Private Flights for the same cost of business class without the hassle of commercial

[TFet]

Private International Charter for Hunting: POSH or Pass?


Those of us who love hunting Africa all face the same questions: How do we get there? How much time will it take? What do I do with my rifle? Etc.

Doing some research for another project has led me to look into the viability of chartering an airliner that can travel non-stop from the US to South Africa. Below are the advantages I have found:


· Between 50-60 passengers, the cost per flight is equal to or LESS than a First Class ticket on major airlines. ~$12k

· Luxurious accommodations and plenty of leg room during flight

· Flight time to Johannesburg is 15-16 hours vs. the longer, multi-leg routes most of us take. This gets you on the ground faster to begin the hunt.

· Customs and Clearance into the country is done at a private hanger/terminal, away from the crowds by a dedicated team of professionals.

· Travel with fellow hunters results in a great travel experience as we all are going for the same reason.


If you had the choice of this for your travel option for your hunt, would you do it? What questions would you have?

 

[spike.t]

Nah....I would use my new gulfstream 800...I really wouldn't want to have to share with all those people....

 

[Hunting Hitman]

Nah....I would use my new gulfstream 800...I really wouldn't want to have to share with all those people....

Just for that no invite for you on my G6…

HH

 

[Tanks]

Good luck finding 50-60 passengers with the same itinerary. Not to mention if one is hunting in RSA majority of their time, they are doing it for it being inexpensive and $12K for a ticket is out of their budget. Also, there really is not much difference between business class that costs $5k - $7K and first class in regard to amenities. Majority of airlines do not even offer first class anymore.

Personally, I will be on my third international flight this coming August, all business class and to me the upgrade would not be worth it UNLESS it was a private jet that I would not be sharing with anyone else except my guests and that would get expensive. I do use NetJets domestically on a regular basis (50+ hours a year), so I am aware of the advantages of private flights just do not see cost effective advantages on international flights.

 

[spike.t]

Just for that no invite for you on my G6…

HH

Shit just my luck...

 

[mdwest]

Its actually doable.. but you'd still need a bit of a large party to make it work...

ultra long range private aircraft can be leased for about $6K per hour... figure from DFW direct to Joberg is about an 18 hour flight.. thats $108K....

A Gulfstream g650 if configured correctly can carry 15 passengers (most I have seen are set up to carry about 10 comfortably.. but there are 15 passengers G650's, Bombardier Global 8000s, etc)..

So $108K / 15 = $7200

Thats more than what youre typically going to pay for a business class seat on Qatar.. but its probably doable for a large party of upper middle class to upper class safari hunters that want to hunt in a large camp as a group.. for a corporate group wanting to do a hunt, etc..

If youre launching from the east coast somewhere it would be a few bucks cheaper (cut out about 3 hours of flight time and the associated costs)..

I now travel with 3x hunters every year... Even business class tickets when Im buying for 3 are out of the question.. so 3x seats on a private charter are definitely out... I'd rather spend that money on the actual hunt and just suffer through the 24+ hours of cattle class travel on Qatar or Emirates..

But if it were just me traveling with a large(ish) group of 10-15.. I might would consider private charter..

Back in the early 2000's I used to fly private quite a bit (was part of what I did for a living back then).. It is pretty easy to get spoiled with the comfort..

 

[TFet]

Good luck finding 50-60 passengers with the same itinerary. Not to mention if one is hunting in RSA majority of their time, they are doing it for it being inexpensive and $12K for a ticket is out of their budget. Also, there really is not much difference between business class that costs $5k - $7K and first class in regard to amenities. Majority of airlines do not even offer first class anymore.

Personally, I will be on my third international flight this coming August, all business class and to me the upgrade would not be worth it UNLESS it was a private jet that I would not be sharing with anyone else except my guests and that would get expensive. I do use NetJets domestically on a regular basis (50+ hours a year), so I am aware of the advantages of private flights just do not see cost effective advantages on international flights.

