All To Know About Flying Private from the US to Canada

Flying Private from the US to Canada

Travel is finally on the cards again, and the travel bug that’s been biting for the last two years will finally be allowed to get its way. If you’re ready to take the family on holiday from the US, why not consider scenic Canada? Yes, it's very close by (which cuts down on travel expenses, yay!), but Canada is a country of exquisite natural beauty, and it has a lot to offer any potential tourist. If you are heading to Canada, you should consider a private jet charter instead of flying commercial.

Photo by: Yaroslav Muzychenko

There are so many excellent reasons to fly private rather than commercial. We’ll break them down for you in this article, along with all the information that you should have available and the things to know when you are ready to charter your private jet.

Travel Regulations When Entering Canada

COVID awareness and tests have been a critical element in whatever travel has been allowed for the last few years. But thankfully, as the mortality rate associated with COVID decreases, the restrictions and requirements for safe travel have also decreased. Currently, for fully vaccinated travellers to enter Canada, no pre-entry COVID tests are required. If you are not fully vaccinated, you may not be able to enter Canada for recreational purposes like a holiday. If you have young ones over the age of five, they must be fully vaccinated or partially vaccinated and provide a pre-entry negative test result to be permitted to enter. Children less than five years old are not required to be vaccinated to enter the country.

Quarantine is no longer a requirement for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada from the US. Though this is clear in all government guidelines, the Canadian government does recommend that you closely monitor yourself and take extra precautions for 14 days after arrival.

Photo by: Justin Hu

Most airports in Canada are currently functioning at total capacity. We know for certain that the airports presently accepting international chartered flights are Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, and Halifax. The staff at these Canadian airports are friendly, accommodating, and welcoming, so you’ll have no problems with your entry into Canada if you have followed all the required guidelines and know what you need to do.

While these are the requirements as of April 2022, we do advise that you keep an eye on government websites in the lead-up to your trip. Better to be safe than sorry and know that you and the Canadian government are on the same page.

The Process

The process of hiring a private jet charter is a relatively simple one. First, you need to decide on which airline you’ll use. We suggest that you check out online reviews; getting information from customers who have used the service before is the best way to determine if they are the service for you or not. Factors that might go into choosing a private jet charter are the capacity of the jet and the meal options that they offer (some may offer a set menu, and some may customize menus to the requirement of their passengers for each different flight). The hours of operation would be another factor in your choice. Some services may offer takeoff times entirely at the passengers' request, while others may only operate during certain hours.

Be wary of “the jet version of Uber” sites that are fly-by-night (metaphorically, not literally) and offer flight packages that simply do not exist. Make sure that your flight package arrives at an airport with customs and is of sufficient size to have your flight land there. There are many companies out there who would take your money and run for the hills, leaving you without a huge chunk of your holiday budget. Reliable companies like ACS are the best way to go because they have proof of a positive history with travelers.

Photo by: Jason Hafso

Renting from a company rather than a private individual is preferable. Someone who privately owns their plane can pull it from the charter market any time the whim takes them; it's their personal property. Working through a company that owns a fleet, however large or small, offers more security for you, the passenger.

Book your flight ahead of time as there is a fair amount of paperwork that you need to take care of, and you don't want to leave out some crucial detail at the last minute. As we've mentioned before, the process is relatively straightforward in its steps, but there are details that you need to make a note of when entering a foreign country that you should be aware of ahead of time. Be aware of ALL the costs; don't be afraid to ask questions more than once if you need to. Some airlines might include all fees under one umbrella; others may list them separately.

Wrap Up

Booking a private jet charter from the US to Canada is definitely a manageable task. With the information that we’ve given you in this article, you’ll have everything you need to know at your fingertips!