What to expect
Straight answers on cost, safety, and how a charter trip actually works, gathered from across the Flight Guide in one place before you book.
What this is
This page is a map, not a new set of articles. Where a topic already has a dedicated page on this site, from operator vetting to the federal broker disclosure rule, it's linked below rather than explained twice, so there's one place to keep it accurate. The two short answers underneath aren't covered directly anywhere else on the site. Scott Wallace Agency is an air charter broker, not an air carrier, and any price or time referenced anywhere in this guide is a non-binding estimate, not a quote.
What happens when you arrive at the FBO
Charter flights don't leave from an airline terminal. You'll depart from a fixed-base operator, or FBO: a private terminal at the airport with its own parking and ramp access, separate from commercial arrivals and departures.
Plan to arrive about 15 to 30 minutes before departure, not the hour-plus an airline expects. Drive up, park close to the aircraft, and someone from the FBO will meet you at the car or the door.
Screening is a visual ID check at the FBO desk, not a TSA line. There's no removing shoes, no bins, no walking through a scanner. Bags go straight to the aircraft.
What's included in your quote, and what's extra
A charter quote typically covers the aircraft, crew, fuel, and standard ground handling for your route, with taxes and segment fees folded into the total up front rather than added later. FlightGuard, where it applies, covers certain incidentals specifically during a mechanical aircraft-on-ground disruption, not general trip coverage; ask us whether it applies to your quote and exactly what it covers.
Items that commonly bill separately: international permits and customs handling, de-icing, catering beyond a standard selection, extended aircraft wait time, and ground transportation or lodging arranged outside the flight itself.
Every quote lays these out in writing before you book.