Best Charter Airlines

Published at the last World Travel Award in Vietnam, this is the 62nd prize the Manchester-based company has received in just five years. Annual World Travelling Prizes are awarded by travellers, tour operators and travellers. Further accolades received by the company included the distinction of top carrier in the Customer Service of the Year and the Scottish Passenger Agents' Association's distinction of being awarded best carrier in the Airlines of the Year categories.

To the enterprise belong Thomas Cook airlines UK, Thomas Cook airlines Scandinavia and Condor. From more than 20 UK hubs, the carrier serves around 6.7 million travellers a year. Thomas Cook's 60 travel destinations are North America, the Caribbean, India and European resort cities. At the beginning of the year, the fast-growing Thomas Cook Airlines founded Balearics, a Palma de Mallorca-based carrier that will begin operations this coming Summer.

Together with the recently established affiliate, the company expands its mixed portfolio to 92 planes, carrying around 16.7 million passenger to more than 160 locations. In July, the carrier also announces that in 2018 it will start a service from London to Seattle, Washington. Cook already travels from New York to San Francisco, Las Vegas, Boston and Los Angeles.

Checking the security of a charter airline

In Costa Rica, the deadly plane accident has raised the question of how to judge the dependability of charter flights. On New Year's Eve Meryl Block Weissman returned to New York from Costa Rica when she learned that 10 US tourist and two pilot had died on a charter plane operated by NatureAir in Punta Islita, a Pacific coastal city.

Only a few and a half weeks before, they, their large families and others had planned on a group trip to take a flight with the same carrier. However, Nature air made a last-minute modification and "instead of three, two engines would set the group to four, single-engined craft Cessna," said Ms. Block Weissman. Worried about the sudden changes, her guides cancelled their flight schedules and let them take the coach and ship instead.

Ms Block Weissman said she was "disappointed not to see the rainforest from the air," but when she heard of the disaster a few tragic days later, she asked herself if there was anything she could do to assess the security of a overseas charter. "â??We want backseat passengers to know that there is a source of information," said Art Dawley, Wyvern's CEO, who evaluates the Wyvern Charter Service for company divisions, home flyers and more recently, regular travellers who do not normally charter like Ms Block Weissman.

At $49, Wyvern is providing a $49 Wyvern Survey that contains the charter company's policy information, service and test reporting, and a review of the company's security system (if any) so travellers can know: "The carrier has done everything it can to ensure that it has handled the industrial grade risk," Mr. Dawley said.

Arg/us of Cincinnati, which also reviews the security policies of member airlines, provides travellers with similar information through an on-line inquiry named TripCheq. However, many folks are chauffeured on charter through cruises airlines or travel agents and they may take the airline's security for granted, said Brian Alexander, an aerospace lawyer.

Never before has aviation been so safe as last year with only two deadly crashes at airlines around the world. This is three to five fold the rates in North Asia and North America, according to International Airport Transport Association figures. Government supervision is crucial, security experts said.

Travellers must keep an eye on security. Governments that do not control the dangers of flying are likely to be lenient with other means of mass transit. From a statistical point of view, long haul business aeronautics is much more safe than sailing or any other mode of haulage, according to I.A.T.A. Here are some suggestions for trying out charter airline chartering.

Inspection of the aviation installation demands care in detail and an unwillingness to danger. Think of it as a wake-up call if you are arriving at the airfield and the conduct of the airline firm, aircraft or air force does not appear professionally. Meanwhile, Michele Markarian, the Air Charter Guide's web site's chief accountant and an accomplished traveller, once left a plane she had reserved because the plane didn't look up for a cold.

Allow extra travel travelers additional travel that may be tempting to put their sorrows aside when they rush to the next goal. Federal Administration's Federal Aviation Administration's Global Assessment of Air Traffic Control contains a listing of nations that comply with global air traffic control and air traffic control regulations. Extensive, but only covers those airlines whose airlines have permission to travel to the United States.

Look at the documentation There are three papers that Wyvern's Mr. Dawley says all charter airlines should have: the flight operation certification, the health certification and the pilot qualification - everything should be available at the airlines offices. Every local or provincial operator, as well as those offering charter services associated with an Airline Alliances such as Oneworld or Star Alliances, must undergo a security Audit; if it has an Intermarrier Ticket Agreement, the largest operator will be in charge of its business audits, according to John Darbo, a retirement security officer for a U.S. operator that is now a privately held security advisor.

Air Charter Guide provides information about aircraft, pilot, operator and a terminology dictionary.