One common question as people start to explore their options with private aircraft is how much does it actually cost? This article will walk you through various cost factors and will provide some broad guidelines for pricing.
Things to Consider
Certain factors will all affect the final price tag for your aircraft rental. These include the following:
- Where you go. Even if you are traveling solo, you will need a larger-engine aircraft for longer trips. Using a smaller aircraft may be possible but will require additional time and stops for refueling.
- How many people go. More people means more space is required, which again will call for a larger aircraft.
- How much stuff you take. The same principal applies to baggage. The more baggage, the more space is needed. So even if just five of you are traveling, will there be enough space for golf bags or ski equipment?
- When you go. As with any travel plans, certain times of the year will be more expensive based on customer demand. Expect holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and the peak summer season to be higher-priced.
- One way or return? Depending on the plans you make and the charter company you go with, a one-way trip may not be much cheaper than a return. The charter company will still need to cover its costs for the empty flight back (a "deadhead" or "empty leg").
This earlier article Private Jet Charter Costs - What's on the Invoice? offers a more detailed look at some of the many costs you might expect to encounter when renting a jet.
Pricing
Patrick Harris, President at Velocity Jets, provided the following updated examples to give you an idea of flight costs for light, mid, and heavy jets. The prices are all-inclusive for a typical one-way flight.
- Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (VNY) light jet $22k, mid jet $25k and heavy jet $35k
- New York (TEB) to London (EGLF) super midsize $45k, heavy jet $70-90k
- Chicago (MDW) to New York (TEB) light jet $14k, mid jet $15k, heavy jet $25k
- St. Maartin (TNCM) to Miami (OPF) light jet $23k, mid jet $25k, heavy jet $35k
- Chicago (MDW) to Los Angeles (VNY) light jet $18k, mid jet $22k, heavy jet $35k
- Palm Beach (PBI) to New York (TEB) light jet $14k, mid jet $17k, super midsize $20k, heavy jet $25k
- New York (TEB) to Los Angeles (VNY) light jet $22k, mid jet $24k, super midsize $27k, heavy jet 35k
- Los Angeles (VNY) to New York (TEB) light jet $18k, mid jet $20k, super midsize $25k, heavy jet $30k
When you rent a private aircraft, you will often see the plane quoted on a cost per hour basis. Air Charter Services offers the following as a guideline for all in hourly rental rates, based on the type of plane. These fees may vary depending on when and where you fly, any additional service or repositioning fees, and so on. Be sure to get a fully-inclusive quote so you don’t have any unwelcome surprises at the end of your journey.
Light Jets:
Citation Mustang $4,000
Citation CJ3 $5,500
Midsize Jets:
Hawker 900XP $7,000
Learjet 60XR $7,000
Citation X $9,500
Challenger 300 $9,500
Heavy Jets:
Challenger 850 $11,500
Gulfstream G550 $14,000
Airbus A319 $20,000
As for empty leg flights, Air Charter Services advises: “You can expect to pay between $1,300 and $3,000 per flying hour on average for this low-cost private jet service onboard a turboprop or executive light jet; $4,000 to $8,000 per flying hour for a mid-size to super-mid-size jet; and $8,600 to $13,000 per flying hour for a large private jet.”
Additional info
When renting a private plane you can either work directly with an operator or go via a charter broker. This article has guidance for finding a charter broker and this article will help you ask the right questions for your operator or broker. This article offers some of the pros and cons of chartering and using private jets.