Most Asked Questions
When we say "We just happen to have a private jet ready to go when you are," we genuinely mean it.
Using our mobile app or web, you can instantly locate a private plane that would be at your departure airport or close to it on the date and time of your departure.
We then perform an extensive real-time safety audit on the aircraft and the aircraft operator.
The results are grouped by aircraft category from Turbo-props to Long Range (Heavy) jets and presented to you for instant booking.
With just a few taps or clicks, you will be able to pay for your booking and receive immediate confirmation. With few more taps, you can add your travel companions, and you are all set and ready to head to the airport.
When booking your private jet charter service from us, you are leveraging technology to score a private charter flight directly for the air carrier. The process eliminates air charter broker from being a go-between you and your private jet rental.
There are over 1096 air charter service companies in the United States By using an aggregator platform such as TapJets you get the best, safest, and most cost-conscious options for your trip.
Brought to you by our ability to track movement, calendar information, and over 82 other data feeds to ensure that our clients receive the best possible options available.
This is just the beginning, please check out empty leg Flight Auctions and other benefits of our platform.
Updated: May 17, 2019
TapJets platform looks at over 1700+ aircraft that are available for charter on your specified dates at the time you are making a reservation. We believe that the price we offer is the lowest possible price for your trip. If you find a charter aircraft for less, we will match the price and give you an additional 5% discount. Our price match rules are simple. It has to be for the same type of aircraft (i.e., Hawker 800XP), same route of travel, same time and same dates. Price guarantee does not apply to "empty leg" pricing that some operators offer via our auction or other means.
Unlike charter services, TapJets doesn't require membership fees, cards or rely on end-to-end outsourcing. We are with you every step of the way.
Another unique benefit for Tapjets customers is that they only pay for the time they fly. The clock starts from the time you boarded the plane and the engines are started and ends at your destination when engines are shut down. For more details, you can visit our charter contract document. No other company offers customers the flexibility of paying only for the actual time flown.
Each flight booked on TapJets platform is subject to a safety audit prior to your departure. We partnered with Wyvern Consulting that provides TapJets with real-time access to pilot experience and background checks, aircraft certification, valid insurance policy, and air-carrier credentials. A written audit report is available to our customers at no charge before every flight.
PASS stands for Pilot and Aircraft Safety Survey. This real-time report confirms the following information:
- Verification that a charter operator holds a current Air Operating Certificate
- Verification that the aircraft being chartered is listed on the air carrier's Operations Specifications
- Confirmation of current insurance for the aircraft
- Confirmation that each crew member's experience meets a specific safety standard
- Confirmation that each crew member's medical and license information is current
- Confirmation that operator has Civil Aviation Authority approval for international operations at chosen locations
Wyvern Consulting was the first aircraft safety auditing firm in the country. Providing services to operators in the U.S. and some parts of Europe, the company offers different levels of audits that comply with industry standards. Registered Operator is its entry-level program in which operators have their records on file in the due diligence-related Registered Standard PASS Program that Wyvern’s corporate, operator and broker clients have access to before a flight. Following the entry-level tier is the Wingman Standard, which only a fraction of operators maintains. Operators at this level adhere to specific processes and parameters that reflect the latest safety best practices. In May 2016, about 150 operators worldwide were members of the Wingman program.
Booking Questions
Tapjets is available on-demand around the clock. Using the app, you can order your flight in as little as two hours before departure. However, aircraft availability and position changes constantly so booking in advance gives you the largest price and selection flexibility.
The prices shown in our app is for the entire flight for the aircraft, crew, fuel, landing fees, airport fees, and any other items associated with your flight. What the price does not include and is shown separately is Federal Exercise Tax (FET) of 7.5% and Passenger Segment Fee. of $4/per person. We are required by the government to collect these fees in addition to your purchase price. You will see these amounts on details section of your booking screen.
Tapjets offers the industry's most flexible cancellation policy. Flights canceled 48 hours before departure are fully refunded to your credit card; flights canceled within 48 hours from departure are credited to your Tapjets account for future travel.
To cancel a flight request, sign into your App account or Website account. Go to the main menu and click on MY FLIGHTS. Choose the flight from the appeared list and press the "Trash" icon to delete the flight.
