Liftbrief / Scorecard
What does strong disruption protection actually look like?
Score the obligation, the funding and the feasible response—not simply the word “recovery”. Ask the supplier to walk through an aircraft-unavailable scenario using the actual itinerary.
| Question | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Who takes responsibility? | Contracting entity, operational escalation contact and authority to incur replacement expenditure |
| What triggers assistance? | Separate treatment of mechanical, crew, weather, airport and customer-caused disruption |
| What happens next? | Communication deadlines, sourcing process, acceptable substitutes and decision points |
| Who pays? | Replacement premium, positioning, hotels, ground transport and duplicate-payment treatment |
| What if recovery is unsuitable? | Refund, termination and alternative-travel options |
| What remains excluded? | Timing limitations, force-majeure provisions, consequential losses and liability caps |
Published terms demonstrate why this distinction matters. Aircraft Charter’s terms provide for an alternative carrier at additional cost to the customer in specified circumstances; its empty-leg clause makes performance dependent on another flight and provides for return of the charter price if that underlying flight is cancelled. Those provisions should not be scored as an unconditional replacement-flight commitment. (aircraftcharter.com)
Our fixed-deadline rule: do not make an empty leg the sole transport plan unless its failure is covered by a separately approved, feasible fallback. A refund and arrival before a fixture, performance or board meeting are different outcomes.
Which reliability statistics should buyers request?
Ask for definitions, period, flight count, exclusions and whether the evidence covers comparable operations. Separate arrival punctuality, completion, supplier-initiated cancellations and replacement outcomes.
For example, Wheels Up’s second-quarter 2026 disclosure defines A-30 punctuality as arrival within 30 minutes and excludes cancelled flights; its completion metric separately excludes customer-initiated cancellations. The buyer implication is to examine punctuality and completion together rather than treating one headline percentage as the whole service record. These are company-reported definitions, not independent assurance. (sec.gov)
NBAA’s published podcast discussion of standardised charter metrics also highlights the role of clearer performance data in buyer transparency. This scorecard translates that principle into a request for comparable denominators and exclusions. (nbaa.org)