Held annually in Des Moines, the Iowa State Fair is seen as a salute to the best of the best in the agriculture industry. This Midwest celebration has been an inspiration in many great works of art, including the original novel entitled State Fair by Phil Strong, a Broadway musical, and three films.
Do you love live music? The Grandstand at the Iowa State Fair will play host to some big, big names in the entertainment industry. From famed rockstars Foreigner gracing the stage on August 9 to country icon Jelly Roll on August 10 and Mötley Crüe on August 14 to many, many other talented performers, the Grandstand is where you’ll likely spend the majority of your time.
Whether you’re chartering a private jet for you and your staff or planning a family trip to the midwest, trust Stratos with your jet charter to Des Moines.
Those seeking cheap thrills will be pleasantly surprised by the attraction line-up.
Thrill Ville – This is where all the jaw-dropping, fast-paced attractions can be found.
Thrill Town – This set-up is perfect for the littlest State Fair attendees. With loads of stroller parking and tons of age-appropriate rides, the whole family will enjoy this little corner of the Fair.
Thrill Zone – For a heart-pumping, adrenaline-inducing experience, seek out the Thrill Zone.
Games Galore – Among the rides and food trucks are plenty of fun traditional fair-style games. Test your throwing arm, your accuracy with darts, and your strength while vying to win that coveted stuffed animal.
Fun Fair Fare
One of the best attractions to be found at the fair is the food, and the Iowa State Fair is no exception. Here you’ll find more than 200 vendors, 80 different food items served up on a stick, and hundreds of satisfying food options.
The most commonly chosen arrival airport for a jet charter to the Iowa State Fair is the Des Moines International Airport (DSM). It’s located southwest of the city and just 12 minutes from the downtown core. For those hoping to avoid the traffic of a commercial airport, the Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV) is located just 10 miles north of the city and is perfect for those chartering a smaller aircraft.
Are you looking for a thrilling fair experience? Stratos Jets can help you arrange a jet charter to the Iowa State Fair. And, once you land, our Trip Support Team can have a pre-arranged car and driver ready to whisk you and your travel companions away to the fair.
Every charter flight review on this page was submitted by a real Stratos Jets customer. In the interest of transparency, we never change reviews or use incentives to influence these reviews. This way, you can hear directly from our past and current clients about how we handled their private travel experience.
4.5/5(22)
4.7/5(25)
4.8/5(568)
4.8/5
566 Reviews
4.7/5
25 Reviews
4.5/5
22 Reviews
5/5
4 Reviews
Overall rating (4.9 out of 5) Based on 762 reviews from our trusted Jet Charter reviews
Zac Steinberg
51502/21/2022
Great partnership and always a pleasure working with your team! We are all looking forward to many more.
Laura L.
51506/18/2020
I will recommend Stratos and will give them Randy name/number, he was very professional, on the ball in all aspects!!!!! I had contacted 4 other companies - Randy was the best, that is why we went with Stratos .
Earl S.
51505/19/2026
efficient, professional, on time , clean jet , capable and friendly pilots and superb agent
Paula W.
51509/21/2013
It's all good !
Tina O.
51507/03/2019
Yes, was a smooth process
Harry W.
51510/31/2022
Everything was great with the trip; it was a bit rushed on my part and Danny was a rockstar! He gave me many options and honest and frank feedback and advice. He made me feel like I was the only client he had and was incredibly responsive to all my questions and concerns. Stress-free and relaxing is the best way to summarize my experience. I will always use Stratos and Danny!! thank you to all the team as well!
Paul A.
51502/23/2020
Easy booking/cost effective/always takes care of all problems
Rose C.
51507/21/2022
Kerry was absolutely amazing!! She made the entire process very seamless and so easy for me. Made me look very good to my boss. She kept me informed of the entire trip, from the plane arriving at the airport to wheels down at the final destination. I have nothing but extreme praise for Kerry and her customer service.
Michael F.
51507/22/2019
Amazing customer service and overall experience from my first contact with Kimberly. Stratos truly delivers what they promise!
