Elite Jet Charter Blog

Enjoy a hassle-free flight with your children

2008-05-19T06:51:00.005-04:00

Anyone who has ever traveled with a small child knows that it can be a daunting task. Considering the difficulty and the extra time required to do anything with an infant or toddler in tow, the thought of planning a trip with a small child is almost overwhelming. Whether by necessity or persuaded by a longing to leave behind a toy-strewn house for an oasis of room service and housekeeping, most of us will gather up our resolve and plan that trip. A destination will be chosen and the planning will begin.

Recently, an additional worry has been added to the list for parents of toddlers. Many parents were quite surprised to see news reports of a family kicked off an Air Tran flight due to the behavior of their daughter. It seems their three-year-old was having a meltdown shortly after boarding the plane. The child was crying and refusing to sit in her seat. Although the parents say they could have gotten the situation in control if given a few minutes to deal with it, they were asked to leave the plane. Parents of children that age can too easily imagine this sort of thing happening to them.

Looking for a way to get your next family trip off to a perfect start? Chartering a plane could be the answer. Instead of trying to hang on to a squirming toddler in a busy airport, you can drive onto the tarmac and board immediately. No lines, no carrying strollers through security screening, no complex rules for carry-on bags. Instead of worrying if your stroller will be at the arrival gate when you get there, keep your gear with you. Taking a longer flight? Request your toddler’s favorite meal or snacks instead of dreading his reaction to the commercial airline’s offerings. If the plane is late taking off due to an unforeseen temper tantrum, no one’s schedule except yours is altered. Kids can squirm, sing and stomp around the cabin without disturbing anyone. And here’s the best bonus: there will be plenty of room to bring along your sitter.

With all the necessities arranged for the children, parents can relax and indulge themselves. You can order catering or bring your favorite snacks and drinks. Stretch out and enjoy the extra space. Ask your charter company to arrange ground transportation to meet you at your destination. Relax knowing there will be no more hassles at arrival than there were at departure. Even with the little ones in tow, you can arrive stress-free, rested and ready to spend some time together.

Avoiding Economy-Class Syndrome

2007-08-06T10:44:00.002-04:00

In October 2000, a young woman in excellent health disembarked from a Qantas jet in London and collapsed in the arrival hall at Heathrow. Emma Christoffersen had spent twenty hours traveling, first taking a seven and a half hour flight from Sydney to Singapore, and then, following a hour and a half lay-over, taking a thirteen and a half hour flight from Singapore to London. Her shocking death was due to a blood clot or Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).

DVT is a blood clot that forms in a deep leg vein inside a muscle. Sitting in a cramped position for an extended time increases the risk for developing this serious condition. Long trips by airplane create the perfect conditions for elevated risk. This is why travel-related DVT has come to be known as “Economy-Class Syndrome”.

According to the American Heart Association, 1 in 1,000 Americans will develop a DVT each year. Factors that increase risk for DVT include:

Immobility
Damage to a vein
Conditions that make blood clot more easily (thrombophilia)
Being overweight
Being over the age of 60
Being pregnant
Taking estrogen based birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy
Varicose veins
Cancer or heart failure

Travelers with any of these risk factors should take measures to reduce the risk of travel-related DVT. Whether on a flight, waiting in an airport terminal, or traveling by car, it is important to increase activity in the legs. Standing and walking around, if possible, is one of the best ways to increase blood flow. If unable to move around, travelers can stretch and bend legs and feet or press feet against the floor while seated to increase the blood flow in the lower legs.

There is no sure method for preventing travel-related DVT. Consider, however, the benefits of flying private. Charter aircraft allow more space per passenger. Stretching, standing, and moving around is easier. Travelers who chose to fly charter do not have to worry about disturbing other passengers with their movements. Little or no wait time prior to boarding and take off eliminates the need to spend time sitting in a crowded terminal. The stressful elements that we have come to loathe about flying commercially, long lines, intrusive security checks, large crowds, and crowded aircraft, are no longer a worry. Passengers can arrive at their destinations relaxed, rested, and ready to conduct business or enjoy a hard-earned vacation.

