Private charter: comfort begins at take off.

More and more travelers are opting to fly private charter for their vacation getaways and business trips. Why? With private charter, comfort and relaxation begins the moment they set foot in the plane (rather than hours after a cramped flight on a commercial airline).

The amenities provided on a charter aircraft allow business travelers to hold a meeting or work on presentations and paperwork during flight, and let vacationers sip on champagne and relax while flying to their tropical or European destination.

Luxury Accommodations

Schubach Aviation provides Five-Star service for an overall seamless flight experience. Each business jet in the Schubach fleet boasts the most modern amenities for ultimate passenger comfort.

One of the newest additions to the Schubach Fleet is a 2004 Citation Jet 1, referred to as a CJ1. The CJ1 jet boasts an interior that is a marvel of intelligent styling, craftsmanship, and highly efficient use of space. From the cabin overhead design to details such as cabinetry, window shades and seats, the CJ1 interior will rival that of aircraft costing many times more. The CJ1 has ample seating for up to six adults and is ideal for short-range trips such as Las Vegas, San Francisco, Cabo San Lucas, and Aspen. While you are flying in style in this brand new aircraft, you can relax and enjoy a state-of-the-art entertainment system, Airshow, and an abundantly stocked refreshment center.

Learjets offer similar amenities, with higher performance. Seating up to seven passengers, the Learjet 35 cruises at a speed of 530 miles per hour at an altitude of 41,000 feet. The Lear 55 offers the same performance but with a larger cabin, providing more headroom and a fully enclosed lavatory. Lear Jets enable you to get to your destination the fastest way possible, giving you more time on the ground to conduct business or enjoy your vacation.

Another new edition to the Schubach Fleet is a Hawker 800. This midsize business jet can make it non-stop from San Diego to New York or Miami with plenty of cabin space to relax the entire way. A VIP cabin layout provides seating for eight passengers, with four club seats at the front of the cabin, a three-seat settee, and a single seat at the rear of the cabin. This plane has a fully enclosed lavatory and a forward galley. This aircraft comes with a Flitephone, Airshow, an entertainment system that includes a DVD & CD player, and a fully stocked bar and refreshment center.

Schubach's wide-bodied Challenger is the ultimate in comfort and style. The custom-designed aircraft features a stand-up cabin that provides plenty of room to walk around, making tong trips comfortable and relaxing. Seating up to nine passengers, the Challenger features a newly refurbished, plush leather interior. Passengers can enjoy a five-course dinner served by one of Schubach's professional cabin attendants or turn down the lights and enjoy a movie in surround sound playing on up to six individual and two large flat screen monitors. Other in-cabin amenities include a full galley, private restroom, CD player, fax, a Flitephone and a satellite phone. This long-range aircraft can whisk passengers to almost any desired destination. Some of the more popular include Hawaii, New York, Mexico, The Caribbean and Europe.

Attentive Staff

Schubach Aviation has been serving San Diego for more than 13 years, maintaining a high standard in customer satisfaction. Highly trained charter professionals work around the clock to ensure each and every flight is as seamless as possible. Charter coordinators will assist travelers in selecting the best aircraft for any destination, taking into account the distance being traveled, number of passengers, and amount of baggage. Not sure what airport is closest to your destination? No problem--Schubach will do the research and get you to the airport closest to where you are going, many of which commercial airlines cannot get into.

A good charter company will help travelers plan a vacation in the most cost effective and efficient manor. The costs for chartering a flight are dependent upon the specific travel situation. Turbo-prop aircraft such as King Airs usually fall within the range of $1,000 to $1,200 per flight hour and require less minimum daily usage fees. Jet aircraft--Citations, Lears, and Hawkers,--typically range from $1,300 to $2,800 per flight hour and the Challenger runs at about $3,650 per flight hour.

The final costs cover the flight, most in-flight amenities and all travel planning assistance. Charter coordinators can also arrange ground transportation and specially requested catering. They will go to great lengths to supply anything from sushi or lobster to chocolate covered strawberries or a specific brand of wine that passengers would like to have on board. By flying private charter, passengers get to have their own personal travel concierge.

Security Measures 

While the perks are nice, a good charter company will always puts safety and security first. Charter companies are required to follow strict security guidelines required by the Transportation Safety Administration.

As the winter travel season heats up, travelers are continuing to turn to private charter to get them where they need to go quickly and safely--in comfort and style. Therefore, it is important that these travelers understand exactly what private charter offers so they can make the most of the luxury it provides.

Henry Schubach is founder and president of Schubach Aviation, an on-demand air charter service. With a fleet of 14 private jet and turbo-prop executive aircraft, Schubach Aviation provides private charters to anywhere in the continental U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. Schubach Aviation employs a team of 42 highly experienced pilots, mechanics, and support staff at 2100 Palomar Airport Rd. in Carlsbad. More information about Schubach Aviation is available at www.schubachaviation.com or by phone at [phone].