When it comes to owning and operating a jet, having the proper aircraft insurance in place is one of the most important responsibilities you can undertake. It’s not a matter of should you or shouldn’t you, it’s more a matter of coverage, provider, and rates.
To better provide our clients with the information they need to make informed buying decisions, we’ve created an aircraft insurance guide to help clarify the types available and how they’re used.
Aircraft Hull & Liability Insurance
For aircraft owners and operators, there are many different variations and options available through an aircraft hull & liability insurance policy. Some owners prefer to purchase hull insurance only while others opt for additional liability insurance as well. Beyond those two basic forms, the options are extensive and can be a bit overwhelming to those new to the industry. To help educate our clients, our goal is to provide as much information as possible.
For a more detailed explanation of hull and liability insurance, please visit the Aircraft Liability Insurance page.
Our Carriers’ Minimum Coverage & Our Own Additional Policy
For clients booking charters, we’ve created our own in-house Air Carrier Due Diligence Program. With this program, each and every air carrier we work with is pre-screened before being hired for a mission. One of the requirements we screen for is that each private aircraft carrier must carry liability insurance at a minimum of $25 million for turboprop charters and $50 million for jets. However, many of the operators we work with greatly exceed these minimums.
In addition to these requirements, we’ve also invested in our own $50 million non-owned liability policy. We maintain this policy to give our clients peace of mind when booking a charter flight with us.
However, some charter clients feel more comfortable with additional coverage, and we’re happy to facilitate that. For more detailed information, please review the Non-owned Aircraft Liability page.
Fixed-base Operators Need Insurance Too
When it comes to aviation insurance, it’s not just aircraft that require liability insurance. Fixed-base operators (FBOs) require a general liability policy too. A proper policy can protect against a third party claim related to property damage or bodily harm.
Working with a reputable insurance broker can provide a policy that offers the appropriate coverage, such as:
- Premise Liability – Insures the premises against ordinary hazards
- Hangarkeeper’s Liability – Protects airports from claims related to aircraft damaged while in the care and custody of an airport
- Products and Completed Operations Liability – Intended to protect the airport from incidents arising from negligent work, and/or faulty products
- Personal and Advertising Injury Liability – This option can avoid penalties pertaining to “personal injury,” like false arrest, slander, privacy violiations, etc.
- Contractual Liability – Protects against issues that can arise due to contract disputes
When seeking FBO-related insurance coverage, it’s important to work with a reputable insurance broker that can help you take the necessary steps to safeguard your assets and make sure they’re properly cared for.
Stratos’ Commitment to Honest Advice and Fair Pricing
Aircraft insurance plans are complex and have many different variables, and it can be really challenging to put a policy in place that meets all your needs without consulting an industry expert. That’s why Stratos Jet Charters has decided to partner with an insurance broker that specializes in aviation insurance. We want to lend our expertise and knowledge to our clients to help them make informed buying decisions. Our transparent and informative approach in everything we do is what makes us proud to stand out as a leader in the private aviation industry.
Lisa Stanley
Joel Thomas and his great team at Stratos makes booking a private charter easy. They keep in contact with you from the start right through to after the flight, which gives my travelers a piece of mind. Everything is always exactly planned to our specifications. Stratos really goes above and beyond in their industry - they are simply the best at what they do.
Valerie W.
Kyle immediately answered the phone when I called, after normal work hours, needing a plane the next morning. He worked with me for hours to find the right plane. I flew out the next morning at 9am. Kyle followed along with both that flight as well as the return the next day to make sure everything was fine. I feel comfortable knowing that Stratos carefully chooses their planes with the highest safety ratings. Thank you to Kyle and his team for their attention to detail and care that their customers have an excellent and safe travel experience. I highly recommend Stratos Jet Charters
Sue P.
The service was impeccable
Matteo G.
Joel & His team are incredible! After many charters with Stratos they continue to impress. Joel personally met us at the aircraft, a beautiful Challenger, and ensured everything was perfect. The crew and plane were perfect and it was a perfect way to end our vacation. His crew always keeps our family's concerns first & foremost. Thank you again Stratos!
David R.
Peter E.
You can not improve on perfect !!
Joe M.
great from start to finish!
Orian D.
The service, follow up, and support was fantastic. Stratos made our family trip a success and we were all able to be together without the hassles of traveling. I would definitely recommend them! Thanks!
C. Mason
Two thumbs up!
Eric Sanchez
I love the team and especially working with Kerry. Always a pleasure
Carolyn G.
