If you want to hire a private jet, whether it’s for a weekend getaway (fancy you!) or to make a business trip easy, calculating the cost of a private jet charter is one of the first things to do. When you take a jet, you can customize the experience to suit your needs and budget.
Believe it or not, from the size or the aircraft to the crew in it, many of those services are available on an hourly basis. In this piece, we’ll look at the jet charter costs per hour.
Overall Private Jet Charter Cost Per Hour
The cost of a private jet charter flight has a number of components which fluctuate depending on market rates. Like fuel which you pay for based on distance, not time and demand which depends on the time of the year you choose to fly.
But it’s the hourly charges that determine the final cost of hiring a private jet.
There are many services that give you a rough estimate based on your need. Here’s how to keep the figures in your final invoice under control by calculating the jet charter cost per hour.
Cost Per Hour by Aircraft Type
Most calculators give you an all-inclusive estimate. But if you would like to know the breakdown, we’re here to help. This also helps you compare with other services and pick the one that is best for you.
From turboprops to the luxurious models, there are four types of private jets available for hire. When we look at jet charter cost per hour, rental price is the first aspect of billable flight hours. This could be anywhere between $2,000 to $10,000.
Turboprops or Very Light Jets
These are the smallest of the lot. They have a capacity of 4-8 persons and can go up to an average of 1,800 nautical miles. These are available for $2,000 to $2,800 per flight hour.
Mid-Size Jets
A popular and well-rounded choice, mid-size jets can fly up to 2,000 nautical miles without stopping and have a capacity of 8 to 10 people. Most service providers charge from between $2,900 and $5,800 per hour.
Large and Ultra Long-Range Jets
These can travel up to 4,000 nautical miles and are good for inter-continental travel. They can handle up to 18 people and their baggage. These cost between $6,000 and $10,000 per hour. This is the charge within the US so keep in mind it could vary in other locations.
Luxury Jets
These are usually the ones hired by VIPs and are available in a variety of configurations. From the extraordinarily large Boeing Business Jets to the Airbuses, a charter on these jets varies from $11,000 to $18,000 per flight hour – or more.
Other Considerations
Once you pick the aircraft type based on the distance and your crowd, you should look at the age of the aircraft. This the next factor which is charged per hour. And yes, newer aircraft are more expensive than older ones.
These prices vary from $100 to $1,000 per hour. In this respect, it is advised to make safety a higher priority than containing your budget. Next on the list is the actual flight time.
The number of hours spent in the air is referred to as the total billable flight time. This includes a (re)positioning fee. When you’re planning a trip, you can choose to go to the jet’s home base or be picked up from the nearest airport.
If you want to be picked up, you have to pay for the jet to fly from its base to your nearest airport. That is (re)positioning fee and it is a part of your jet charter cost per hour.
Along with that is your trip time which is departure to arrival time in the air. That is also a part of the jet charter cost per hour. The industry standard in terms of payment is two hours per day whether or not you’re in the air the whole time.
For example, you might get a jet for a 50-minute trip but you pay for two hours. The total billable flight time does not, however, include taxi time. It is calculated, as they say, from wheels up to wheels down.
Short leg fees are also part of a jet charter’s cost per hour. Short leg refers to a shorter flight and the charge usually applied on larger aircraft. Shorter flights require going at a lower altitude and consume more fuel.
This jet charter cost per hour has a minimum industry standard of at least two hours a day.
Fuel surcharge is another part of calculating a jet charter’s cost per hour. This is applicable when there is a surge in market prices and could go up by $600 to $900 per hour. But that depends on the size of the aircraft.
There are many other charges that add up to the final bill but most of them are pretty standard and hardly negotiable. These are the biggest variables and your best shot at keeping your budget from blowing up. Happy flying.