James Mead
51510/22/2018
I like the new summary sheets you are sending, information is the key and they work.
Have always loved running for you guy, you make it easy. Thank you for all you do and it is our goal to keep the relationship growing.
Thanks Team!
Jim
Marci Steenson
51503/24/2023
very pro active, quick to get information and respond to requests, fast wire payment. I wish ALL brokers were this good. Great job team.
Joel, you have put together a great group. It was nice working with you, it's been a long time.
Michael G
51501/02/2026
Had a great trip!
Earl S.
51511/04/2024
Fully and yes We would
David O.
51512/21/2021
Booking was easy, you made thr whole experience easy.
Susan D.
51507/31/2024
Our commercial flight was being delayed out of Asheville and there were no other flights that day or the next day. Finally at 8 o’clock at night we called Simon to see if he could come and pick us up. By 1030 we were on the plane and on our way home. It was amazing. Simon is, incredibly efficient and thoughtful. Great experience.
Jim S.
51502/24/2022
All was good.
Judy M.
51502/02/2017
Kerry absolutely gets an A+ in customer service. Very well run jet service company.
Dani F.
51501/09/2017
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!
Angie M.
51512/10/2016
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.
Scott B.
51501/08/2023
Great
Jack Lambert
51508/06/2017
You guys are great! Keep em coming
Guy L.
51505/01/2018
Yes i will recommend it
Bill P.
51511/03/2025
Enjoyed the. Crew and flight
THERESA L.
51506/11/2018
KERRY HILL WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP ME WITH THIS TRIP FOR MR. SOLLBERGER. SHE IS PATIENT AND KNOWLEDGABLE AND WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP SEE THAT MR <REDACTED> ARRIVED SAFELY ON THE GROUND AND AT HIS HOTEL . I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT KERRY'S EXCELLENCE. THE FLIGHT AND CREW WERE EXCELLENT AS WELL.
Michael D.
51512/26/2025
Kyle is exceptional as usual. Always goes above and beyond.
Dave R.
51503/29/2014
We have used another broker and they too have been very good. I have enjoyed the two trips that I have booked with you and I have booked a third next month
A. A.
51508/07/2017
We have used Stratos on several occasions for Business and Personal use. The staff and service is superior. We would highly recommend Stratos to or Business Partners, Family and Friends.
John S.
51508/19/2021
Everything was above and beyond. Thank you!
Sean Cavanagh
51510/02/2025
Communication was great across the board. Always a pleasure working with your team, looking forward to the next opportunity to assist!
Mike B.
51510/04/2014
the flight and service was great.
Carmen Sadek
51501/09/2019
This flight was well managed with excellent communication with Joel. We had extreme weather conditions in OAK and Joel was open to correspondence past midnight local time to ensure all was not handled and decided morning of flight. We also appreciate Stratos Jets trust and confidence in following the lead of Axis Jet for moving their clients flight to the next day. We are looking forward to having many more successful flights with Stratos Jets.
Roxanne Stanley
51503/24/2021
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.
Chip L.
51506/15/2026
Great jets, clean, modern and comfortable.
T. G.
51503/24/2020
Joel and his team at Stratos provided outstanding service during a time when air travel was challenging. In March 2020, Stratos was able to source an aircraft for my family with 24 hours notice. More importantly, when that aircraft arrived with a maintenance issue that occurred on landing, Joel and his team worked diligently to find us another aircraft within a few hours. He and his team went above an beyond to help us out. We highly recommend Stratos.
Joseph R.
51509/18/2022
Flight was very nice. And the pilot, Scott Gustafson, was very professional and friendly. He did a great job with our luggage and talking about the plane and our flight. Great pilot.
William S.
51502/26/2018
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
Richard T.
51504/24/2025
The plane was nice, but an older model than expected. Very nice crew.
Robert A.
51505/07/2022
After our plane developed mechanical problems and a night of discomfort and doubt, Kyle was able to find a plane and a crew at last minute to save my wife's 60th birthday trip. We arrived a little late but we arrived! You are the best Kyle.