Comfortable Worry-Free Travel With Your Pet

2007-08-06T10:34:00.000-04:00

No doubt about it, Americans love their pets. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that 85% of dog owners consider their dogs a member of the family. Cat owners are only slightly less cozy with their furry companions, with 78% reporting they feel their cats are family members. A quick look around the local pet store chain gives further evidence of the depth of our love for our pets. Aisles and aisles of products, many of which were unfathomable 20 years ago, stock the shelves. Services available for companion animals have likewise exploded. Doggie bakeries, pet spas, pet psychologists and pet sitters are common in even moderately sized towns.

Not surprisingly, many pets have become seasoned travelers. Major hotel chains have become “pet friendly”, allowing human travelers to bring along their furry friends. Many luxury hotels have added perks for the four-legged guests including toys, treats and pet beds with turn-down service. Pet-friendly travel websites direct vacationers to local dog parks, beaches where dogs are allowed off-leash, shops where pets are welcome and restaurants where patio tables await hungry humans and dogs alike.

The one area where people traveling with their feline and canine companions are undeserved is air travel. What do you do when making a car trip is not an option because of distance? Some airlines do offer the option of allowing cats and very small dogs, confined in carriers, to board planes with their humans. Carriers containing animals are treated as carry on luggage, and are usually placed under the seat of the human traveling companion. Larger dogs, if they are allowed at all, must be checked to fly in the cargo hold. Usually this is allowed only in certain times of the year when the weather is warmer. Almost universal opinion is that this arrangement is bad for the health of a dog, and it seems apparent that it is not a comfortable way to travel. Baggage holds are usually only temperature controlled during flight, and even then the temperatures can fluctuate alarmingly. Even worse, no ventilation system is provided in the cargo hold and air quality can be quite bad. Airline animal incident reports filed with the Department of Transportation show that even animals in top physical condition have died from respiratory distress.

A pet owner no longer has to be completely stressed during their trip wondering if their family pet is ok. One option available for pet owners not willing to brave the experience of flying commercially with an animal companion is flying on a chartered plane. Many charter services allow animals, regardless of size, to fly in the cabin as passengers close to their owners. This arrangement allows pets the safety of a lighted, temperature-controlled, well-ventilated trip, as well as the comfort of traveling with the people they rely on to keep them safe. Another perk: it is possible to avoid the long waits and security lines of the commercial terminal. This option provides the three things that travelers with pets want: less hassle, greater security and safety for their pets and peace of mind for themselves. Of course this option costs more than flying coach, but the benefits make it an option worth considering.

New Passport Rules Effective January 23

2007-02-01T10:57:00.002-05:00

New requirements are now in effect for travelers flying between the U.S. and the following countries:

Canada
Mexico
Central America
South America
The Caribbean
Bermuda

All travelers are now required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card. Active members of the U.S. military are exempt from the requirement.

The same rules are expected to go into effect in 2008 for land and sea travelers.

The new rules do not apply to U.S. citizens traveling directly between the U.S. and a U.S. territory, as they are not considered to have left the country. U.S. territories included in this exemption are:

Guam
Puerto Rico
The U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Swains Island
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

What happened to the golden days of flying?

2007-01-22T11:49:00.002-05:00

Have you ever seen pictures of passengers aboard commercial aircraft in the 1950’s and 1960’s? Everybody is dressed up. Some trans-Atlantic flights had dining rooms with seats made of black walnut (http://www.planebuzz.com/dining.jpg). Although mainly used by the rich and business people, it was really a service industry designed to make air travel a memorable (good) experience. Delta has announced recently that they are changing their uniforms and the designer of these uniforms says they “evoke the time when air travel was glamorous and sophisticated.” Although it is great that the airlines try to do things to make travel more enjoyable, there is only so much they can do as air travel has become a mass transit low cost affair.

Flying today has become an aggravating, stressful and low service affair. This is, in part, from the massive amounts of people traveling as airlines have become more discount carriers as well as the post 911 world we now live in. You arrive at the airport an hour or so ahead of your departure. Driving around outside looking for the sky cap to take your bags, you realize that most of these have disappeared in a post 911 world. If you find one, you better not leave your car at the curb for any length of time or the airport police will come to see why on earth you would leave your car for a second while checking in. If you decide to check-in inside, you wait in a ream of endless queue lines. You finally get to the front. It used to be that helpful people would man the ticket counters to take your bags. Now, in the push to have people use E-Ticket machines, those same people just stand at the E-Ticket machines encouraging people to use them. They do everything they can not to provide human service and to force you to use the machines. In our airport, we have to lift our bag onto the TSA counter so it can be inspected. My back goes out every time with all the juggling of the bags every time I fly. In other airports, they do not even take your bags. They make you lug them around to another station to have them screened.

