How to fly on a private jet and how much does it cost to rent a private jet?
How much does a private jet cost?
Flying private is perceived as a luxurious experience. However, it can be more affordable than one might think. In fact, chartering a private jet is the most cost-effective way to fly on a private aircraft and sometimes, it can result into a more interesting solution than booking first-class tickets on commercial flights, especially for charter groups.
There are different ways travellers can fly on a private jet today, such as owning one, being member of a jet club, subscribing to a programme or chartering a private jet through a broker.
LunaJets offers clarity and transparency when it comes to the price structure of private jet charter: there are no hidden costs and we guarantee the best rate on the market. Our Private Aviation Advisors suggest the most relevant jet models and itineraries corresponding to your travel flight request. For instance, Turboprops and Light Jets are perfect for short journeys, Super Midsize Jets and Larger Jets are suitable for trips of six hours or more, while long-haul flights are best handled by Super Large Jets and VIP Airliners. Depending on aircraft availability and your preferences, our advisors present three fare types: empty leg flights starting at € 2,000, rerouted empty legs starting at € 2,500 and on-demand private jet charter flights starting at € 4,800. Your private jet hire cost will increase along with your need for additional passenger seats, crew members or baggage space and special requests.
Usually, clients pay charter flights per hour and the quote varies according to multiple factors such as the size of the aircraft, the duration of the flight or the number of passengers. In addition to the charter flight itself, the final price includes the sum of diverse behind-the-scenes fees that flyers might not always be familiar with.
Indeed, understanding how private jet charter prices work can be difficult, even for frequent flyers. The following parts of this article might help you gain a broader understanding of the private aviation world and the costs of chartering private jets as we pointed out the advantages of flying private, described the various options allowing travellers to fly by private jet and broke down a typical charter quote into the different fees it usually contains, in the sections below.
What are the advantages of flying by private jet?
Have you ever hired a private jet before? If your answer is yes, then you might know how comfortable, hassle-free and elegant it feels to have an airplane all to yourself.
Besides the undeniable comfort, one of the greatest benefits of flying private is the considerable amount of time you save. Indeed, you can simply skip the general terminal, avoid crowds and queues and arrive only minutes before take-off. Forget long security lines, the pain of taking liquids and laptops out of your bags and stripping before passing through the airport’s full-body scanners.
Relying on a charter broker turns out to be efficient in many ways. Your LunaJets’ Private Aviation Advisor negotiates the best price for the selected aircraft for instance and, if you wish, takes care of coordinating your airport transfers too. Clients simply communicate their needs and likes to a dedicated advisor and don’t need to worry about anything else other than showing up on the departure date.
The freedom and flexibility granted by private jet travel allows passengers to choose the date, time, airport, plane and catering options that suit them best. Since the service we provide is tailor-made, our professionals assist clients with a number of individual requests going from preferred seating configurations and interiors to flying with pets and transporting confidential documents, sports or music gear and equipment, as well as precious pieces of fine art. Being able to choose between different airports to reach a certain destination means that passengers can opt for less busy hubs, find the airport closest to their final stop and use smaller airfields only accessible by private jet.
Furthermore, flying private presents the valuable benefit of minimising travel fatigue and jet lag’s disturbing consequences, while optimising passengers’ in-flight productivity. Thanks to the ideal conditions offered by certain private jet models, corporate travellers can use their flight time to conduct important business meetings in well-equipped conference rooms and work peacefully and undisturbed from their in-the-air office. Leisure travellers can relax, enjoy in-flight entertainment options and sleep on plush berthable seats.
Moreover, the advantage of hiring a private jet over owning one is that you are free to rent the most cost-effective aircraft for every occasion. A leisurely jaunt from Geneva to Paris, or a weekend trip from New York to the Hamptons won’t require the same plane as a business flight from London to Dubai. The cost of flying on a Light Jet compared to a Super Large Jet is considerably divergent, therefore, using the appropriate aircraft every time results in a significant amount of money saved, not to mention the hefty price tag and the important costs of maintenance, fuel, crew, etc. that private jet owners must cover.