The best way to introduce your friends to TapJets is to give them a gift of flight. By sending your personal voucher code your friends will be able to deduct $500 or 10% of their flight (whichever is less).
As a token of our appreciation, whenever your friend uses the voucher you have sent, we will also give you a $500 voucher towards your future travel. You can use this credit on any future flight, or you can collect lots of credits and pay for the entire flight.
The only limitation we have on these vouchers is that your friend can only use this type of voucher once.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give us a call.
You can check your account balance in your mobile app or web app under My Account.
TapJets accepts Bitcoin as a form of payment for your flight. When using our web or mobile application, you will be able to select Bitcoin (BTC) as your form of payment. Once you complete your booking, we will email you our BTC payment information and our system will be monitoring BTC wallet for the arrival of your payment. When we receive the coins, we will send you final confirmation for your flight with all of the airport and terminal (FBO) details.
Please note that Bitcoin payments may take up to 6 hours to confirm. If you are departing within 24 hours of your order, please contact our office to follow up on our receipt of the funds.
TapJets accepts ACH and Wire Transfers as a form of payment for your flight. When using our web or mobile application, you will be able to select ACH or Wire Transfer as your form of payment. Once you complete your booking, we will email you ACH or Wire Transfer information and our system will be monitoring our account for the receipt of your payment. When we receive the payment, we will send you final confirmation for your flight with all of the airport and terminal (FBO) details.
Please note that ACH takes three (3) business days to reach our account and Wire Transfers take up to 48 hours. If your departing within these times you may need to select another form of payment. For same day wire transfers, please contact our office for assistance.
About Your Private Jet Flight
Safety is in our DNA, and as a technology company, it is in our code, on our servers, and with you on-board of each flight. Our founders with stellar careers as airline captains with over 40,000 hours of flight time each at United and American have infused their zero-tolerance for errors approach for every flight that we book for you. We believe in a system of risk identification (symptoms), and mitigation before trip ever departs.
With over 1100 companies operating private jets in the USA alone, without automation, this task is daunting, so we built a system that consistently ensures compliance. Here is a brief look at how it works:
Before we allow you to schedule an aircraft from your smartphone, we assure that the company that operates the flight is in good standing with FAA and or ICAO regulators We verify their insurance policy to see if their coverage is current and sufficient. We look at their claims history to see if any concerns may be related to safety. We then take a close automated look at their financials, credit reports, and tax filings. Any signs of trouble in finances could mean shortcomings in maintenance or training of crews.
Once the aircraft is assigned to your flight, we subject it to an automated audit of it's flying history. We look for any incident history, prior mechanical issues, time in service, refurbishments, and any possible maintenance items that may be due before your flight. We also look to see if any flights were "canceled" due to maintenance issues on this aircraft.
As soon as a crew is assigned to your flight, our systems automatically gather the information about their experience, making sure they are appropriately qualified for the type of aircraft they are flying, that they have flown sufficient hours in this particular type of aircraft, that their training is recent and finally that they hold proper medical certification. Finally, we look back at the last 24 hours of the crew to ensure that they had adequate rest to conduct your flight.
We have partnered with Wyvern LLC to fetch some of this information from their proprietary PASS system. We also connect to government databases from FAA and ICAO, private maintenance tracking systems, operator scheduling systems, aircraft tracking systems, credit reporting systems, and many other data sources so that we can consistently, accurately, and efficiently make sure that we know absolutely everything about the safety of your flight before it takes off. As a result, if there is a concern, we will make sure you know about it, and we take steps to resolve it way before it becomes a safety issue.
You should plan to be at the airport 15 minutes before your departure. You will receive a flight confirmation with directions to a private airport terminal. The Same information is available in your mobile app My Trips section. If you are running late, please let us know as soon as possible. If we don't hear from you, we may depart to our next flight 60 minutes after your original departure time.
So you are planning a hunting trip, and you’ve secured a private jet charter directly to the ranch’s private airstrip. Can you bring your guns with you?
The short answer is Yes all you have to do is ask. But here is a more detailed explanation that will get you checked in and on your way without any delays.
Flying with firearms is legal and relatively easy with some preparation on your part. Know the laws, rules, and regulations, have your luggage set up correctly, and above all have a friendly attitude.
Rule #1. Please let us know ahead that you will be bringing firearms. We will work with the operator to ensure everyone is aware of the precious cargo.
