Rick Durden wrote:
That aside, it will be cheaper for you to travel by airline than by
general aviation airplane, so you will probably not save your clients
any money, unless the value of your time is factored in and you can
somehow do it faster in a light single.
Only maybe. Even in the States, this is only true if you're traveling between
major cities or booking well in advance. I just checked Delta's price for Newark,
NJ to Knoxville, TN, leaving tomorrow and returning three days later. They want
$1,115.90 for coach. United wants $1,013.90. Continental wants $1,038.74. American
flies through Chicago.
By contrast, the loaded cost of my aircraft is about $60/hr and I average about
6 flight hours each way. That's about $720. One of the local airports charges
$78/hr to rent a 180hp Cessna 172. That's a faster airplane than mine, and I'd
guess the cost of the trip would be around $850. Even renting the Archer at
$89/hr would save me money over Delta.
Throw in the fact that I can leave from a local field instead of having to get
transport into Newark (last time I flew out of there, the limo fee was about
$45 each way), and there's not much contest.
George Patterson
A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you look forward to the trip.
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