What are the available options to fly by private jet?
1. Own a private jet
Owning a private jet allows you to be in full control of your travels, however, it is extremely expensive. Therefore, before you buy your own aircraft, you might want to consider whether the investment is worth it. Besides paying the high purchase price, private jet owners have to go through the hassle of continual maintenance and cover annual operating costs ranging between € 500,000 and € 1 million. These ongoing expenses usually include fuel, routine maintenance, hangar rental, aircraft insurance and flight crew salaries. Moreover, there are unforeseen repairs which can amount to about € 40,000 for a new seat, or € 3,000 to replace a flat tire. Expenses vary from one jet model to another, but in case of one-way trips owners always need to cover the costs of sending the jet and the crew back home or pay accommodation fees for the whole crew if the aircraft remains at a certain location for several days. This means that if you decide to go on holiday with your private jet, you also need to consider the cost of a parking spot and provide hotel rooms for the pilots and the rest of the crew. These high variable and fixed costs often lead to owners making their jets available for charter through an operator. To conclude, private jet owners are subject to frequent substantial expenses, they have to settle for a single model and their asset suffers a considerable drop in value year after year.
2. Own fractional shares of a jet
With a smaller financial commitment, you can decide to partially own a jet. Fractional ownership consists in acquiring part of an aircraft and being entitled to use it along with a group of other owners. Legally, and in terms of taxes, shared ownership is similar to full ownership; the main difference is that travellers buy a share through a management company instead of the entire plane. There are various divisions of shares, like “Quarter” or “Sixteenth”, allowing shareholders to pay only for the flying time they need. For example, owning a sixteenth share would allow you to use the jet for 50 hours. Shareholders have the option to upgrade or downgrade to a different type of jet, should they prefer a smaller or a larger model. Most shareholders don’t need to deal with operational expenses related to fuel, crew or parking the way owners do. However, compared to simply chartering a private jet, fractional ownership presents some limits: it asks for a minimum notice period and a minimum term of commitment, whereas on-demand private jet flights can be booked any time and don’t require long-term contracts nor a recurring capital commitment. Not only is it more expensive and less flexible than private jet rentals, but it also means that you cannot fly private whenever you want, since other people use your jet too.
3. Join a membership plan or a card programme
Joining a private jet club by subscribing to a plan or programme enables short notice booking. Usually, members pay a minimum annual fee and get to buy seats on already scheduled flights. Clients commonly opt for a fixed cost per hour at the beginning of their membership and are charged after each flight. Card programmes are sometimes slightly different: users can select the aircraft type that suits them best and buy the number of hours of flight they need with that specific jet category. They have the option to upgrade or downgrade to a heavier or lighter jet type. Some card programmes simply function like a debit card, which means that travellers deposit funds on their account and use these to fly. In this case, the hourly rates are set, and travel fees are deducted from the account’s balance. Terminating memberships or card programmes and getting a refund can be tricky and such options count several utilisation limits. Simply chartering a private jet can result in a more flexible choice for many private flyers.
4. Charter a private jet
Hiring a private aircraft on demand is known as the most cost-effective way of flying by private jet. The price varies according to multiple factors such as the flight’s duration, the departure or arrival airport, the number of passengers and pieces of luggage, the chosen aircraft type, etc. With LunaJets, booking your private flights is quick and easy. Our Private Aviation Advisors can recommend the most relevant options for your trip, responding to your requests and coordinating airport transfers too. Comfortable and flexible, chartering a private jet comes with a range of exclusive services and advantages such 24/7 personalised assistance, last-minute bookings and emergency flights.
5. Book an empty leg flight
You can also ask charter brokers for empty leg flights. These flights usually happen without passengers, as there are performed to bring the aircraft back to its base or to the next departure airport. Empty legs are therefore up to 75% less expensive than on-demand flights since clients are given less flexibility in terms of departure time and route. However, LunaJets offers empty legs and rerouted empty legs options too, which means that for a slightly higher price, which is still lower than hiring a jet on-demand, travellers can fly at a discounted rate on an empty leg and ask LunaJets to arrange an additional stop. Rerouted empty leg flights can therefore depart from the destination of your choice and land at an airport that is more convenient for you.
