Boat Rental Guide

15 Interesting Facts about the Private Charter Industry

Firstly, we need to clarify some misconceptions about the term "private charter." The term is often associated only with private airplanes and business jets; however, it is more than that.

Firstly, we need to clarify some misconceptions about the term "private charter." The term is often associated only with private airplanes and business jets; however, it is more than that. The industry also includes other modes of transportation that move on land and sea.

For instance, marine charters include yacht charters, catamaran charters, etc. While on land, people can rent bus charters and more. Generally, we got the idea here. Now, let's move on to its definition.

As its name suggests, private chartering is an action where an individual or group rents an entire aircraft, yacht, or bus for special occasions or purposes instead of renting individual seats.

Great! Since you now have background information, let's learn some interesting facts about the private charter industry. There are some possibilities the facts may push you to jump into the industry to start your charter business. If so, keep the name "Reservety" in mind.

Reservety offers an all-in-one private charter rental solution that gives a professional website to serve clients worldwide and a booking manager to let them book charters online. Plus, it handles online & offline payments and automates order and inventory management tasks. If you want to experience this convenient Private Charter Booking Manager, here is our 14-day free trial that does not require any dime or credit card information.

1. The Private Charter Industry is booming due to the pandemic as wealthy travelers took control of their travels. 

Apart from the pandemic, individualistic lifestyles and the increasing gap between rich and poor also contributed to the growth of private charters. In 2021, the global private jet market was $25.87 billion, and it's expected to reach $38.34 by 2029. Compared to airplane charters, yacht charters are smaller, but it is also booming. The yacht charter market is currently close to $7 billion, but experts project it to reach over $10 billion by 2027. 

2. Flying Fox is the world's superyacht for charter.

Flying Fox picture

It includes a total of 11 suites that can facilitate 22 guests. It has two helipads, five colossal decks, a 12-m swimming pool, and other cool features. It won several awards for its outstanding design. 

Who owns this magnificent vessel? Well, it remained mystery for a long time, producing several speculations. First, it was rumored that the yacht was owned by Jeff Bezos. But later, sources reported that Oligarch Dmitry Kamenshchik owned this $400 million beauty. To enjoy this yacht in real life, you may need to rent it at a price starting from $3,000,000 per week + expenses.

3. The most popular yacht charter destinations are in the Mediterranean Sea.

Private Charter Destinations

Travelers around the world are attracted to the region because of its pleasantly warm climate, cultural sites, colorful beaches, and convenient yacht charter destinations. Especially the economies of Croatia, Italy, France, Greece, and Spain enjoy the boost from the yacht charter businesses.  

4. Starting a Yacht Charter Business costs much less than you think.

Starting a private charter business

When we think about starting our business, we quickly skip the yacht chartering business. Because we automatically think of the prices of yachts. Yes, the price of yachts can range between $100,000 and $10,000,000, but it does not mean you should completely pay it off to start your business. For example, it is estimated that the startup cost will be between $5,550 and $12,100, most of which go towards a down payment for a boat. And the profit margin is a whopping 70% if you can manage the business professionally.  

5. The first private jet was built in 1950, and the private jet charters took off in 1963.

First private jet

The first officially known private jet was the Lockheed Jetstar, which could accommodate only ten passengers and two crew members. However, the idea of using airplanes in the charter business came when Bill Lear created the Learjet in 1963, and it was even smaller than Jetstar, with seats suitable for 4-6 passengers.  

6. Reservety offers an all-in-one solution to kick-start charter businesses and improve the efficiency of existing ones.

Reservety Private Charter Software

Reservety includes team members who have been in the charter business for years. So, they developed software that handles the following: 

  • Online and Offline Bookings 
  • Payment processing 
  • Inventory and Order Management 
  • Invoicing and Accounting 
  • And all sorts of marketing tools, such as coupons & discounts, reward points, up-selling & cross-selling features, Google Maps, etc. 

7. North America has the largest private airplane charter market, which accounts for 67% of the global market.

Private Jet for charter business

North American business aviation fleet is the largest, with over 15,547 private jets (71%), while Europe owns only 2,760 private aircraft (13%). The region with the least number of private jets is Australia & Oceania, which accounts for 1% of the global private aircraft market with 230 private aircraft.  

