The Ins and Outs of Aircraft Insurance

Round Trip One Way Multi-City
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“One thing is true about insurance: It’s better to have it and not need it, than the other way around.”

– Joel Thomas, President & CEO, Stratos Jet Charters Inc.

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 $10 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.

Need a pricing estimate for your private jet charter?

Check out our pricing tool to see the estimated cost of chartering a private jet on any route you wish to travel. See the pricing among different aircraft categories for both domestic and international flights.

What Our Clients Are Saying

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.

Rick H. - Review from our trusted JET CHARTER REVIEWS

Excellent

Stratos Jet Charters Overall rating (4.88 out of 5) Based on 667 reviews from our trusted Jet Charter reviews

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Overall rating (4.88 out of 5) Based on 667 reviews from our trusted Jet Charter reviews
5 1 5 03/30/2022

I feel very confident that Kerry Hill and her team will take excellent care of the trip that we plan. It was a great experience everyone was pleased with the outcome. I would recommend Stratos to anyone looking for Charter service

5 1 5 06/12/2014

I was pleased with the way Heather assisted me. She followed-up throughout the process and during the flight.

5 1 5 06/03/2020

My representative Simon did a really good job explaining my options and arranging our charter. Disappointed our charter Was 30 minutes late due to routine maintenance. Since it was routine, obviously it should have been scheduled to not interfere with our flight schedule. One of the big reason for the charter was to avoid sitting around a lounge in the Covid era. Due to the delay, that’s exactly what we did. Small issues, but water wasn’t working in lavatory, cabin temperature was a bit erratic, and air vent dripped water. Crew was courteous and flight was fine.

 

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Dear Peter, 
 
Thank you for taking time to provide feedback regarding your recent flight on N860TX.  After receiving your review, I investigated the matter to learn a bit more about what was going on.  
 
During the pre-flight check, the crew discovered a maintenance issue that, while minor, needed to be resolved prior to your departure.   Unfortunately, resulting in a delay in your schedule.  We understand that the value of private aviation is oriented around your schedule and privacy, but we can not prioritize that over safety.  In the case of the delay, it is a result of the crews concern for safety of flight.  Regardless, our team values your feedback and have shared it with the air carrier as well.  
 
We look forward to working with you again on your next trip and will seek to ensure a smoother travel experience.
 
All my best,


Joel A. Thomas 

President and CEO 

5 1 5 09/09/2020

We had a great experience thanks to the help of stratos. I will use them again as they were professional and very timely.

5 1 5 01/20/2022

Worked with Glenn and he really worked to find the right plane at the right time! Aircraft crew were professional and courteous. Two great cross country flights.

5 1 5 09/10/2012

First time flying on a private plane. Knowing the exact layout inside & manner of boarding. Originally inquired about a Lear jet 35 & then confirmed a citation ll. Not a problem for me & my husband but for the 102 year old traveling with us was difficult to board as initial step into plane was 18 inches & the crew had to find a step stool. Steps were little and required several people to board & inboard her. The crew of Lance & Meagan were exemplary & would fly with them anytime

5 1 5 09/17/2021

The flight was extremely, even surprisingly, comfortable. The crew was fantastic--professional and courteous. The agent's support was extremely thorough and professional: explanations, details and assistance with car rental was much appreciated. We will highly recommend these services to others.

5 1 5 10/14/2014

You can not improve on perfect !!

5 1 5 03/26/2021

Katie was great on very short notice. Here is were the 5th star was lost: No on board bathroom and I was not told about it. I specifically asked about quality of safety and maintenance by operator and got incorrect information initially; although there was no apparent problem .

5 1 5 05/03/2021

Stratos was great and we for sure will recommend our broker to our friends

5 1 5 01/04/2019

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.

5 1 5 12/21/2021

As always, every aspect of the trip from booking to deplaning could not have been more enjoyable and efficient!!

5 1 5 05/09/2017

Having used many charter companies before with mixed experiences, I can say with confidence that Stratos has the best service and highest level of professionalism of any of the charter services I have encountered. Most recently, we had an unfortunate last minute cancellation of a charter booked through another service, and Stratos came through at the last minute to find the right plane at the right price for us with under 24 hour notice. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism as well as their willingness and ability to go above and beyond to find the right charter for us - even as a first time customer.

