Perhaps the first decision you will need to make in choosing a jet card program is whether an Aircraft-Specific Card or Deposit Amount-Specific Card is best suited for your needs. With an aircraft-specific card, you will purchase a determined number of prepaid hours on a certain size or type of aircraft. A deposit amount-specific card will allow you to lock in hourly rates on a variety of aircraft with your prepaid deposit.
So you will need to ask yourself if it is important for you to be able to choose from a selection of aircraft types and sizes, or will different models of one size be suitable for your needs? If you decide to purchase an aircraft-specific card, see if you will be able to upgrade or downgrade should the need arise. Most providers will allow changes at a fixed hourly conversion rate, sometimes called an “interchange rate”.
Moving on from card type, we look deeper into the potential choices presented within the margins of the card type you have chosen. Can you only specify that you want a mid-size jet, or will you be able to determine the make and model for your flight? Your range of options has a lot to do with whether the provider is an operator in ownership and maintenance of their own aircraft, known as a “closed fleet”, or if the provider works with a variety of charter operators, known as an “open fleet”.