Matt S.
51506/02/2018
Joel,
I hope this email find you well. I just wanted to reach out to thank you for the charter service you arranged for us last weekend. It was truly a pleasure to fly with Stratos and we will most certainly book with your charter service again.
Thanks again for all of your help this week. It made the trip a breeze!
Warm Regards,
Matt, Scottie & Harper
I Keith G.
51503/30/2020
7
Andrew S.
51503/03/2021
I thought it was very well-organized and information flows were smooth. The broker worked with me to get an excellent option at an attractive pricing point. The flight was smooth and professional. An outstanding experience!
Antun D.
51505/03/2021
Your whole operation is responsive and attentive, always good to deal with them
Christian Hoza
51506/15/2023
Stratos is always a pleasure to work with! Only comment is sometimes the way you send emails is something the manage. Seems like we get a bunch of separate emails for the same trip. Could be the system! Not a biggie.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to assist you!
Steve R.
51506/12/2014
I was pleased with the way Heather assisted me. She followed-up throughout the process and during the flight.
Carolyn G.
51505/01/2020
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!
Anthony M.
51512/11/2025
My experience with Stratos Jets was fantastic from start to finish. Jesse handled both the flight and ground transportation perfectly, with great communication along the way. This was my first trip with my new puppy, and the pilots went above and beyond—helping me set up the crate, making sure we were comfortable, and paying close attention to all our needs during the flight. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Stratos Jets.
Paul A.
51501/22/2026
Best service available
Michael A.
51501/02/2021
We had a great experience, Anthony our contact was in close contact before the flight keeping us updated and the service was excellent on both sides.
John D.
51508/27/2013
It was perfect!
Michael D.
51509/09/2017
Great experience all around. simon was great - awesome customer service mentality and communication throughout.
Our friendly, expert air charter agents are here to answer questions or start your quote today. Don`t wait, call right now and we can get you on your way to the destination of your choice! Talk to one of our air chater argents now by calling (888) 593-9066 or by emailing [email protected]
How do I choose the right aircraft for my mission?
As charter brokers, we do more than simply book your charter flight. At Stratos Jets, our air charter associates are highly trained personnel capable of matching our clients with the appropriate aircraft for their travel needs. Once we determine how many passengers you’re travelling with and how far you’re flying, we can determine which category of aircraft you require. There are many options available. The most common aircrafts hired for private charters include:
Cessna’s Citation X
Gulfstream’s G650
Bombardier’s Global line
After that, we can help you narrow down the selection of recommended aircraft based on budget, desired cabin amenities, airport requirements, luggage capacity, as well as aircraft age and performance capabilities.
Staying Safe in the Skies
At Stratos Jets, air charter safety is our number one concern. One of our key policies is to increase consumer education. This ensures our clients are able to make informed decisions. We also work with our aircraft providers to ensure their safety training programs meet and even exceed our air charter safety requirements. To make this happen, Stratos Jets is an ARGUS Certified Broker. This means that our brokerage firm is:
Committed to the best industry practices
Adhering to all applicable safety regulations
Maintaining the appropriate insurance coverage required
Are there additional costs per private jet rental passenger?
There are no additional costs per passenger. At Stratos Jet Charters, we base our private jet rental prices per hour, not per guest.
The Stratos Pricing Estimator
If you would like to estimate the cost of a private jet charter, use our Stratos pricing estimator page. It lists the most common estimates based on destination and aircraft type. And you can always enter customized data to get an estimate for a specific destination.
Additional Concierge Charges
We do charge for some of our additional concierge services, such as in-flight catering and entertainment, hotel bookings and ground transportation. We know our clients’ time is precious, so we offer the value and convenience of “one-stop-shopping” through our Trip Support team. When you book a flight with Stratos Jet Charters, we can take care of all the logistics, including booking hotels, meeting spaces, limousines and tickets to special events. That way you can relax, and enjoy your trip.
