Our first consideration at San Francisco Jet Charter is the safety and comfort of you and your family, and that includes travelers who use a wheelchair.
Why boarding is the hard part
Most private aircraft are boarded by air stairs, and the cabin door on many of them is small. For a passenger who cannot use stairs, that is the obstacle rather than the flight itself. It is also why a general assurance that an aircraft is accessible is not worth much: what matters is the specific aircraft, its door, and what ground equipment is available at both airports on your dates.
Your advisor will confirm all three before anything is booked, rather than afterward.
Lifts and ground equipment
Where a lift is required, it has to be available at the departure airport and at the destination, and availability varies by airport. Larger cabins are generally easier, both for the door and for moving around once on board. Tell us what you need and we will tell you which aircraft and which airports can support it.
What to tell your advisor
Whether the wheelchair is manual or powered, and if powered, the battery type, since that affects how it is carried. The chair’s dimensions and weight. Whether you can transfer to an aircraft seat or need to remain in the chair. Whether anyone is traveling with you to assist. We do not ask for these answers to make you feel awkward or to be intrusive. We ask so we can direct you to an aircraft that appropriately suits your needs!
If the trip is medical
Where the flight is a medical transport rather than ordinary travel with a wheelchair, that is handled differently. See our medical and air ambulance page.
Talk to us early
The earlier we know, the more aircraft and airports are available to work with. Call +1-888-987-5387 or use our contact page.
Vetting Behind Every Trip
Every operator, aircraft, and crew goes through our internal due diligence before we present any options. Our internal standards meet or exceed what the FAA requires:
- FAR Part 135 charter operators for traditional private aircraft, or FAR Part 121 for airliner-size and group trips (or the foreign equivalent on international legs)
- Operator subscription to Wyvern and ARGUS reviewed where the operator participates.
- Pilot experience and operator incident history reviewed before we recommend an aircraft.
- Fewer than 60 brokers worldwide hold Premium Wyvern Broker Member status, and Air Charter Advisors is one of them.
San Francisco-Specific Patterns We Plan Around
Tower hours determine the trips more than anything else. Only San Francisco International and Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport are towered around the clock; Hayward Executive closes in the late afternoon, and Livermore runs weekday daytime hours with a short window on weekends. For an early departure or a late return, that difference decides the airport. Customs is narrow in this region too, with San Francisco, Oakland, Mineta San Jose and Monterey Regional the fields that clear international arrivals. Trips into the Sierra are their own case, where elevation and terrain shape the aircraft choice more than the distance does.
Contact
For a quote on a San Francisco charter, send the trip through our contact page or call an advisor at +1-888-987-5387. Our safety page sets out how we check operators, crews and insurance, and the full aircraft gallery covers the other categories. The National Business Aviation Association sets the broader operating standards we work within.