Your First Private Jet – Things You Should Know when you are flying for the first time
Flying by private jet is a wonderful experience, from start to finish your crew will be on hand to ensure that your flight is as easy, comfortable and luxurious as you would like it to be. If you are flying for the first time, you may wonder how elements such as passport control, suitcase and animals onboard work, so here is a quick run down to help you arrive at the airport confidently prepared to make your flight.
Tickets Please
When you fly on a private jet, you will not have a ticket. We will, of course, provide information about your flight ad the times etc., including your crew contact details and the tail number of the plane. Each flight includes detailed information about the private jet arrival procedure, and in some cases, you will be given a unique passenger number for PPR (Prior Permission Requirement) needed at some airports but not all. Pets can travel but you will have to adhere to any country-specific animal movement quarantine, vaccination and general travel rules of the country you are flying into. All animals travelling must be microchipped and have their own documentation from a vet.
Airport Arrival
While the process varies slightly from airport to airport, the basic rule is that you do not need to be on site as early as you would when flying commercial airlines. Your terminal, called the FBO is a dedicated space for private flights, and you can generally park outside rather than in lockup carparks further away, there are some locations that allow you to be driven to the steps of the aircraft for direct boarding. Usually, you can be boarded within fifteen minutes at the very most, often just a few minutes. When you are flying for the first time this contrast to scheduled airline processes, and large terminal buildings, is a really nice experience! The private jet lounge and whole boarding experience is a completely relaxing and pleasant experience. Read more in our faqs here.
Take a look at the FBO facilities at Farnborough Airport Here.
Required Documents
Even on private jets, you must have your legal documentation with you. Your passport is still required if it is an international flight as we have to follow the same immigration requirements as anywhere, but our processes for checking is smoother and less invasive. The same therefore applies to any visa documentation if you are travelling to a country that requires it. The timescales for applying for your visa remain the same so be sure to get this done well in advance as it can sometimes be a slow process. We then use the documentation in the same way as commercial airlines to build a passenger manifesto which is a legal requirement for any flight. Sometimes this information can be used in advance to clear your arrival so you can skip that process but you must keep your passport and ID documentation to hand as it can be checked at any time.
Loading Luggage
While there are still weigh limits when it comes to luggage, they are much more generous that commercial flights and generally you will have no problem. If you have an unusually large amount and are worried just ask in advance, but we always do our best to accommodate. When you arrive we have to screen the luggage in the same way as all flights, but you will not have to wait in any queues, and we can get this done really quickly for you.