Empty Leg Charters
Also, since we charge per hour, not per passenger, there are travel bargains to be found with our Empty Leg Flights. Many of our private jet rental flights are one-way, and then we need to move the aircraft to a new destination. To reduce the costs of flying an empty aircraft, we offer discounts to travelers with flexible itineraries. Clever passengers will sometimes split the cost with their fellow travelers, thereby reducing the cost for everyone on the flight.
Can I make last-minute changes to my itinerary?
If your plans need to change, we will do everything in our power to accommodate the changes. One of the benefits of hiring Stratos Jet Charters is that we have much more flexibility than commercial airlines and can provide many more air charter services.
We have two teams that can help you. Here is a brief description of each:
Charter Sales Agents
This is the initial contact team. They evaluate your travel needs to identify the appropriate aircraft type for your travel plan. Pricing is determined by aircraft availability, its position related to the intended departure location and the position of where the aircraft needs to be after performing the customer’s flight.
Trip Support Team
Once the aircraft has been selected, Trip Support works with the customer, the air carrier and all concierge service providers to organize all of the travel details. Trip Support is responsible for coordinating:
Departure time
Departure and arrival at the Fixed Base departure location
Ensuring assigned crew members meet Stratos experience requirements
Making sure the insurance is current and everyone is protected
Coordinating all concierge services
In reference to last-minute itinerary changes, any changes would go through the Trip Support Team.
Our customers often have demanding flight itineraries that can change quickly. They’ve come to appreciate knowing there’s an entire team of people focused on organizing all the details of their trip. Stratos Jet Charters wants to provide our clients with consistently outstanding air charter service and an impeccable safety record.
Are you ready to book your Can I make last-minute changes to my itinerary? charter flight yet?
Our friendly, expert air charter agents are here to answer questions or start your quote today. Don`t wait, call now and we'll get you on your way to your destination!
Zac Steinberg
Great partnership and always a pleasure working with your team! We are all looking forward to many more.
Laura L.
I will recommend Stratos and will give them Randy name/number, he was very professional, on the ball in all aspects!!!!! I had contacted 4 other companies - Randy was the best, that is why we went with Stratos .
Earl S.
efficient, professional, on time , clean jet , capable and friendly pilots and superb agent
Paula W.
It's all good !
Tina O.
Yes, was a smooth process
Harry W.
Everything was great with the trip; it was a bit rushed on my part and Danny was a rockstar! He gave me many options and honest and frank feedback and advice. He made me feel like I was the only client he had and was incredibly responsive to all my questions and concerns. Stress-free and relaxing is the best way to summarize my experience. I will always use Stratos and Danny!! thank you to all the team as well!
Paul A.
Easy booking/cost effective/always takes care of all problems
Rose C.
Kerry was absolutely amazing!! She made the entire process very seamless and so easy for me. Made me look very good to my boss. She kept me informed of the entire trip, from the plane arriving at the airport to wheels down at the final destination. I have nothing but extreme praise for Kerry and her customer service.
Michael F.
Amazing customer service and overall experience from my first contact with Kimberly. Stratos truly delivers what they promise!
James Mead
I like the new summary sheets you are sending, information is the key and they work. Have always loved running for you guy, you make it easy. Thank you for all you do and it is our goal to keep the relationship growing. Thanks Team! Jim
Marci Steenson
very pro active, quick to get information and respond to requests, fast wire payment. I wish ALL brokers were this good. Great job team. Joel, you have put together a great group. It was nice working with you, it's been a long time.
Michael G
Had a great trip!
Earl S.
Fully and yes We would
David O.
Booking was easy, you made thr whole experience easy.
Susan D.
Our commercial flight was being delayed out of Asheville and there were no other flights that day or the next day. Finally at 8 o’clock at night we called Simon to see if he could come and pick us up. By 1030 we were on the plane and on our way home. It was amazing. Simon is, incredibly efficient and thoughtful. Great experience.
Jim S.
All was good.
Judy M.
