Private Jet Charter Costs

There are a growing number of services that connect fliers directly to charter operators allowing for a more seamless, faster process when booking flights. However, most of these offerings lack the transparency offered by a traditional Private Jet Business Travels or fractional ownership model. This is largely due to the wide array of fees that can be associated with a charter flight. Providing a clear breakdown of these charges, along with a more comprehensive understanding of how they are determined can help fliers better understand the costs involved with flying privately and ultimately make more informed decisions.

Private Jet Charter Costs

When comparing the flexibility of flying private to other ways to travel, nothing offers the same amount of freedom as ad-hoc charter. Flying on an ad-hoc basis allows you to customize your flight itinerary on a per-trip basis and avoids the long-term commitment of full or fractional ownership.

However, many ad-hoc charter flights are impacted by factors beyond your control such as aircraft availability, repositioning time and the airline’s home base. Aircraft are positioned in specific airports for operational purposes, and they must return back to their home bases at some point. If they are flying empty legs on the way back, these flight segments (which may exceed your point-to-point flight time) are charged at a higher rate as the carrier is essentially repositioning their planes for free.

The duration of the charter flight can also affect price as longer flights require more fuel and may require a larger aircraft than what is needed for your journey. Finally, timing and seasonality will impact pricing as peak travel seasons and holidays drive prices up. Choosing a more flexible date or working with your broker to be more flexible on your departure and arrival times can significantly reduce the total cost of your trip.

Depending on your destination and the type of aircraft you choose, additional fees can be charged to your flight including landing fees, hangarage and de-icing charges. Additionally, if your charter flight is international, you will be subject to Foreign Entrance and Overflight fees as well as Federal Excise Tax (FET).

The best way to minimize these fees is to work with an experienced broker who can leverage their relationships with operators to negotiate the best rates for their clients. However, not all brokers are created equal and it is important to read third party reviews of brokers before selecting one to work with. There are a growing number of third-party ratings systems such as Trustpilot, Facebook and the Better Business Bureau that provide useful insight into customer satisfaction and overall service quality.