Great points.
This is the feed back we are looking for.
Would the time savings be a factor? Allowing for an extra 2 days to hunt or 2 days you dont have to be away from "work".

 

[Aaron N]

This falls into the same class as “a new proper double is a rounding error on a Buffalo hunt”

 

[Bullthrower338]

I’m waiting for Joe to get his cross Atlantic train up and running!

 

[mdwest]

Its actually doable.. but you'd still need a bit of a large party to make it work...

ultra long range private aircraft can be leased for about $6K per hour... figure from DFW direct to Joberg is about an 18 hour flight.. thats $108K....

A Gulfstream g650 if configured correctly can carry 15 passengers (most I have seen are set up to carry about 10 comfortably.. but there are 15 passengers G650's, Bombardier Global 8000s, etc)..

So $108K / 15 = $7200

Thats more than what youre typically going to pay for a business class seat on Qatar.. but its probably doable for a large party of upper middle class to upper class safari hunters that want to hunt in a large camp as a group.. for a corporate group wanting to do a hunt, etc..

If youre launching from the east coast somewhere it would be a few bucks cheaper (cut out about 3 hours of flight time and the associated costs)..

I now travel with 3x hunters every year... Even business class tickets when Im buying for 3 are out of the question.. so 3x seats on a private charter are definitely out... I'd rather spend that money on the actual hunt and just suffer through the 24+ hours of cattle class travel on Qatar or Emirates..

But if it were just me traveling with a large(ish) group of 10-15.. I might would consider private charter..

Back in the early 2000's I used to fly private quite a bit (was part of what I did for a living back then).. It is pretty easy to get spoiled with the comfort..

I just realized a real problem with my post..

Thats $7200 ONE WAY...

Its going to cost each passenger another $7200 to get home... So roughly $14.4K per passenger round trip..

That said, I am pretty sure you could work out a discounted rate for that volume of travel.. but you certainly arent getting anything like the original $7200 figure I came up with... I'd guess if you pushed real hard, and if fuel prices werent out of control at the time you locked in your jet you MIGHT get in for $10-$11K per passenger (this is entirely based on leasing jets 20+ years ago though.. God only knows how the industry has changed since then much less pricing models, etc)..

 

[Hyde Hunter]

it would be the same amount of time commercial verses private unless you fly Qatar or another airline that flies non direct. Newark or Atlanta

 

[TFet]

it would be the same amount of time commercial verses private unless you fly Qatar or another airline that flies non direct. Newark or Atlanta

correct the flight time is the same. total travel time is the advantage. arrive 30 min before take off, quick customs clearing. outfitter parked outside the hanger, or jump to the next charter into camp

 

[jcnelsn1]

15 people on a Gulfstream for a 15+ hour flight is going to be less comfortable than business class on a commercial airline. You wouldn’t be able to convert seating to beds with that many people

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

The problem with figuring the cost for any charter flight is you might have to pay for two round trips. If you are flying from a major town into the bush, the plane takes you into camp and may return empty. Then when your hunt is done, another round trip for the plane. The same might apply to a long range charter. That jet isn't going to sit on the tarmac for 10 days or two weeks, waiting for everyone to return.

I worked in Angola from 2003 to 2009, on a 28 days on, 28 days off schedule. Every 28 days I took the Houston Express and made a 15 hour trip across the pond. Nonstop service between Luanda and Houston. Originally it was flown by World Airways in a modified MD-11 and the last couple of years by Atlas Air, in a 747. The flight was 3 round trips a week and in 5-1/2years of flying it I think I only had two significant delays.

Flying the World's Most Elusive 747: The Houston Express - The Points Guy

A charter flight for oil workers between Houston, Texas, and Luanda, Angola was probably the most fabled Jumbo Jet route. We grabbed a seat on the very last one, and it was an amazing AvGeek treat.

thepointsguy.com

 

[Red Leg]

Its actually doable.. but you'd still need a bit of a large party to make it work...

ultra long range private aircraft can be leased for about $6K per hour... figure from DFW direct to Joberg is about an 18 hour flight.. thats $108K....