5 1 5 11/23/2020

The entire Stratos Jets support team is always a pleasure to work with. As an operator, we appreciate the exceptional communicativeness of the SJ team; Kyle Jones was excellent as our SJ contact for this trip. Payment for the trip is always prompt. Any and all information we need is provided and day-of support is phenomenal. We are looking forward to working with you again soon! -Flying Zebra Team

5 1 5 02/20/2021

Smooth, calm, on time and will use it again

5 1 5 10/19/2020

I clicked on your “submit” option but not certain it went. In any event, trip great, pilot charming and helpful and Joel Thomas outstanding in responsiveness, patience and constant availability.
 

5 1 5 04/30/2018

Yes very

5 1 5 07/25/2013

Passenger stated that the "jet interior was shoddy and showed that the jet wasn't well taken care of." Said crew was nice. Stated no coffee available although I had specified de-caf to be provided and followed that up with company client services requesting same. 

5 1 5 01/01/2022

Stratos Jets provided excellent customer service! One of the most reliable private jet charters. Glenn was incredibly helpful and professional he made the booking process very easy and kept me updated with trip details daily. Highly recommend Stratos Jet Charters.

5 1 5 07/18/2019

Yes I enjoyed it they was very easy to work with and did what they said they were going to.  I would recommend to other people

5 1 5 10/14/2021

This was our 6th trip with Stratos/Simon Christian. We will do this again w/ you next summer. I've sold you to friends i believe who also will be booking with you/Simon Christian. thank you for everything..

5 1 5 09/29/2017

Eric Bold and Stratos Jets came to the rescue this week whilst I was trying to evacuate friends and families from Puerto Rico during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.  Eric was beyond helpful and always courteous.  He was quick to find an aircraft within my budget and stayed in contact with me at every point during our transaction to update me on all matters concerning our trip.  I would highly recommend Stratos Jets to anyone and I look forward to working with them on our next trip.
Thanks again for everything!

5 1 5 06/02/2021

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!

5 1 5 09/02/2020

Perfect experience.

5 1 5 04/14/2020

Everything was done in super fashion. Anthony the scheduler, Anthony and Terry the pilots were fantastic!

5 1 5 04/27/2020

Thank You very much. Our experience from the beginning to the end were handled with such care and consideration. Felt very comfortable and am very glad that we chose you.

5 1 5 04/29/2024

Everything went off smoothly and everyone I worked with at Stratos was very patient and helpful. Our small group felt very special! What a treat and yes I’d recommend Stratos to anyone.

5 1 5 11/01/2023

Probably to save on hotels for crew (Wisconsin would be cheaper than Toronto). Weather did not cooperate so cost us half an hour. Not the end of the world, but still an annoyance that could have been avoided.

5 1 5 03/20/2024

Mostly good. Registration process is painful and there was a little hiccup with confirmed time for departure but we made it work.

5 1 5 11/01/2021

The experience from start to finish was excellent. I would highly recommend Stratos.

5 1 5 05/03/2018

My family has flown with you dozens of times. Everything, from booking, to the flights, to the follow-up shows that you care about your customers. I would definitely recommend Stratos & have already done so.

5 1 5 06/08/2021

Easy to book with a lot of options regarding the type of aircraft needed

5 1 5 11/22/2019

tks.

5 1 5 12/15/2020

Anthony was amazing! He was compassionate, detailed, attentive, proactive and so many other things that I could not begin to put into words for our complicated travel situation. The flight crew was amazing for the journey and ground crew and the ops crew saved my family. I can never put into words how much I appreciate Anthony and the Stratos Team. We will never think of using another charter company for any of our needs! Thank you so much!

5 1 5 01/01/2018

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.

5 1 5 07/24/2017

Very professional, very knowledgeable - truly care about their clients. Stratos is always very good to work with. When one of their requests come in we know we will be treated equitably, politely, and professionally, as the Operator. The Stratos team is always friendly and thorough. The Stratos Guests are always very good to our Flight Crews, which we appreciate very much. I would highly recommend Stratos Jet Charters. Malachi Mountain Aviation.

5 1 5 11/03/2020

I was helped at every step along the way. Any question was quickly answered.

5 1 5 10/06/2013

While this was the first time between these two cities, we may take this route frequently in the future.

5 1 5 09/17/2021

Other than car rental issue it was great.

5 1 5 07/24/2012

Hire more people like Kevin Bales. If you ever fire him he can work for me. Great job.

