Los Angeles to San Diego Private Jet: Flight Time, Cost and Airports
Los Angeles to San Diego by private jet: 110 nm, about 35 min in a midsize jet and $2,300 to $4,100 of flight time at 2026 rates.
At a glance
Los Angeles to San Diego private jet
- Distance
- 110 nm
- 127 miles, great circle, VNY to SAN
- Flight time
- 35 min
- Midsize jet, our estimate in still air
- Flight time cost
- $2,300 to $4,100
- Midsize jet, Villiers Jets 2026 hourly rates, before tax
- Smallest nonstop jet
- Light jet
- On the published range of the Embraer Phenom 300E
A private jet from Los Angeles to San Diego flies about 110 nautical miles (204 km) on the great circle between Van Nuys Airport and San Diego International Airport. In a midsize jet that takes about 35 min, and the flight time costs around $2,300 to $4,100 at the 2026 hourly rates published by Villiers Jets. A light jet such as the Embraer Phenom 300E covers it nonstop, which makes it the cheapest jet option for up to six or seven passengers.
Flight time and cost by jet size
Each row uses one current jet as the reference for its class, with the cruise speed and range its manufacturer publishes. Cost is flight time multiplied by the hourly rate range for that class. The last column adds the empty return a one way charter often pays for, at 50% to 100% of the flight time.
| Jet size | Reference jet | Flight time | Flight time cost | One way with empty return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light jet | Embraer Phenom 300E | 35 min | $1,400 to $2,700 | $2,100 to $5,300 |
| Midsize jet | Cessna Citation Latitude | 35 min | $2,300 to $4,100 | $3,500 to $8,200 |
| Super midsize jet | Cessna Citation Longitude | 35 min | $3,500 to $5,300 | $5,200 to $10,500 |
| Heavy jet | Dassault Falcon 2000LXS | 35 min | $4,600 to $8,800 | $7,000 to $17,500 |
This is a domestic US flight, so the federal excise tax of 7.5% applies to the transportation charge, plus a segment fee of $5.30 per passenger per segment in 2026, according to NATA, citing IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. The figures in the table are before that tax.
Short legs are often billed with a minimum flight time, and busy dates add peak pricing, so treat the low end of each range as the best case. For how a full quote is built, read our private jet charter cost guide, and if your dates can move, look at empty leg flights on the same pairing.
Airports at each end
Los Angeles
- Van Nuys Airport (VNY / KVNY), the airport we priced from. FBOs listed on their own sites: Clay Lacy Aviation, Jet Aviation, Signature Aviation (East, North and West terminals). Read our Van Nuys Airport guide
- Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR / KBUR)
San Diego
- San Diego International Airport (SAN / KSAN), the airport we priced from.
- McClellan-Palomar Airport (CLD / KCRQ)
A closer airport can save more time on the ground than a faster jet saves in the air. The distance and times on this page use the first airport listed at each end.
How we calculated these figures
Distance is the great circle between the two airports, calculated with the haversine formula from the airport coordinates published by OurAirports, on an earth radius of 3,440 nm. Jets rarely fly the straight line, so we add 5% for airways and approach paths. Flight time is that routed distance divided by the reference jet's cruise speed, plus 20 minutes for taxi, climb and descent.
We checked the formula against route times published by the brokers Acejet and JetCharterHub on six routes, from Van Nuys to Las Vegas up to Teterboro to London. On flights under four hours it lands within about 15 minutes of their figures. On the longest flights it runs up to about 35 minutes longer, so read long haul times here as the cautious case. Hourly rates are the 2026 ranges from Villiers Jets, dated March 30, 2026. None of this is a quote: aircraft age, cabin, positioning and the season move the real price inside and sometimes outside these ranges.
| Class | Reference jet | Cruise speed | Range | Hourly rate (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light jet | Embraer Phenom 300E | 464 knots | 2,010 nm | $2,500 to $4,500 |
| Midsize jet | Cessna Citation Latitude | 446 knots | 2,700 nm | $4,000 to $7,000 |
| Super midsize jet | Cessna Citation Longitude | 483 knots | 3,500 nm | $6,000 to $9,000 |
| Heavy jet | Dassault Falcon 2000LXS | 459 knots | 4,000 nm | $8,000 to $15,000 |
Other routes from Los Angeles and San Diego
- Los Angeles to Las Vegas Private Jet: 199 nm, about 50 min in a midsize jet
- New York to Los Angeles Private Jet: 2,129 nm, about 5 h in a super midsize jet
- Los Angeles to San Francisco Private Jet: 279 nm, about 1 h in a midsize jet
- Los Angeles to Cabo Private Jet: 808 nm, about 2 h 15 min in a midsize jet
- Los Angeles to Hawaii Private Jet: 2,217 nm, about 5 h 10 min in a super midsize jet
- Los Angeles to Scottsdale Private Jet: 330 nm, about 1 h 5 min in a midsize jet
All priced routes are on our private jet routes page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long is a private jet flight from Los Angeles to San Diego?
- About 35 min in a midsize jet on the VNY to SAN pairing, by our calculation from the 110 nm great circle distance and the manufacturer's cruise speed. Winds, routing and the airports you choose move the real time by a few minutes on short trips and by more on long ones.
- How much does a private jet from Los Angeles to San Diego cost?
- At 2026 broker rates, the flight time alone runs about $1,400 to $2,700 in a light jet and $2,300 to $4,100 in a midsize jet. A one way trip that pays for the empty return can reach $3,500 to $8,200 in the midsize jet, before tax and fees.
- Which airports do private jets use from Los Angeles to San Diego?
- We priced the trip from Van Nuys Airport (VNY / KVNY) to San Diego International Airport (SAN / KSAN). Alternatives include Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport and McClellan-Palomar Airport. A different airport changes the distance slightly and can change the price.
- Can a light jet fly from Los Angeles to San Diego nonstop?
- A light jet such as the Embraer Phenom 300E covers it nonstop, which makes it the cheapest jet option for up to six or seven passengers.
Sources
- Villiers Jets, How Much Does It Cost to Charter a Private Jet in 2026 (rate table dated March 30, 2026)
- Embraer, Phenom 300E brochure (464 knots, 2,010 nm)
- Textron Aviation, Citation Latitude specifications (446 knots, 2,700 nm)
- Textron Aviation, Citation Longitude specifications (483 knots, 3,500 nm)
- Dassault Falcon, Falcon 2000LXS (459 knots, 4,000 nm)
- OurAirports, airport coordinates and codes (public domain data)
- NATA, IRS Announces 2026 FET Rates (citing IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Acejet, Teterboro to Palm Beach flight times by aircraft category, used to check our time formula
- Acejet, Teterboro to London flight times by aircraft category, used to check our time formula