Next, you wait in the security line. Take out your laptop, have any toiletries in a specific sized bag, take your shoes off – you are about to be searched if you are lucky. If, for some reason your ticket contains an SSSS on it, you are going to get “special screening” – an extensive search. Once you are done with either of these processes, your put your disheveled self back together and go through the airport to get to your flight. All this and you have not even boarded the plane. When you finally board the plane, you see that there is a mad rush for overhead space as travelers nowadays seem to bring as many bags as they can carry onboard. I usually carry on a beverage. Most of the time, the flight attendant walks by and insists on taking it. If a person is lucky, there are no runway delays or screaming babies onboard. You connect at a hub airport and the assuming you made your connecting flight the whole boarding process happens again. When you to get to your destination, many times you are worn out after flying, waiting to get your bags from the baggage claim, riding a bus to get your rental car and getting out of the massive airport. All this usually adds another hour on the back end of the flight.

For private air travelers, the glory days have not gone away – they have improved. For starters, you can arrive at your plane about five minutes before departure. Usually, there is no security check whatsoever. Most of the time, you can arrive ‘at’ your plane meaning you can drive onto the tarmac so that your luggage can be loaded onto the plane by the flight crew. You are traveling with just the people you want onboard. Before you go, you can get yourself a beverage and snack of your choice. When you are ready to go, you give the command and you are off in the air. It is like a private club at 35,000 feet. You can have extensive catering if you choose. You usually can go direct without any stops which bypasses all hub connecting airports. Usually, the charter company will arrange your rental car or car service. Before you land, the pilots can arrange for the rental or car service to be driven up to the plane. The pilots then load your luggage into the car and you are on your way. It is amazing how much time you save on each end of your flight. Basically, to sum it up. Whenever I fly commercially, I dread the experience. Whenever I fly private especially for a vacation, flying private becomes part of the vacation and something to look forward to.

Afraid to fly?

2007-01-16T09:44:00.003-05:00

Many people are afraid to fly. An ABC news poll gathered that roughly 14% of people are afraid of flying. Are you one of those people? I know I am. I am not sure when it happened, but at some point many years ago I became terrified of flying even though I fly all the time for business and have hundreds of thousands of miles in my airline frequent flyer mileage accounts. Intellectually, I understand that flying is much safer than driving and many other things I participate in.

However, emotionally, I turn into a basketcase when I get into a jetliner that lifts off the ground. When there is a terror story in the news involving a plane, I tune in with great interest.

So, how does one conquer this fear? I decided initially that the best approach was to self-medicate with alcohol. So, before the flight, the Jack Daniels and Diet Cokes would begin flowing. I would have two or so before the flight in the airport lounge and would request another "coke"
in a to-go cup so I could bring onboard to last me until the booze began flowing from the beverage cart. Sometimes, this would be the only drink I would get as I have encountered situations where severe turbulence shut down any cabin service from the flight attendants. One morning, I had to take a flight which presented a problem. I did not want to fly "commando" - my term for flying without any intoxicants. However, I did not feel that drinking at 7 am was a good option either. Although I did drink this particular morning, my doctor thought I should try a small dose of Xanax. I took Xanax for years whenever I flew. This opened up a whole new world of less anxious flying for me and has worked out great as long as I do not mind arriving a little groggy.

An interesting thing happened to me about three years ago - I discovered private air travel and conquered my fear at the same time. I would encourage anyone who is scared to fly and who has the means to try chartering a plane. There is something about being able to talk to the two pilots and viewing the cockpit in flight if I desire that provides me a great deal of comfort. If I Have a question, I can just walk up an ask. If the weather is bad and I am not comfortable, I can ask questions and/or delay the flight an hour. When I fly private, I no longer have to self-medicate at all. Flying private has totally changed my world and I am sure has added years to my life in stress aleviation.