5 1 5 03/26/2021

Glenn was great - very responsive. Would have given our experience 5 stars had the airport we intended to land (Ocean Reef) been secured when I paid the monies, instead of 3 days before our scheduled departure from HPN.

5 1 5 01/02/2014

I think you all did a great job!!! If we book with enough notice, maybe a newer ride? Not to say that the Hawker we flew was not great.. Only my thoughts. Joe"

5 1 5 05/05/2018

Joel was extraordinary in helping me with options when a connecting flight was cancelled and I had to scramble to get to my destination on time. He was available late into the evening to help me and ultimately I made my appointment.

5 1 5 02/07/2018

This was a last minute medical request. Joel, who I have worked with in the past took time away from his vacation to assist me with a fight that met my needs exactly. He’s friendly and professional and a credit to any organization!

5 1 5 02/26/2018

Pre trip work up seemed very professional. Crew had plane positioned on time and assisted with loading. Just my wife and I and two dogs. It was the dogs first flight so we had some concerns but the crew did a great job in getting them aboard and settled down. flight was uneventful and all worked as planned. No issues at all. Very good

Same on return flight except we arrived a good half hour early but crew jumped to task and loaded us and dogs promptly for return. Only item worth mentioning was during climb out to altitude both my wife and I heard numerous bumping sound on both sides of fuselage up and down the sides and top. We have owned our own planes and owned shares in jets through Flight Options and chartered often over the years and we have never had this type of noise. It almost sounded like rivets coming out or random bird strikes (which I knew it was not). I mentioned it to the co-pilot and he told me to report it so maintenance could be sure to check it out. Said it may be a maintenance issue on an older aircraft but a first for me. After attaining altitude the noise did not reoccur. All else went according to schedule and the pilots were very professional and assisted on and off with dogs and luggage. I would use again this service. Thank

Joel Thomas:  Hi William!  Thanks for the opportunity to serve you and your wife.  We are always grateful when our clients take the time to offer feedback.  We reached out to Chief Pilot of the air carrier you flew with regarding the noise you mentioned and here is what they said:  "Frequently you'll hear noises that sound like that and its just the airplane expanding as altitude, temperature and humidity change.  Its actually very common."  Looking forward to working with you all again soon!  All my best

5 1 5 03/13/2024

This was probably the 3rd flight that the weather conditions were disregarded and I was told the flight was safe and would be comfortable. While we did land safely, the known turbulence was so intense I left my seat at one point, was thrown from side to side (no vomit bags around) and I was needing to do every breathing technique known to keep myself calm and not hyperventilate. While the crew and all people involved are extremely professional, disregarding weather reports with a strong wind advisory is irresponsible not only for safety but for the customers comfort. I learned upon landing that other flights in that same airport had cancelled so why would mine fly even with the concern I expressed. Will the company lose money to reschedule? I will find it difficult to trust them in the future on any flight with weather advisories.

5 1 5 12/21/2021

As far as I can tell the flight was great. My nephew, his wife and their dog flew from California to Guam for a move. The airport they flew from was changed the day prior to departure due to weather. The catering however didn't make it to the airport so they were on the plane for 15 hours with only the complimentary snacks and the crew shared some of their food with them. When you fly private you expect things to go smoothly...that's why you're willing to pay the extremely high price for. In my opinion there were opportunities missed to make it right. Since they had to refuel in Hawaii there was at least 6 hours to get some kind of catering for them when they landed in Hawaii. I realize that catering needs 24 hours notice but someone couldn't gone above and beyond to make things right and get them fresh fruit and veggie platter with a plain hot pizza or something to give them something other than snacks. I know if the CEO of Stratos was flying this catering issue would've been unacceptable.

Carol - Thank you for bringing this to my attention and you are certainly right.  The ball was dropped.  I have spoken with the private flight advisor regarding the matter and our day of flight process was not followed.  Not having something ready in Hawaii during the fuel-stop is truly a missed opportunity.  I am truly sorry for our misstep and the poor experience this must have been for your nephew and his family.  

Joel A. Thomas 

President and CEO 

5 1 5 04/09/2024

Great flight, great plane and great crew! Enjoyed it a lot and highly recommend Stratos Jets.

5 1 5 07/03/2019

Yes, was a smooth process

5 1 5 12/15/2023

Anthony is the best. It's always hectic trying to get the details right and he stays on top of it so I don't have to!

See All Reviews

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To find further information on The Ins and Outs of Aircraft Insurance please contact our agent at 888-593-9066 or write to us here.


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