What does a mechanical delay mean?
When you book an on-demand charter, you may run into mechanical delay issues. Here’s what it means and what you can do about it.
On-demand Jet Charters
In order to articulate how we resolve mechanical delays, we must first communicate the way the on-demand charter model works. An on-demand charter allows you to gain access to private aviation on a flight-by-flight basis. The on-demand model provides the greatest flexibility in aircraft selection, the most competitive rates and the greatest level of customer service.
When you receive a couple of quotes for your on-demand charter, each quote is tied to an actual aircraft, its schedule, its crew, where it is positioned relative to your point of departure and even its amenities (such as Wi-Fi and seating configuration). Because these variables are constantly changing, pricing in the on-demand market fluctuates. Due to the nature of positioning before and after your flight, two identical aircraft are likely to be quoted at two distinct charter rates.
Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft are complex machines that require regular on-going maintenance. To ensure reliability and safety, aircraft are placed on a maintenance schedule that occurs on a calendar and on an hourly usage basis. While this maintenance schedule is designed to take a proactive approach and to deliver predictable insight into an aircraft availability, they’re susceptible to unexpected maintenance issues. Door seals, avionics equipment, landing gear and other components can unexpectedly act up. These issues will require immediate attention before the aircraft can be returned to service. In aviation, we refer to this unexpected maintenance requirement as a Mechanical Delay.
Aircraft Maintenance & You
While there is an operating standard for private aircraft charter, all air carriers and owners are different. Each aircraft owner has different financial means as well as a different risk tolerance and may choose to defer maintenance until it is required, rather than take a proactive approach.
The best strategy to avoid experiencing a mechanical delay is to book your charter flight with air carriers who are known to take a proactive approach to maintenance and safety. These operators will typically take part in one of (or both) ARGUS Platinum or Wyvern Wingman voluntary audit programs. This step will expand your margin of safety and reduce the potential for your flight to be delayed.
Unfortunately, even the most reputable air carriers and the most well-maintained aircraft will, from time-to-time, be delayed due to unexpected maintenance.
Soaring Higher with Stratos
When you’ve booked an on-demand charter flight with Stratos and an unexpected mechanical issue occurs, our team immediately goes into action to find a suitable replacement. Being that the original flight was booked on a specific aircraft, at a specific available price, a suitable recovery aircraft may not be available at the same rate. In this case, there are three appropriate courses of action we can take:
- Wait for the required maintenance to be preformed
- Cancel the charter and receive a refund for the unused portion of the flight
- Approve the additional amount for the replacement aircraft
Traveling can be stressful, but flying privately can make traveling a pleasure. Ensuring that you have the right aviation partner to solve complicated issues quickly and professionally is where you’ll SOAR HIGHER with Stratos Jet Charters.
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