8. The Bus Chartering market is also booming, and its global market size is expected to reach $33.3 billion by 2027. 

In 2020, the global bus charter services were $26.2 billion, a bigger market than any other category in the private charter industry. 

The largest market for charter bus services is the United States, with a $7.6 billion market share, but the fastest-growing market is China.  

8. The Bus Chartering market is also booming, and its global market size is expected to reach $33.3 billion by 2027.

Bus charter facts

In 2020, the global bus charter services were $26.2 billion, a bigger market than any other category in the private charter industry. 

The largest market for charter bus services is the United States, with a $7.6 billion market share, but the fastest-growing market is China.  

9. The most used yachts in the charter business are motorized yachts.

Motorized yacht/boat

Although motorized yachts are often criticized for their environmental impact, they still top the other categories regarding high usage, reliability, and comfort. Sailing yachts are also typical, but their use is much lower in the yacht charter business. 

10. Most clients prefer online bookings over offline ones to secure private charters.

Charter Business Facts

According to Statista, about 68% of travel & tourism bookings occurred online, which is expected to go up by 74% by 2026. That means if you want to grow your private charter business, you need to have an online booking manager like the one Reservety offers.  

11. Did you know that commercial airline pilots get paid the most among all other aviation jobs?

Private Charter Pilot

According to Air Charter Service ltd., commercial pilots spend between $140K - $170K per year. They even make higher than airspace engineers, who make, on average, $100K. If you are still considering your career choice, being a pilot in the private charter industry will earn you lots of money.

12. There are four common types of yacht charters: Bareboat, Skippered, Crewed, and Cabin charters

Types of Private Yachts

Yacht charters are offered in various types depending on the client's preferences. 

Bareboat charters do not include personnel on board to assist you during your travel, not even a skipper. The companies give you a fully functional yacht with all the essentials to sail in the sea. But you are required to have a skipper license to choose this option. 

Skippered Charters are ideal for non-experienced sailors or people who do not have a skipper license. It is a relaxing option as someone will take control of the sailing while you enjoy your time. 

Crewed Charters are designed for maximum comfort and relaxation. Depending on your selection, crewed yacht charters include cooks, caterers, cleaners, skippers, and other personnel. Usually, crewed charters are a lot bigger than the former two but cost higher.  

Cabin Charters are ideal for low-budget travelers as they rent only a cabin, not the entire yacht. This option is suitable for individuals, couples, and small families.  

13. In most cases, you cannot rent yacht charters only for a couple of days, as the minimum required time is usually around five days.

Yacht Rental Terms

According to experts, renting large yachts for a day is inefficient. Therefore, charter companies usually require at least 5-day stays before bookings. Overall, the average number of days on yacht charters is one week.  

14. Although the yacht charter industry is profitable, it also carries serious risks.

Damaged yachts in Italy

The yacht charter industry also has some downsides. We already know that yachts cost millions of dollars, and a single reckless act or natural catastrophe can destroy them. For example, storms hit the Italian coast with huge waves up to 10 meters and wind up to 180 km/h in 2018. As a result, several luxurious yachts got damaged. A similar incident also occurred on the U.S. coastline when Hurricane Irma hit the coast with wild winds. Those are just accidents caused by natural events.  

Clients can also cause severe damage to yachts by neglecting their responsibilities. For instance, the 52-m superyacht Barbie, 33-m Aloha, and the 42-m Lalibela are some examples of fire damage to yachts.  

To hold the clients accountable for their actions and protect the super valuable yachts from damages, Reservety developed an automated contract system highlighting client responsibilities and introducing them to the company's terms and conditions. Once Reservety deploys the system on your website, customers will sign the contracts electronically. Unless they sign the contract, they won't be able to complete online bookings.
    

15. There are several booking managers designed for the private charter industry but Reservety is the best.

Software for private charters

Those include MMK, Nausys, Booking-Manager.com, etc. But Reservety's Booking Manager for Charters offers an all-in-one solution at an affordable price. You get a cloud-based website, booking manager, calendar system, inventory and order management systems, woo commerce, and SEO integrations with Reservety, without having to purchase each separately. 

Now it is time to test Reservety as it currently offers a 14-day free trial with no long-term obligations. And the trial includes all the paid features and requires no credit cards.

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