Meaning & use
charter a flight
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Meaning
phrasetransitive
To hire an aircraft for a particular trip, usually for a group of people.
Grammar: Takes an object: charter a flight. The object can also be a plane, jet, or helicopter.
Patterns
- charter a flight to somewhere
- charter a flight for someone
- charter a flight from somewhere
The company chartered a flight to Berlin for the sales team.
We chartered a flight to the island because there were no regular airlines.
They decided to charter a flight rather than take three separate commercial planes.
Word forms
| third person singular | charters a flight |
|---|---|
| past tense | chartered a flight |
| past participle | chartered a flight |
| -ing form | chartering a flight |
Common combinations
- charter a flight to
- They chartered a flight to Paris for the wedding guests.
- charter a private flight
- The CEO chartered a private flight to avoid the delays.
- charter a flight for a group
- We chartered a flight for the whole football team.
- charter a plane
- The film crew chartered a plane to reach the remote location.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hire a plane
- More general; you can hire a plane for any purpose, but 'charter a flight' specifically means hiring an aircraft for a particular journey.
- book a flight
- Means to reserve a seat on a regular commercial flight, not to hire the whole aircraft.
Word family
- charter verb
- To hire a vehicle, especially an aircraft or boat, for a special trip.
- charter flight noun
- A flight in an aircraft that has been hired for a group.
Commonly confused: charter a flight or charter?
charter a flight vs charter
As a noun, a charter is an official document granting rights; as a verb, it means to hire. The phrase 'charter a flight' uses the verb sense.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'charter a flight' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Chartering a flight means hiring an aircraft for a trip, so 'to Rome for the conference' fits. Option B is wrong because a bus is not an aircraft; C and D use it with places that don't make sense for hiring a plane.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “charter a flight”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.