LunaJets pioneered the concept of empty leg flights and still offers the option today.
What do private jet charter prices usually include?
Clients can send a request online, via email, or call and message brokers directly to enquire about private jet charter flights. To help you understand how private jet charter pricing works, we have broken down the different fees usually included in the price. First of all, there is a rather long list of elements that will impact your private jet charter quote: private jet size, flight duration, refuelling stops, number of passengers and luggage volume, etc. These factors will influence most of the following costs:
Repositioning fees
As the private jet you have selected might not already be at the departure airport of your choice, there will be a cost related to the flight performed to get there. Therefore, your charter quote includes positioning or reposition fees.
De-icing, insurance or hangar fees
Private Jet de-icing consists in the process of removing ice deposits from the airplane’s surface. Besides the dangerous additional weight, the ice, frost and snow built-up on key surfaces would cause several unwanted disruptions. Therefore, freeing the aircraft’s critical areas from all frozen contaminants prior to departure is essential. LunaJets can help you avoid or minimise such costs for instance by arranging a heated hangar rental for the night preceding your departure. You can also opt for LunaJets de-icing insurance to prevent generally high and unexpected de-icing costs.
Charter flight and flight time
This refers to the actual travel cost and corresponds to the hourly rate of the aircraft type you have chosen to book. The number of passengers has a direct impact on the aircraft’s weight, on the needs for fuel and refuelling stops, on the jet size you can opt for, and therefore on the total price.
Airport landing and handling fees
Airports charge different landing fees, depending on the jet’s weight, which are meant to cover maintenance costs of airport facilities.
Handling fees go towards managing your aircraft at the airport. Fixed Based Operators (FBOs) or local handling companies charge these fees as they provide various services such as arranging fuel and transport to and from the terminal, servicing the toilets, and providing rest facilities for the flight crew.
Overnight and ramp fees
Ramp fees are charged when clients book return flights, these cover the cost of parking the jet at the airport overnight or for a longer period of time.
Fuel surcharge
As the price of fuel fluctuates constantly, charter brokers usually add a surcharge to your quote in order to make up for the difference between the estimated price and the actual cost of your flight.
Crew salaries and expenses
Private jets are commonly flown by two pilots and Midsize Jets and larger models also count a flight attendant on board. Meals’ costs are covered by the broker and charged to the client.
In case of a return flight, the cost of accommodation for the crew is also charged to the charterer and depends on the period of time spent on the ground.
Catering and special requests
These fees correspond to the cost of extra services you might have asked along with your flight reservation. In other words, services including meals, drinks, particular set ups for special events, branding of the inside or the outside of your aircraft, can all be added to your private jet charter price.
Passenger taxes
Passenger taxes depend on the route. Numerous states charge a departure tax per passenger, so this cost also depends on the number of passengers flying with you.
Other than the costs listed above, your journey could incur extra charges depending on the services you wish to book. Your private jet charter flight is tailor-made and so is its price.
LunaJets quotes are usually sent as a PDF document but can also be sent as a text message depending on the client’s preferences. We included different relevant jet options travellers can choose from and the procedure following the quote is fast and intuitive.
LunaJets opened the market by granting travellers the means to pay less and fly more
The most affordable, most flexible and easiest way to fly private is by chartering a private jet. LunaJets pioneered this cost-effective model in Europe and grew into the continent’s leading private jet booking company which today offers an exclusive, personalised service for bespoke private flights at the best price.
When LunaJets brought the concept to the European market in 2007, empty leg flights were not an easy thing to buy, and neither were private flights on demand. This service was mainly available in the United States.
Since day one, LunaJets adhered to a transparent way of doing business, with the client’s best interest in mind, which earned the Geneva-based company the prestigious ARGUS Certification in 2015, making it the first ARGUS Certified Charter Broker in Europe. Remaining Europe’s leading middleman between travellers and operators, LunaJets keeps benefitting clients and the private aviation industry by applying the highest ethical, safety and quality standards, flight after flight.