Switzerland · Planning guide
Two charter quotes, one clear comparison.
Normalize the itinerary and included services before comparing totals. Then decide which conditions fit the way you travel.
The lower headline price is not always the lower comparable offer. First make the itinerary and services match, then add every known required charge. Keep unresolved costs separate and compare the change and cancellation terms before deciding.
A quick example: In the invented comparison below, CHF 9,600 plus a required CHF 600 positioning charge becomes CHF 10,200—more than a CHF 10,000 offer with positioning included. These are teaching figures, not flight prices.
A worked comparison: when CHF 9,600 is more than CHF 10,000
Illustrative arithmetic only. The figures and offers below are invented to explain a comparison. They are not market prices, a typical charter cost or an Aerio quotation.
Imagine two written offers for the same four-person itinerary, using the same airports, dates and flight sectors. Both describe aircraft suitable for the party and luggage, include the same transfer and state that applicable taxes are included. One separates a required positioning charge—the cost of moving the aircraft into place for this particular flight.
Scroll across the table to see all columns.
| Same fictional itinerary | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Headline amount, including applicable taxes | CHF 10,000 | CHF 9,600 |
| Required positioning | Included | CHF 600 extra, including applicable taxes |
| Known comparable total | CHF 10,000 | CHF 10,200 |
| Unresolved weather-related extras | Unknown; obtain the charging terms | Unknown; obtain the charging terms |
Offer B starts CHF 400 lower but is CHF 200 higher after its stated positioning charge. The known comparison is therefore CHF 10,000 against CHF 10,200. Neither figure becomes a guaranteed final bill while an extra remains unresolved. Unknown does not mean zero.
In a real comparison, use one currency and ask whether taxes and each required service are included. If an offer changes the airport, travel date, sectors, aircraft suitability or transfer, resolve that difference before adding up the prices. A different itinerary is a different offer.
Know which extras can change the total
Inclusions vary between agreements. The useful question is not whether a charge can ever exist, but whether your particular offer includes it and what triggers an additional cost.
Scroll across the table to see all columns.
| Item | Plain-language meaning | What to settle in the offer |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Moving the aircraft to or from the flight you need. | Is the required movement included in the quoted total? |
| Waiting and parking | Keeping an aircraft and crew available around the itinerary. | For a return trip, does the plan assume the aircraft stays, leaves or is replaced? |
| De-icing or a weather-driven change | A service or revised plan that may be needed for the actual conditions. | Which charging terms apply, and how would additional cost be explained and accepted? |
| Onward transfer | The journey between the airport and the final address. | Provider, vehicle/luggage capacity, included sectors and change terms. |
| Aircraft substitution | A different aircraft supplied if the proposed one changes. | How replacement suitability, passenger acceptance and any price difference are handled. |
Choose conditions that fit your schedule
A fixed holiday departure and a meeting with an uncertain finishing time create different needs. For a fixed trip, compare the complete written inclusions and cancellation terms. For a fluid business schedule, also establish how much a later departure or another return day could change the arrangement, who can approve it and when additional cost must be accepted.
Do not assume “flexible” means unlimited changes or a refund. Translate it into the exact situation you care about: “If our meeting finishes two hours later, what happens to the return flight and transfer?” The answer belongs in the offer or agreement. Read the specific cancellation schedule and payment deadlines before accepting.
Identify the company actually operating the flight
The company coordinating or selling the charter may be different from the operating carrier flying it. Obtain the carrier’s legal name and the relevant certificate and insurance information before accepting. For a Swiss carrier, FOCA publishes its supervised air-carrier/AOC information. An Air Operator Certificate is the operator’s approval to conduct the relevant commercial air transport operation.
A foreign carrier will not necessarily appear on a Swiss list: check the appropriate authority and permissions for that operation rather than treating absence from FOCA’s list as proof that a flight is unlawful. A register check also does not resolve your itinerary, aircraft or contract questions.
Make the final comparison on one page
- Match the trip: airports, sectors, dates, local times, passengers, luggage and transfers.
- Add known required costs: use the same currency and tax basis; list unresolved extras separately.
- Match the responsibilities: seller/coordinator, operating carrier, transfer provider and the contact for changes.
- Read the conditions: payment, cancellation, changes, substitution and what confirms the reservation.
The Air Charter Association’s member code calls for clear written inclusions/exclusions and advance terms. Use that professional standard as a reason to request a complete written offer, then read the conditions for your own flight. Aerio coordinates enquiries; sending the charter request form starts a conversation without creating a booking or payment obligation.