This is the part least often explained and the one that generates most distrust. An operator who does not know when they get paid does not sign up, and they are right not to.
The circuit, step by step
1. The request arrives. With origin, destination, date, passengers and baggage. No reference price and no commitment on your side.
2. You answer availability and price. Yours, the one the operation needs to make sense. We show a "from" price per route; the final fare depends on the date, the group and the baggage, and is confirmed in writing before booking.
3. The passenger accepts or does not. If they accept, the booking is confirmed in writing on the conditions you set, not on others.
4. The passenger is charged. AeroRide invoices and charges directly from the site; you receive your receipt in the name of the person or company you give us on confirmation.
5. You fly and invoice. On the terms agreed at onboarding. The operator is paid the full flight at their usual rate: our intermediation is not deducted from what they charge.
What is worth settling before the first job
What is charged if the aircraft waits. A San José–Tamarindo flight is 97.1 nautical miles outbound, but if the group returns in the afternoon the aircraft is committed for the whole day. We quote waiting time and aircraft overnights at the destination: tell us whether you return the same day or the aircraft waits, and we include it in the price.
And what is charged if the passenger cancels. This causes the most disputes and gets discussed the least. Your conditions should say it before the first booking, not after the first cancellation.
There is a third point forgotten until it turns up: what happens if the passenger reduces the group. From eight people to four the aircraft is the same and so is the cost, but a client no longer bringing four usually expects to pay less. If your quote says what is charged in that case, the conversation lasts a minute.
What happens if the flight does not go
There are two cases here, and they are treated differently.
If it does not go on weather or on your operational judgement, the passenger did not pay for a flight that did not happen. We have that conversation, and your position is whatever your conditions set.
If it does not go because the passenger fails to show, whatever you agreed applies. A reserved aircraft and a called-out crew are real cost, and we do not argue about that.
The difference between the two cases has to be written beforehand, not negotiated on the day it happens.
What we do not do
We do not hold your payment as leverage. Not to obtain better prices and not to force acceptances. If that ever happens to you with an intermediary, it is reason enough to stop working with them — and it tends to happen at the worst moment, when you have already flown.
And we do not ask you to finance the operation. An operator who fronts fuel, fees and crew and is paid at ninety days is lending money interest-free to the intermediary, and does so without anyone calling it that.
The point worth examining closely
When comparing intermediaries, do not compare the commission: compare the terms and who carries non-payment.
A low commission at ninety days with collection risk on you costs more than a higher commission with certain payment. It is a sum rarely done and it decides whether the relationship pays.
Drake Bay is 83.5 nautical miles from San José: the flight lasts under an hour. The payment cycle can last months, and it is the one that determines whether that hour was profitable.
Frequently asked questions
When do I get paid?
On the terms agreed at onboarding. The operator is paid the full flight at their usual rate: our intermediation is not deducted from what they charge.
Who invoices the passenger?
AeroRide invoices and charges directly from the site; you receive your receipt in the name of the person or company you give us on confirmation.
Who sets the price?
You do. We pass on the request, not a fare you have to match.
What if I cancel on weather?
The passenger did not pay for a flight that did not happen, and your position is whatever your conditions set.
And if the passenger fails to show?
Whatever you agreed applies. A reserved aircraft and a called-out crew are real cost.
Do you hold payment to negotiate?
No. If an intermediary does that to you, it is reason enough to stop working with them.
What if the passenger reduces the group?
The aircraft and the cost are the same. Your quote should say what is charged in that case.
Let us talk
Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.