How to avoid any trouble when it comes to organising a flight in the winter. Some points that will no doubt help you avoid any unforeseen difficulties.
Although flying private cuts out a huge amount of the struggles traveling can cause, there are ways to be fully prepared for your flight.
Plan and book in advance - doing this offers you much more options when it comes to your trip. Especially close to holiday you will find less choice and will have to take what is left.
Arrive 40 minutes before departure - Flight slots can be scarce at airports during the festive periods due to heavy traffic and high workloads, the risk of losing a slot even with a slight delay is much higher than usual.
Fly during daylight hours - In the winter comes the onset of darkness, many small airports in the mountain areas do not work, should the airport be closed you will be redirected to another one (at your own cost).
Use helicopter transportation in ski resorts - Helicopters are a great way of finishing your journey from the airport to your luxury French Alps chalet rental or ski resort, this should be pre organized.
Arrange with suppliers at alternate airports - Bad weather in the winter can cause some aircrafts to reposition, having your supplier arrange alternate options is important.
Use one service supplier - Using a single service provider for the entire journey minimizes the risk. The same supplier should be able to offer you a helicopter.
Carriage of ski equipment - Be sure to discuss with your supplier any luggage restrictions, many of the smallest aircrafts may not be able to onboard your ski equipment.
Consider other landing options - Ski resort airports work on a small scale, and with bad weather they can limit the landing capacity. Arrange with your supplier some alternative airports to land should this happen.
Aircraft de-icing - Be sure to discuss the costs of de-icing should it be needed, these costs are often not clearly stated and can come at significant cost.
Until next time!
LM