I have already recommended Joel to two people and they are both using him!!! I gave Joel only two hours to find us a plane.For medical reasons, we had to go to Houston....In two hours, I had three options...he is wonderful!
Hannah B.
John S.
All items of booking, plane flight, pilots and limo pick up were great Anthony was the best to deal with; lots of communication in every part of process. Will be returning with you in May. Would also recommend to friends and colleagues
Jessica Bullard
As a charter operator, it is hard at times to work with Broker companies to get all of the information we need quick and efficiently back and forth to each other. We had no issues at all in this case when working with Stratos Jets. The team got everything we needed to us in a timely manner and we were able to make the transaction very smooth. I hope your clients enjoyed their flight! Our pilots said they seemed pleased upon arrival. Looking forward to working with you all again!
Steve B.
I have been using Stratos for all of my trips the past 2 years, and they stay on top of all my needs. Thanks to the entire team!
Angie W.
I met Joel, years ago, when he first introduced me to Stratos Jet Charters during its start-up phase. I was always very impressed on their marketing and honesty, as a broker. Joel is very genuine and caring when it comes to his customers or the operators that he works with. I know that Stratos Jets will not sacrifice safety for anything. I know that he likes to treat everyone like they are part of the Stratos Jet family. The trip planning process, from quote request to trip planning to invoice, is seamless – they’ve thought of everything and continue to be ahead of the trend in our industry with the way they do things. They think of everything! In my opinion, Stratos Jet Charters set the bar for aircraft brokerage and I will always continue to look forward to working with them.
Nicole M.
There are not enough words to express how incredible Stratos is. From start to finish, my experiences with them are the highest quality of service and performance.
Gerald W.
the flight was very nice thank you and we will do more with you
Gary G.
Joel Thomas is knowledgeable and attentive. We always feel that we are getting the attention we need. The charters he has put together for us have been exactly how we wanted them to be. We have no hesitation in giving him our highest rating.
Cathy L.
As always, Kerry did a great job for us. Very happy with aircraft interior, performance and crew.
Kevin Wargo
We appreciate working with you and your team. Thank you.
Matt S.
amazing experience.
Ron C.
While this was the first time between these two cities, we may take this route frequently in the future.
Judy M.
Kerry absolutely gets an A+ in customer service. Very well run jet service company.
Erik Hjortaas
I thought Stratos was professional and easy to work with. We didn't have any problems or communication issues whatsoever. It's really nice when we don't have to deal with 10 different people to coordinate a trip.
Michael M.
Everything was great. Prompt and clear comms about flight / craft options. Kept us informed about key status. Nice account website and live-links for details. And, just friendly and pleasant people to work with. One big thing was that our original operator's plane cancelled due to mechanical the day before our departure. We know that happens sometimes and not Stratos' fault. What was great was how quickly the Stratos team got us viable alternatives. Within probably an hour we had an alternate operator confirmed. We were very pleased how well Stratos reacted. And, the replacement craft and crew were top-notch as well.
Larry B.
This was a fantastic trip and our family will remember the rest of their life. Wife says it is the only way to travel via air. Everything was handled perfect
Michael R.
Zach Rankin is the best jet broker I have ever met! Total first class experience. Super responsive & passionate & customer service oriented. I’m in real estate hospitality....hotels & apartments etc. So I understand how hard it is to execute flawless high-end customer service like Zach.
Paul K.
Daniel was very responsive late into the night and early morning and was able to arrange our flight in hours. Time from first contact to wheels up was less than 12 hours. The FBO's and crew provides were very accommodating and helpful. 5 stars!
Geraldine C.
Booking was great, Kyle is wonderful a asset to your company. However the pilots were not. They were not there on time never offered an apology or explained as to why. When questioned they were extremely RUDE. I was told that the Pilots went to eat lunch so they kept myself and family waiting over an hour past wheels up time. I arrived at 12:30 for a 1:00 flight they arrived at 1:30 for a 1:00 flight with BAD attitudes
Samantha D.
Joel was a great help in getting my family out of South Florida last minute during hurricane Irma. I look forward to booking with Stratos again in the very near future.
Richard S.
This charter was a wonderful experience, from Will's handling of details at Stratos to a great piece of equipment and a top notch crew. I can't speak highly enough of Leo and Craig. I have spent a lot of time on mid-size aircraft, and this crew would rate at the very top of all I've met. Please extend our sincere thanks to Will, Leo, and Craig.
Danielle P.
Excellent Customer Service booking and during the flight!
So-Yon S.
This was my 3rd trip with Stratosjets and all travel were arranged by Kyle Jones. Everything was efficiently and professionally done, and Kyle and the team were always prompt and responsive. I definitely will recommend the team to friends. Thank you.