A Gulfstream g650 if configured correctly can carry 15 passengers (most I have seen are set up to carry about 10 comfortably.. but there are 15 passengers G650's, Bombardier Global 8000s, etc)..

So $108K / 15 = $7200

Thats more than what youre typically going to pay for a business class seat on Qatar.. but its probably doable for a large party of upper middle class to upper class safari hunters that want to hunt in a large camp as a group.. for a corporate group wanting to do a hunt, etc..

If youre launching from the east coast somewhere it would be a few bucks cheaper (cut out about 3 hours of flight time and the associated costs)..

I now travel with 3x hunters every year... Even business class tickets when Im buying for 3 are out of the question.. so 3x seats on a private charter are definitely out... I'd rather spend that money on the actual hunt and just suffer through the 24+ hours of cattle class travel on Qatar or Emirates..

But if it were just me traveling with a large(ish) group of 10-15.. I might would consider private charter..

Back in the early 2000's I used to fly private quite a bit (was part of what I did for a living back then).. It is pretty easy to get spoiled with the comfort..

I know you are really good at this math thing but the cost you illustrated is one way. Most of your party will want to fly home as well.

I just realized a real problem with my post..

Thats $7200 ONE WAY...

Its going to cost each passenger another $7200 to get home... So roughly $14.4K per passenger round trip..

That said, I am pretty sure you could work out a discounted rate for that volume of travel.. but you certainly arent getting anything like the original $7200 figure I came up with... I'd guess if you pushed real hard, and if fuel prices werent out of control at the time you locked in your jet you MIGHT get in for $10-$11K per passenger (this is entirely based on leasing jets 20+ years ago though.. God only knows how the industry has changed since then much less pricing models, etc)..

Damn. you beat me to it. I had so much typing the pithy thing I am posting it anyway.

 

[Tanks]

Great points.
This is the feed back we are looking for.
Would the time savings be a factor? Allowing for an extra 2 days to hunt or 2 days you dont have to be away from "work".

I enjoy the extra day at arrival and departure. Gives me a chance to see friends and on inbound flight helps with jet lag.

For my flight this October I bookend it with a night at Amanzi lodge in Harare. Being away from work is a bonus. Plus, I have good employees that can hold the fort.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I was in SA this past march. The group coming in behind me to the lodge was a group of 12 from the states. Between the 12 they had access to 3 private jets. They had a problem finding hangar space at the airport. The owner of the lodge suggested that they book the entire first class section of a commercial flight (I don't know how many seats that is ) and they did it. They don't count pennies but they said it was cheaper than flying 3 planes.

 

[Daisy]

I got my delta one ticket early direct Atlanta to J berg for 6k total. I buy everything personal and business with CC and pay off monthly. Used points.

It was one of the most enjoyable parts of my trip. The 16 hours each way in my pod was like a vacation in itself.

Also I’m not rich but I have some rich friends. We take a duck hunting trip yearly on private jet. Once you do that a couple of times flying commercial feels like being loaded on a cattle trailer.

And I will say, for domestic trips with a group, private charter is pretty cost effective compared to flying first class and is soooo much easier.

Most of these private jets, even the 50 million dollar ones, don’t have the range to do long international trips. Would have to make 3-4 stops each way.

 

[rookhawk]

The math isn't right in this post. The costs with staff and lodging for flight crew is longer. The idea of sharing a charter with 50-60 people at $15,000 a person also means no flight changes are possible for those that need to leave early or stay late.

And of course, why would I want to pay $15,000 to be in near-cattle class on a private charter of 50-60 people when I can be in an emirates b-class ticket for $6000 or so, or $12,000 in first-class private suite?

 

[GuttormG]

One cost missed here, the plane will not wait for free for a week or 2...