Private Jet Charter Broker vs Operator: Who You Are Really Booking

Two kinds of company sell private jet charter. An operator holds the FAA certificate the flight is flown under and controls the aircraft and crew. A broker arranges the flight with an operator and sells it to you. Both are legal, both are common, and plenty of travelers use each.

The difference decides who is responsible for your flight: who picks the crew, who maintains the aircraft, who builds the price and who answers when plans change. This guide explains each model, what it means for you, and how to check who is really flying your trip. CRAFT is an operator, so read our description of brokers with that in mind; we have kept it to what the rules say and what you can verify.

Broker vs operator at a glance

What is a private jet charter operator?

A charter operator is a company the FAA has certificated to carry passengers for hire. In the United States, on-demand charter is flown under 14 CFR Part 135, and each operator's certificate comes with operations specifications that list the aircraft it may use. The operator trains its pilots to Part 135 standards, keeps them within duty and rest limits, maintains the aircraft to an approved program and carries the insurance.

Most importantly, the operator has operational control: the FAA's term for the authority to start, conduct or end a flight. If the weather is marginal, a crew is close to its duty limit or an aircraft has a maintenance issue, the operator makes the call. Read more on how Part 91 and Part 135 differ.

Some operators also sell trips on other operators' aircraft when their own fleet is busy. For that trip, they are acting as a broker, and the same disclosure rules apply.

What is a private jet charter broker?

A charter broker arranges flights on aircraft that other companies operate. You tell the broker the trip; it finds an operator with a suitable aircraft, confirms the price and sells you the flight. Brokers range from one-person agencies to large companies that sell jet cards and memberships backed by flights they buy from operators.

Brokers do not need an FAA operating certificate, because they do not operate aircraft. The Department of Transportation regulates how they sell under 14 CFR Part 295. In plain terms, the rule says a broker:

• may only arrange flights on carriers that hold the required DOT economic authority and FAA safety authority (section 295.20);
• must state clearly in its advertising, including its website, that it is an air charter broker and not a direct air carrier in operational control of aircraft (section 295.23);
• must tell you, before you enter the contract, the corporate name of the operator in control of the aircraft, the capacity the broker is acting in, the total cost including its own fees and taxes, and whether it carries liability insurance covering you (section 295.24).

A good broker earns its fee. It can search many operators at once, find an aircraft already positioned near you, handle an itinerary that crosses several countries, and give you one point of contact whichever aircraft flies.

What the difference means for you

Who controls the aircraft and the schedule

An operator schedules its own aircraft and crews, so when a meeting runs long or a passenger is added, the person you call can usually change the plan directly. A broker relays the change to the operator, and the answer depends on that operator's schedule. Neither is wrong; it is one more step in the chain.

Who chooses and trains the crew

The operator hires the pilots, trains them on the aircraft type and tracks their duty time. When you book through a broker, the crew still comes from the operator, so the question to ask is the same: which operator, and which aircraft?

Who is responsible for safety

The FAA holds the certificate holder responsible for the flight. A broker can screen the operators it books, and many do, using the third-party audits described below. But the safety record that matters for your trip is the operator's.

How the price is built

An operator prices a trip from where its aircraft already are, crew duty limits and the airports at both ends. A broker starts from an operator's price and adds its fee or margin, or sells you hours at a fixed rate and buys the flights itself. A broker quote can still come in well, for example when it finds an aircraft already flying near your route. To compare fairly, ask every company for the total cost with taxes and fees itemized; brokers must give you that total before you sign.

Who answers when something goes wrong

If a flight is delayed or cancelled for a mechanical or crew reason, the operator is the one that can recover it, with another of its aircraft or one it arranges. Ask any company you book with what happens in that case, in writing.

When a broker can make sense

• You need an aircraft type the operators you know do not fly.
• The trip is international, with several countries and handling agents.
• You are leaving on very short notice from a city where you do not know the local operators.
• You want one contact who can compare several operators' quotes for you.

When going direct to an operator can make sense

• You fly a similar trip often and want the same aircraft, crews and cabin each time.
• You want the people who schedule the aircraft on the phone when plans move.
• You would rather your price come from the company that flies the trip, without a second company's margin.
• You want to check one certificate, one safety record and one insurance policy.

How to check who is operating your flight

1. Ask for the operator's name and the tail number in writing. A broker has to give you the operator's corporate name before you sign.
2. Look the operator up with the FAA. The FAA publishes a list of Part 135 operators and the aircraft on each certificate, searchable by operator name or N-number. If you cannot find the operator or the aircraft, the FAA's Safe Air Charter page says to contact your local Flight Standards District Office.
3. Confirm the aircraft is on that operator's certificate. A real operator flying an aircraft that is not on its certificate is not a legal charter.
4. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming the operator and the aircraft.
5. Check third-party audits. ARGUS (ARG/US) ratings and Wyvern registration are voluntary safety audits run by independent companies, not by the FAA. They are useful extra checks on an operator, not a substitute for the certificate. See private jet charter safety ratings for what each one covers.
6. Be wary of a price that seems too good on an aircraft you cannot verify. Flights sold without Part 135 authority are illegal charters; here is how to spot one.

Jet card companies, by business model

The same split runs through jet cards and memberships. Some companies fly their own or managed aircraft; others buy the flights from operators. These are the companies that publish jet card rates on their own websites, grouped by how they sell. Open any of them to see its published rates and terms, or compare them all on the providers page.

How CRAFT works

CRAFT is an operator. We hold our own FAA Part 135 certificate, fly five Challenger 300 and 350 aircraft with our own crews, and maintain them in house at our base at Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami. We are ARGUS Platinum Rated and listed on the Wyvern registry. When you call, you are talking to the desk that schedules the aircraft and crews. If a CRAFT Challenger is unavailable for a confirmed trip, we may arrange a comparable aircraft.

You can book a single trip, quoted for that itinerary, or buy hours on the Fleet Jet Card at published rates, fuel and FET included. More about the company is on our about page.