Charter flights are flights that are not part of an airlines published schedule. Instead, they are typically operated for specific unscheduled itineraries. When passengers book a charter flight, they rent the entire aircraft, which means they can set the schedule and choose their preferred departure and arrival airports. Charter flights can be used for a variety of purposes, including private, public, cargo, and affinity charters. There are several types of charter flights, including:

• Private: In general, a person hires an entire plane rather than booking specific seats on a commercial service with a private charter.

• Public: A public charter exists when a person or company contracts for the operation of an aircraft to and from a destination and then advertises and sells seats to members of the public, either directly or through a travel agent.

• Cargo: Charter flights can also be used to transport cargo.

• Affinity: Affinity charters are charter flights where all passengers are members of a specific group or organization and pay for their own airfare individually.

Charter flights offer several advantages over scheduled flights, including the ability to choose the aircraft type, departure and arrival airports, and schedule. Passengers on charter flights also do not have to settle for meals and amenities found on commercial flights, as they can customize meals, use Wi-Fi, hook up their smartphones and gadgets, and even enjoy movies and television programs on big-screen TVs.