Watch MARQUIS’ WEBINAR

Why Leading Family Offices Are Rethinking Private Aviation

An SFOG Member Exclusive Insight from MARQUIS

A recent Airbus Corporate Jets study revealed that 93% of U.S. family offices that own or lease business aircraft expect to upgrade to better or newer models within the next five years. But here’s what the headlines miss: this isn’t just about flying newer planes, it’s about fundamentally rethinking how private aviation serves family office priorities.

As MARQUIS’s founder and SFOG’s exclusive aviation partner, I’ve spent 17 years working alongside family offices navigating these strategic decisions. The conversation has shifted from “Can we afford private aviation?” to “Are we getting the right value from our current aviation strategy?”

Whether you’re evaluating your existing arrangement or considering private travel for the first time, here are three critical areas where exceptional aviation partnerships separate themselves from the rest.

The Hidden Cost Problem: Why “Cheap” Gets Expensive

The Reality Check: The lowest hourly rate rarely translates to the best value, a lesson learned through painful experience by many family offices.

Beyond the base charter rate, undisclosed fees can inflate your final bill by 30-40%. These include positioning fees (when your aircraft starts elsewhere), crew overnight expenses, international handling fees, de-icing charges, premium catering, landing fees, and unexpected fuel surcharges.

Real Example: One prospective member shared that their $15,000 flight quote became $22,000 after “surprise” fees appeared on the final invoice. For family offices coordinating complex travel across multiple continents, these hidden costs compound quickly, making budget forecasting nearly impossible.

What to Ask Your Aviation Provider:

• Do you provide all-inclusive pricing from the first quote?
• Which fees might vary based on circumstances beyond your control?
• Can you show me three comparable trips with final invoice totals?

Transparent pricing isn’t just about honesty, it’s about enabling your finance team to budget accurately and compare true costs rather than marketing bait rates.

Safety Standards: The Questions Most People Don’t Know to Ask

The Uncomfortable Truth: Not all private aviation operators maintain the same safety standards, and verifying credentials can be surprisingly complex, even for sophisticated family offices.

The difference between Part 91 (private operations) and Part 135 (commercial charter) regulations matters significantly. Part 135 operators face stricter maintenance requirements, pilot training standards, and operational oversight. But even within Part 135, quality varies dramatically.

The Safety Framework That Actually Protects You:

Third-Party Auditing: Argus Platinum and Wyvern Wingman certifications represent the industry’s gold standard, requiring operators to meet rigorous safety benchmarks including pilot experience minimums, maintenance protocols, and operational procedures. Yet many brokers work with non-certified operators to access lower rates or wider inventory.

Aircraft Age Matters: Older aircraft, even when well-maintained, face increased mechanical issues and often lack modern safety technology. Industry best practice suggests aircraft under 15 years old offer contemporary safety features, reliable performance, and reduced mechanical delays.

Ongoing Verification: Beyond certifications, regular onsite inspections and maintenance record reviews ensure continued compliance.

Critical Questions for Your Aviation Partner:

• What percentage of your operator network holds Argus Platinum or Wyvern Wingman certification?
• What’s your policy on aircraft age?
• When was your last onsite audit, and can you share the process?

When you’re responsible for your family’s wellbeing or your principal’s security, safety cannot be an afterthought.

Time Recovery: The True Value Proposition

Family offices don’t purchase flights, they purchase time back. Yet the coordination burden of managing private aviation often undermines this core benefit.

The Coordination Reality: The typical booking process involves contacting a broker for the aircraft, separately arranging ground transportation, coordinating with your hotel, organizing catering that meets dietary requirements, confirming FBO services, and managing last-minute changes across all these vendors. For complex international itineraries, this can consume 8-12 hours of an executive assistant’s time per trip.

The Real Cost: One SFOG member recently calculated that streamlined, integrated travel coordination saves his family 40+ hours annually time now spent with his children instead of on hold with vendors. That’s more than a full work week reclaimed each year.

The Dedicated Advisor Model vs. Call Centers

The Problem with Transaction-Based Service: Each time you call a broker call center, you explain your peanut allergy again. You repeat your preferred departure FBO. You re-specify that your family travels with two dogs. This approach wastes time and increases error risk.

The Relationship Alternative: A dedicated advisor model means one person knows your family’s preferences, anticipates your needs, and is available around the clock. They maintain detailed profiles covering dietary restrictions, preferred aircraft configurations, travel patterns, and even seating preferences.

This isn’t just convenience it’s proactive service. When your advisor notices you typically travel to Aspen during holidays, they alert you to available empty legs before you inquire. When weather threatens your departure city, they’re already identifying alternative routing.

What Last-Minute Support Really Looks Like:

When mechanical issues ground your aircraft two hours before departure, what happens? Industry-leading providers offer replacement aircraft guarantees (typically within 8 hours), backed by networks of thousands of preferred aircraft globally. This 24/7/365 availability isn’t marketing, it’s operational commitment that retention rates reveal.

Beyond Aviation: The Integration Advantage

Here’s where most aviation providers reveal their limitations: they book your flight but can’t orchestrate your complete travel experience.

The Coordination Gap: For family offices managing multi-generational travel or hosting clients at exclusive events, coordinating flights, ground transportation, luxury hotel partnerships, private chef services, and VIP event access typically requires a dedicated travel manager, or multiple vendor relationships.

The Integrated Solution: Leading aviation concierge services handle every detail through one advisor, one call. When your family wants to attend the Monaco Grand Prix or secure a private villa in Bali, a comprehensive partner orchestrates everything to your specifications.

For business travel, seamless ground transportation and hotel coordination directly impacts productivity. Why manage five vendor relationships when one trusted partner can coordinate everything?

A Framework for Evaluation

If you’re assessing your family office’s aviation strategy, consider these benchmarks:

Pricing Transparency

• ☐ All-inclusive quotes provided upfront
• ☐ Clear explanation of variable costs
• ☐ Historical invoice accuracy >95%

Safety Standards

• ☐ Exclusive use of Argus/Wyvern certified operators
• ☐ Aircraft age policy clearly stated
• ☐ Regular third-party audits documented

Service Model

• ☐ Dedicated advisor (not call center)
• ☐ Replacement aircraft guarantee
• ☐ 24/7/365 availability with verified response times

Integration Capabilities

• ☐ Ground transportation coordination
• ☐ Luxury hotel partnerships
• ☐ Concierge services beyond aviation

Value Verification

• ☐ Client retention rate >90%
• ☐ Peer references from similar family offices
• ☐ Case studies with measurable outcomes

What Exceptional Aviation Partnerships Look Like

The 93% of family offices planning to upgrade their aviation strategy aren’t necessarily spending more, they’re demanding partnerships that respect their time, prioritize safety over savings, and deliver transparency over transactions.

As SFOG’s exclusive aviation partner, MARQUIS understands what this community values most: discretion, reliability, and white-glove service aligned with family office priorities. We’ve spent 17 years building relationships with members who’ve learned that the right aviation partner becomes an extension of their family office operations, not just another vendor.

Exclusive Resource for SFOG Members: We’ve created a comprehensive Family Office Aviation Strategy Guide that expands on these benchmarks with detailed comparison frameworks, budget planning tools, and vendor evaluation scorecards.

Download Your Complimentary Guide:
Click HERE to receive instant access to this 34-page resource designed specifically for family office executives evaluating their private aviation strategy.

Questions about your current aviation arrangement? Our team is available for confidential consultations at inquiry@flymarquis.com | 800-210-7772

---

Ric Davis is the founder of MARQUIS and SFOG’s exclusive aviation partner, with 17 years of experience working with family offices on private aviation strategy.