Buying private jet charter, explained

What sets the price

A charter price is built from a few parts, and once you can see them a quote stops looking like a mystery. The bulk of it is the aircraft category and the hours it flies. Light jets cost less per hour than midsize, midsize less than super midsize, and so on up. Flight time comes from the distance and the aircraft's speed, plus taxi time on each end.

Next is the shape of the trip. A round trip and a one way flight can look alike and price very differently. On a one way, the aircraft still has to come home, and that positioning is real cost. Operators also set a daily minimum, typically about two hours a day on light and midsize jets, so a very short hop can cost the same as a longer one.

Then come the extras: applicable taxes and passenger charges, crew overnights, landing and ramp fees at some airports, deicing in winter, and catering or ground transport if you ask for them. Peak days add a surcharge with many operators. The estimate on our quote page shows an estimated range for your airports and dates, using indicative rate bands, before anyone calls you.

How to read a quote

A good quote reads like a receipt written before the trip. It names the aircraft type, the year, the operator, the airports and the times. It states the billing basis: point to point, where you pay for the hours you are on board, or actual time, which can include positioning legs. It says whether federal excise tax is inside the number or added to it. It lists what is not included and what could change, such as deicing or a crew overnight.

Read the total first, then read what the total leaves out. A low number that leaves out tax, positioning and the crew hotel is not a low number. Two quotes only compare when they sit on the same basis. When we quote, the sheet says what is included and what is estimated, and options after the desk reviews the trip.

The questions to ask any provider

Ask these of anyone who quotes you, including us. The answers tell you more than the price does.

• Billing basis. Point to point, or actual time with positioning? Is there a daily minimum, and how many hours is it?
• What the rate includes. Is federal excise tax in the number? Fuel? Crew expenses? Landing fees? Catering?
• Peak days. Which dates carry a surcharge, and how much notice do you need on those days?
• Service area. Where does the provider quote without an extra charge, and what changes on an international leg?
• The operator. Who holds the certificate, how long have they held it, and what third party audit rating do they carry, such as ARGUS or Wyvern?
• The aircraft. What year is the airframe, and can you see a photo of the actual cabin before you commit?
• Changes. What happens if the aircraft goes down for maintenance, and what does a cancellation cost at seven days and at one?

For charter, the honest answers are simple. Every flight is operated by an FAA Part 135 air carrier. We act as your agent: we source the market, review the aircraft and negotiate on your behalf. If a provider will not answer one of these in writing, that is your answer.

Empty legs, explained

An empty leg is a flight an aircraft has to make anyway with nobody on board: the return home after dropping a client, or a positioning flight to pick one up. Operators sell those legs at a discount because the aircraft is flying either way. The catch is that the leg belongs to the primary trip. If that trip changes or cancels, the empty leg changes or cancels with it.

They suit flexible dates and a simple one way need, and rarely a fixed date with a group. We post empty legs for Nashville, Naples, Dallas, 30A and West Palm Beach as they open, and the list is free to join. Tell us your dates and we will tell you if one fits.

The standards behind every option

Every aircraft recommendation follows a written review, and you can read the rules before you fly. We review the aircraft, cabin, records and trip fit against our written standards. We start with aircraft from 2005 onward; any exception is explained in writing. A pilot reviews every option, on aircraft we source, before you see it.

Related

• Request a quote
• Compare cabin sizes
• Empty legs
• The standards
• How to judge any jet card