Buyers' Guide

Exploring Your Options
August 1, 2009
On a recent airline flight, a CNBC reporter noted a businessman, whom he did not know, sitting one row ahead and across the aisle from him. "For nearly the entire five-hour flight from Newark to Los Angeles," the businessman's laptop computer "was wide open," wrote the reporter, who covers the pharmaceutical industry.
The smart way to buy charter service
August 1, 2009
Charter operators employ more than 300 makes and models of business aircraft,
Corporate aviation has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn. But the charter field may do relatively well, according to some industry insiders, as business jet travelers seek less costly alternatives to fractional jet shares and ownership of whole aircraft.
Flying privately without buying a jet
August 1, 2009
Upgrading or downgrading to larger or smaller aircraft tends to be much less
"I just spent eight hours in the Atlanta airport waiting for a delayed airline flight. I missed my connection, wasted a day and had to reschedule the trip. This has happened too often. I want to fly privately and I have brochures from fractional and jet card programs. But I'm not sure which one is right for me and I can see that making the wrong choice would cost me a bundle.
Size Matters
August 1, 2009
With manufacturers adding a dizzying number of derivative models to their lineups, classifying the available crop of business jets is becoming harder than ever. In an attempt to make better sense of the groupings, Business Jet Traveler uses cabin volume as the chief attribute defining the cutoff points for each category.
Give your cabin a facelift
August 1, 2009
“Eighteen months ago, there was some overpricing. Now, it’s a buyer’s market
Many individuals and corporations are deciding to keep the jets they have rather than upgrade. Others are taking advantage of a weak market to buy used models at bargain prices. For those in either camp, interior refurbishment offers an economical way to extend the life of an aging cabin.
Completion and Refurbishment Centers
August 1, 2009
Despite the recent public flogging of owners of private jets for allegedly engaging in wretched excess, we suspect that cabin completion and refurbishment centers have yet to meet an owner who wants a cabin with Naugahyde seats, paper plates and plastic champagne glasses.
Getting Connected
August 1, 2009
If you crave having worldwide access to e-mail after takeoff, there's really only one choice: Inmarsat's mobile satellite communications services. Well, actually, there are two choices, both from Inmarsat: Swift64 and SwiftBroadband. Swift64 provides download data transmission speeds of 64 kilobits per second (kbps) per channel maximum.
The major airplane manufacturers at a glance
August 1, 2009
Fewer than a dozen airplane manufacturers account for the vast majority of business jets and turboprops being built today. Here are the key facts about each of those manufacturers, including data on their parent companies, their 2008 business aircraft sales and the models they offer.
Business Jet Market Update
August 1, 2009
Cessna has suspended development of the Citation Columbus, but its other new
While the recession has certainly affected business jet manufacturers, only one aircraft program has been suspended so far: Cessna's large-cabin Citation Columbus.
Cabin Electronics Manufacturers
August 1, 2009
For years, the goal of cabin electronics manufacturers has been to offer passengers the same level of communication, connectivity and entertainment that they'd enjoy at home or in the office. That goal has never been closer to reality.

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Quote/Unquote

“[New billionaires in fast-growing countries] have to buy longer-range airplanes. If you’re flying from Mongolia to Nigeria, it’s either a three-day journey flying commercial or a nine-hour flight on your jet.”

-Steve Varsano, owner of London’s The Jet Business