The verdict in three sentences
In London, a yacht and private jet charter website built by a specialist luxury or aviation studio costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 15 000 to 80 000 GBP, and that local agency is the right call when you need filming at a business aviation airfield, coverage of boat shows and events, and face-to-face brand work in Mayfair or Chelsea. A remote studio such as Kolonell fits a broker who already has licensed imagery from operators and owners and wants a fixed price of 2 300 GBP, 3 900 GBP or 6 900 GBP, native copywriting and a project manager on the same clock as London. Choose on the criteria first, then compare the three-year cost and how clearly each proposal handles the line between broker and operator.
London studio or remote studio: how do they compare?
The local ranges are cautious orders of magnitude, not official figures. They draw on public price pages of London agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles (often 10 000 to 50 000 GBP for luxury specialists), published day rates of London studios (often 600 to 1 200 GBP per day) and rates visible on Upwork and Fiverr.
| Criterion | London specialist agency | London freelancer | Remote studio (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build cost, 2026 order of magnitude | 15 000 to 80 000 GBP | 3 000 to 12 000 GBP | 2 300 GBP / 3 900 GBP / 6 900 GBP, fixed |
| Filming and aerial footage | Often in-house or with a crew | Rarely | Not included: imagery from operators, owners or a photographer you book |
| In-person meetings | Studio visits, events, shows | Possible | None: Google Meet calls |
| Time zone | London | London | Team on GMT: same hour in winter, one hour apart in summer |
| Timeline | 10 to 20 weeks | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 with a written plan |
| Copywriting | Often a separate line | Rarely included | Native English (or French) included |
| Ownership and support | Check the contract | Check the contract | Domain in your name, every access handed over; 3 months support, 6 in Premium |
A good London freelancer can match Kolonell's entry price; what you get from Kolonell is a project manager, native charter copywriting, a written scope and full ownership. The plans are detailed on the international offer page.
When is a London agency clearly the better option?
Be honest about it. If your brand rests on moving images (a jet being prepared at an airfield around London, guests boarding a superyacht, a film of a Mediterranean itinerary shot to your brief), a London agency that directs crews and edits in-house is worth its premium. The same goes for a presence at business aviation and boat shows, launch events for a new office, or a positioning workshop with partners who prefer a real table. A local agency also has the edge if you want a live empty legs feed from an operator system, instant price estimates, an online booking engine or an owners' portal, though these are custom applications that any provider, Kolonell included, quotes separately.
When does a remote studio make sense for a London broker?
A remote studio fits when the job is to turn existing assets into a fast, discreet site that brings qualified enquiries. That suits a two or three person jet broker after leaving a larger firm, a yacht charter broker adding a French version for continental clients, or a concierge business that has outgrown its template site. The team is based in Senegal and works on GMT, which is London time in winter and one hour behind in summer: calls happen in your working day, and a written update arrives every week. French and English are written natively; Italian, Russian or Arabic pages are supplied by you or quoted separately.
What does a London charter site need, and which rules apply?
London clientele is international: finance and family office clients booking a jet from Farnborough or Biggin Hill, groups heading to the Côte d'Azur, Sardinia or the Greek islands for a summer week afloat, and corporate travel desks. Typical pages: aircraft categories and yacht types with licensed photos, destinations and sample itineraries, a qualified enquiry form (dates, passengers, departure airport or port, indicative budget, flexibility), an empty legs page updated by hand, concierge services, safety and compliance, team, FAQ on how charter works, privacy and discretion, legal notices. Never publish client names.
On compliance, keep it factual. In aviation, the operator holds an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by the civil aviation authority, in the UK the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). A broker must not present itself as the operator and should state who operates each flight; write that clearly on every aircraft page and in the terms. For yachts, commercial charter depends on the flag and on where the yacht operates (the MCA in the UK, other administrations elsewhere), contracts such as the MYBA charter agreement are often used in the Mediterranean, and VAT on charter depends on the place of charter. Personal data falls under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Equality Act 2010 makes WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA the sensible accessibility reference. This is not legal advice.
What does each option cost over three years?
Imagery, hosting and maintenance are hypotheses applied identically on both sides.
| Item over 3 years | London specialist agency | Kolonell Premium (FR/EN) |
|---|---|---|
| Build | 35 000 GBP | 6 900 GBP |
| Copywriting | 3 000 to 6 000 GBP | Included |
| Licensed or commissioned imagery (hypothesis) | 2 000 GBP | 2 000 GBP |
| Hosting and domain (hypothesis, 250 GBP per year) | 750 GBP | 750 GBP |
| Maintenance after support (hypothesis) | 1 800 GBP | 1 800 GBP |
| Indicative total | about 42 550 to 45 550 GBP | about 11 450 GBP |
Which questions should you ask before signing?
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- How will each aircraft or yacht page show who operates it, and who approves that wording?
- Who holds the licence for each photo, and can the operator withdraw it?
- How quickly does an enquiry reach your phone at 11 pm on a Sunday?
- Who owns the domain, the hosting and the form data?
- What is the price of a new empty leg template or destination page after launch?
Red flags: stock photos of a specific named aircraft you do not broker, a site that says our fleet when you own no aircraft, client logos used without permission, or 100 % payment upfront.
Mini case study
Exemple illustratif. Oliver H. leaves a larger brokerage to open a two-person jet and yacht charter desk in Mayfair. A London studio quotes 48 000 GBP, including a day of filming at an airfield. He chooses Kolonell Premium at 6 900 GBP for an FR/EN site and books an aviation photographer for one day at 1 800 GBP. Total: 8 700 GBP, about 39 300 GBP less, with no film at launch and every meeting held by video.
FAQ
Can a remote studio produce a site that looks ultra premium?
Yes, if the imagery is strong: design, layout and copy are done remotely. The Premium plan at 6 900 GBP adds advanced animation and a bilingual FR/EN site.
Can the site show live empty legs and instant quotes?
A page updated by hand is included in the site scope. A live feed or instant pricing linked to an operator system is a custom application, quoted separately.
How do you handle discretion?
No client names, no flight details and minimal form fields: dates, passengers, departure point and budget range. Enquiries reach you by email within seconds.
How long does a London charter site take?
Growth at 3 900 GBP usually takes 3 to 4 weeks. Premium gets a written plan at kick-off, usually 4 to 6 weeks.
How is payment made?
By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kick-off and 50 % at delivery. The domain is in your name and every access is handed over.
Let's scope your project. Send us your service mix (jets, yachts or both), your imagery and the languages your clients use, and we will propose a fixed-price plan delivered in 3 to 6 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.