Kerry absolutely gets an A+ in customer service. Very well run jet service company.
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!
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.
Scott B.
Great
Jack Lambert
You guys are great! Keep em coming
Guy L.
Yes i will recommend it
Bill P.
Enjoyed the. Crew and flight
THERESA L.
KERRY HILL WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP ME WITH THIS TRIP FOR MR. SOLLBERGER. SHE IS PATIENT AND KNOWLEDGABLE AND WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP SEE THAT MR <REDACTED> ARRIVED SAFELY ON THE GROUND AND AT HIS HOTEL . I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT KERRY'S EXCELLENCE. THE FLIGHT AND CREW WERE EXCELLENT AS WELL.
Michael D.
Kyle is exceptional as usual. Always goes above and beyond.
Dave R.
We have used another broker and they too have been very good. I have enjoyed the two trips that I have booked with you and I have booked a third next month
A. A.
We have used Stratos on several occasions for Business and Personal use. The staff and service is superior. We would highly recommend Stratos to or Business Partners, Family and Friends.
John S.
Everything was above and beyond. Thank you!
Sean Cavanagh
Communication was great across the board. Always a pleasure working with your team, looking forward to the next opportunity to assist!
Mike B.
the flight and service was great.
Carmen Sadek
This flight was well managed with excellent communication with Joel. We had extreme weather conditions in OAK and Joel was open to correspondence past midnight local time to ensure all was not handled and decided morning of flight. We also appreciate Stratos Jets trust and confidence in following the lead of Axis Jet for moving their clients flight to the next day. We are looking forward to having many more successful flights with Stratos Jets.
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.
Chip L.
Great jets, clean, modern and comfortable.
T. G.
Joel and his team at Stratos provided outstanding service during a time when air travel was challenging. In March 2020, Stratos was able to source an aircraft for my family with 24 hours notice. More importantly, when that aircraft arrived with a maintenance issue that occurred on landing, Joel and his team worked diligently to find us another aircraft within a few hours. He and his team went above an beyond to help us out. We highly recommend Stratos.
Joseph R.
Flight was very nice. And the pilot, Scott Gustafson, was very professional and friendly. He did a great job with our luggage and talking about the plane and our flight. Great pilot.
William S.
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
Richard T.
The plane was nice, but an older model than expected. Very nice crew.
Robert A.
After our plane developed mechanical problems and a night of discomfort and doubt, Kyle was able to find a plane and a crew at last minute to save my wife's 60th birthday trip. We arrived a little late but we arrived! You are the best Kyle.
Matt S.
Joel, I hope this email find you well. I just wanted to reach out to thank you for the charter service you arranged for us last weekend. It was truly a pleasure to fly with Stratos and we will most certainly book with your charter service again. Thanks again for all of your help this week. It made the trip a breeze! Warm Regards, Matt, Scottie & Harper
I Keith G.
7
Andrew S.
I thought it was very well-organized and information flows were smooth. The broker worked with me to get an excellent option at an attractive pricing point. The flight was smooth and professional. An outstanding experience!
Antun D.
Your whole operation is responsive and attentive, always good to deal with them
Christian Hoza
Stratos is always a pleasure to work with! Only comment is sometimes the way you send emails is something the manage. Seems like we get a bunch of separate emails for the same trip. Could be the system! Not a biggie. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to assist you!
Steve R.
I was pleased with the way Heather assisted me. She followed-up throughout the process and during the flight.
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!
Anthony M.
My experience with Stratos Jets was fantastic from start to finish. Jesse handled both the flight and ground transportation perfectly, with great communication along the way. This was my first trip with my new puppy, and the pilots went above and beyond—helping me set up the crate, making sure we were comfortable, and paying close attention to all our needs during the flight. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Stratos Jets.
Paul A.
Best service available
Michael A.
We had a great experience, Anthony our contact was in close contact before the flight keeping us updated and the service was excellent on both sides.
John D.
It was perfect!
Michael D.
Great experience all around. simon was great - awesome customer service mentality and communication throughout.