Rule #2. No concealed and loaded guns in the cabin. If the airplane is small and you can assess baggage, then triggers must be locked, or weapons must be in cases.
Rule #3. Guns, rifles, or any other device that shoots must be unloaded and in its own case. Ammunition should be in separate containers or boxes. There should be no loose ammunition.
Rule #4. You must check with the County, State, or the Country to where you are going about their rules and regulations related to bringing guns to their jurisdiction. You are responsible for knowing the laws and regulations.
Following these simple rules will allow you to enjoy your hunting trip or have your personal protection with you when you arrive at your destination.
Flight Auction Questions
You can take part in flight auctions both on mobile and on web.
When air carriers have to move a plane to their next flight or head to home base without passengers, they lose money. So, it's only natural to offer this excess inventory for deeply discounted fares. Flight Auctions are designed to let our customers name their own price for these flights.
You can subscribe to get notified when your favorite city destination auction becomes available. Then if time and date work for you, you can bid on the auction to get you there in style. Everyone wins.
When you bid on Flight Auction, you are bidding for the entire aircraft. This includes all of the seats listed on the aircraft posted. After you, auction ends you will be responsible for $4 per person segment fee which is the government cut. This fee is only for the seats that will be occupied.
Flight Auction is designed to move an airplane from its location to next full fare flight. If you like to be picked up from the departure airport that is beyond the driving distance of the auction you can purchase a transfer flight using our Flight Booking system. This will connect the two flights into one journey that matches your travel plans.
Each TapJets auction starts with a minimum bid of $250. From there customers place incremental bids until the reserve price is met. Once the reserve price is reached the system starts a ONE-hour countdown. If no other customer places a higher bid, then the customer who is the current highest bidder wins the auction.
TAPJETS REWARDS Questions
Effective April 15, 2018, TapJets will offer our clients the ultimate private jet loyalty program: TAPJETS™ REWARDS. The program is custom-built to recognize and reward our customers’ continued loyalty to TapJets through valuable rewards and exclusive perks.
TapJets™ Rewards provides all of the benefits of a jet card or fractional membership, but without the need to make any up-front purchases or costly membership fees. Instead, our customers enjoy direct access to the largest virtual fleet of aircraft operated by top-tier, FAA-certified air carriers. You simply pay for the time you fly and get rewarded based on how often you travel with us.
As an added benefit, we’ve retroactively qualified the 2017 flight hours of our existing customers for 2018 rewards tier status.
TapJets™ Rewards Details
Enthusiast
25 hours of flight time (in any aircraft type)
Reward – 1 Rewards Hour*
- As always, guaranteed in-app aircraft pricing and availability
- Ability to select a specific aircraft model (if more than one is available for your trip)
- 24x7 Access to our Global Concierge Hotline to assist you with any travel-related matters
- Ability to trade your FREE hours to any other aircraft category at a fixed exchange rate.
Aficionado
75 hours of flight time (in any aircraft type)
Reward – 4 Rewards Hours*
- All Enthusiast benefits, plus…
- $100 in ground transportation credits for every flight
- Guaranteed aircraft availability for special events
- Early access to our most competitive Flight Auctions
Connoisseur
200 hours of flight time (in any aircraft type)
Reward – 12 Rewards Hours*
- All Enthusiast and Aficionado benefits, plus…
- Free ground transportation to and from airport locations
- Free catering for every flight over two hours
- Ability to combine flight reward hours from several travelers in your family or company
*Same aircraft type or trade up to larger type from Propeller, Light Jet, Midsize Jet, or Long-Range Jet
Rules and Conditions: TapJets Rewards Tier eligibility is based on hours flown in one calendar year. Reward Hours expire in 24 months from receipt. If you decide to upgrade to a different size of aircraft (or downgrade), hours can be traded based on market value of the flight hours. The member who acquired the Reward Hours must be on board the flights that are flown using Rewards Hours.
Rewards Hours: Rewards Hours are accrued based on your most typically used aircraft type (e.g. if you typically fly midsize jets, your Rewards Hours will be redeemable for midsize flight time). However, we’re giving you the flexibility to transfer your rewards hours at fixed rates if you wish to upgrade and maximize your reward. See table below:
If you don't see what you're looking for above, please contact us.
