Stage 3: How do you obtain comparable charter quotes?

Send a controlled request for quotation to a small, relevant supplier set. A practical starting point is an incumbent broker, a suitable direct operator and one independent alternative—not an uncontrolled email to dozens of sales desks.

Ask whether the offer is an indicative estimate, a live quotation, a temporary hold or a confirmed booking. Record its expiry and any remaining owner, aircraft or commercial approval.

Copy-and-send charter RFQ

Please quote the attached mission without changing passenger, baggage, timing or airport assumptions unless the change is clearly identified.

Please provide:

• Seller and contracting legal entities, and the capacity in which you act.
• Proposed operating carrier, aircraft model and registration if allocated.
• Written confirmation of passenger, baggage and route suitability.
• Total price, applicable taxes, inclusions, exclusions and conditional charges.
• Billable-time definition, taxi allowance and any segment or daily minimum.
• Quote validity, payment deadline and confirmation conditions.
• Cancellation, itinerary-change and aircraft-substitution terms.
• Mechanical disruption, weather and replacement-aircraft obligations, including who pays any difference.
• Available insurance and flight-specific diligence evidence.
• The complete agreement and all incorporated schedules.

Please identify any information not yet available and when it will be supplied. Do not incur costs or make a binding commitment on our behalf without written authorisation.

NBAA’s brokering guidance distinguishes customer-agent, carrier-agent and indirect-carrier relationships. Establish the broker’s role before authorising it to sign or bind your organisation. (nbaa.org)

Stage gate: retain the original proposals and obtain written clarifications. Do not replace the evidence with an assistant’s summary alone.