For business professionals who have heavy travel obligations, flying on major airlines, renting cars and taking trains can become tiresome means of getting place to place. When you fly yourself however, you gain many advantages, from higher levels of comfort to personalized travel itineraries and much more.
If you want to take control of your business trips, here are seven reasons to fly yourself. Let’s get started!
1) Travel in Style
Comfort, personal freedom, a sense of adventure—flying yourself to a business meeting comes with a certain, timeless panache. Not only is it more enjoyable than commercial flights, it’s sure to impress your clients and customers when you tell them you’re a pilot on the side. You can even take it up a notch and offer to take them for a joy ride from 12,000 feet above ground!
2) Minimize Opportunity Costs
When you’re restricted to flying on airlines, time wasted traveling means potential missed opportunities. You can’t be making deals, reaching out to prospects, strategizing for your upcoming meeting when you’re standing in a security line, waiting for checked bags or dealing with stubborn rental car companies. Flying yourself makes it easy to minimize down-time so you can keep up your professional hustle.
3) Make Last-Minute Meetings Happen
If you have high-demand clients, or are just trying to make a good impression, owning or renting a plane gives you the ability to get to destinations on a short notice. Plus, you can reach a countless number of airports that many major airlines cannot, giving you the freedom to travel directly to your client or customer, no matter where they are.
3) Bring Fellow Team Members
Whether the CEO, business partners or a full team of employees is coming along, flying yourself provides as much space as you need. Depending on the licensing you’ve achieved, you can fly a number of planes, large and small, that are able to charter a variety of group sizes to your meeting. Not only does this provide space to strategize for the meeting beforehand among peers, it saves money on the costs of several commercial tickets.
Is your company considering purchasing an airplane? Read our post: How to Know When It’s Time to Invest in a Business Aircraft.
4) Deplane & Get To Your Meeting Immediately
Everything moves much more quickly after landing when you fly yourself to a business meeting. Unlike on commercial flights, where you have to wait for clearance, taxi to the gate, wait for people to gather their bags, a private flight has a dedicated ground crew ready to get your plane parked. You can even arrange for a car to be waiting as you arrive, allowing you to reach your business meeting as quickly as possible.
5) Extend Your Stay
When you aren’t beholden to major airlines, you can travel how you wish. For example, if you have an upcoming business meeting in an area of the country that you love, why not extend the trip? Now, you can fly to any small airport, exploring everything there is to see. It’s all possible when you can craft your own flight plans.
6) Gain Financial Benefits from Flying Yourself
Flying yourself can be fully reimbursable for much of the operating expenses, like fuel, oil, parking, etc., as long as the costs aren’t above and beyond that of the trip itself. In general, you can essentially treat a plane similar to that of a rental car – if you can make the trip in either you can submit reimbursements from your company. Your company can also benefit from tax write-offs through the IRS, as long as the plane is used for professional and not personal purposes, just as with any other business expense.
Interested in learning more about the benefits of a corporate jet? Read our post: 7 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs a Small Aircraft.
7) Get To and From Your Destinations on Time
We all know how much of a hassle it can be dealing with airline delays, lost luggage, rental car woes and other time-drains. When you fly yourself, you control the entire flight plan, including when you leave and when you arrive. Never miss an important business meeting again due to the incompetencies of commercial airlines.
Ready to Take Flight?
If you’re ready to take control of your business trips, get in touch with our team of certified flight instructors at Inflight Pilot Training. We offer professional training for clients of all types. We invite you to stop by our facility, or call to schedule a tour and learn more about our program. If you’re ready to get started, contact us today at (952) 698-3000, or fill out a form on our contact page.
