Charter flights

Over the past few decades, charter flights have become synonymous with package holidays. Whilst the package holiday industry operates regular and published flight schedules they contrast with scheduled flights in their method and flexibility of ticketing. A charter flight is not bought directly from the charter airline but from a tour operator, it includes a return flight on a fixed date and is non-transferable and non-refundable.

In the early days of package holidays the airlines cartel dictated that charter flights were sold as part of a package in which the price paid had to included the flight and accommodation.

Today "flight-only" packages can be bought by those who don't wish to buy any accomodation and such packages are often cheaper than regular schedule airline fares. The economics of charter flights demand that they operate at near 100% seat occupancy (giving us the adage Bums On Seats), and the standard of seating and service can be, but not always, lower than on scheduled airlines.

All scheduled flights from UK airports are purchased

Furthermore charter airlines frequently operate on routes where there is no scheduled service.