Angie M.
Garrett is fantastic to work with. He is kind, responsive and you can tell he really cares about his customers. I worked with a different company on our way to our destination because Garrett could not find a plane. The agent at that company did not compare favorably to Garrett. I would highly recommend Garrett.
Robert G.
Everything went perfect. great job. Yes I would recommend your company to my friends.
John G
Everything was perfect - nothing to improve. Many thanks to Richard Gomulka for his assistance - he was great!
Sarah M.
THANK YOU STRATOS!! I have been working with Stratos Jet Charters for almost 3 years now & could not be happier with the services they provide! Working with me on many last minute changes, they are always quick & efficient, extremely professional, genuinely honest & immensely knowledgeable of all products and services they offer. They truly look out for the best interests of their clients. I trust them to always guide me in making the appropriate aircraft choices for our company. I find the ENTIRE team to be THE BEST in the charter aircraft business!!
Lynda K.
This company goes above and beyond and exceeds every expectation. I highly recommend them.
Guy D.
We had quite a number of issues booking this trip, which resulted in add'l work and follow up for me. As broker these issues should have been handled / caught prior to making a proposal. I believe I had to sign 4 different revised quote sheets for this trip! Also the final signed sheet stated we would land in LFMD on the return leg. Hence we booked transportation for pick up at LFMD. However flight landed in LFMN. This caused add'l stress and expense for no reason. I have only now seen that the last itinerary link showed an arrival at LFMN - but I never opened this one since all previous ones, including the contract reconfirmation showed LFMD. As for the aircraft itself: it was one of the oldest ones I have ever flown. The door / separation to the toilet / luggage area was broken (not the lock but the entire frame!) and the toilet was not accessible due to a lot of "stuff" (amenities, water bottles, etc.) being thrown in / stored in the area. Overall cleanliness was not superb either. Finally, the catering we requested was not available / not complete. Breakfast (eggwhite and sausage!!) was cold and wet and the fruitplatter had molded grapes; no ice bucket, nor champagne glasses were present. On the return leg, fruitplatter was nice but again no ice bucket nor champagne glasses were present. As a matter of fact, the soft drink container was not even replenished w new ice!! So overall - yes, we flew from A to B but the service experience was disappointing.
Larnell B. E.
From the first email until the time we were wheels down in St. Thomas, the responsiveness, service, professionalism and attention to detail were exceptional. There is absolutely no chance I will ever use anyone else and I will be sure to share my experiences with my colleague’s here on Capitol Hill and in my professional and personal circles. A special acknowledgement to Glenn, for everything he did to make this a seamless business experience! Regards, Larnell Director, Travel, Security and Facilities,
Dani F.
Our company uses Stratos, we work directly with Kerry, she and everyone else have always been extremely helpful and manage our flights and requests with no problem! They respond friendly, quickly and we have no interest in ever switching companies. Highly recommended! Extremely happy clients!
Max C.
Everything worked out great. Working with Stratos was seamless. When the Trump TFR foiled our plans on both the outbound and inbound legs, Stratos was proactive in finding the best solution for us and minimized the disruption to the timing of our itinerary while also remaining flexible to our schedule as well. Joel could not have been easier to work with, finding us the best options at the best prices.
John H.
Glenn made booking easy and was on top of every detail throughout the process. The flight itself was flawless. Many thanks.
Beverly B.
We prefer to finalize our itinerary, plane and crew at least a week in advance. We did not get things completely final until the day of the actual flight. Secondly, we prefer to pay post-flight rather than pre-flight. You were able to make an exception in our case which was appreciated. Lastly, the quality of the catering service from STT was atrocious. It was inedible.
Rick H.
We have been using Stratos for a couple of years now and appreciate their dedication to using only the safest charter operators. Just completed the front end of a back to back for the Christmas Holiday.
Tatiana S.
Joel got us a plane in less than 24 hours as we needed it for an emergency- thank you so much we are very grateful!
Roxanne Stanley
We actually flew the flight in one of our jets for Stratos Jets customer. Joel was great at providing us passenger information and returning the paper work in a timely fashion.
Joe B.
The whole process was easy and went BETTER than planned. Glenn was my agent and he made sure everything was handled completely and we had no worries. The plane left exactly on time and was an upgrade from the originally chosen plane. The car was waiting when we landed at the hanger and only had a few steps from the plan to the car. We made our appointment as planned and my family was so happy. I recommend Stratos highly.
Kyle B.
This service was unmatched and couldn’t have been better!