ interview and how to pass them, we are waiting for you at our courses. We make your perfect cabin crew CV & pictures, we help you gain confidence and learn how to speak in public, so you will have a flawless performance at your cabin crew interview. Details and registration here.

3. If you cannot attend our courses, regardless of where in the world you are located, we can work together privately. Through coaching sessions via web video (Skype or Google Hangouts), our trainers can work with you to improve your performance at the cabin crew interview and supporting you every step of the way to get you where you want to be. More details here