£1000 per person, £20,000 per person? It’s a popular question and unfortunately due to so many different variables a question you can't reply within an instant. It is fair to say however that chartering a private jet will almost certainly be more expensive than any scheduled airliner service.
The simple answer is to submit your request to us for an indicative rate. It doesn’t cost us to search the market, speaking to us gives us a better understanding of what you are specifically looking for and should only take 5 minutes to get an indication to you.
But suppose however you don’t have a trip and are merely curious - fearful of opening the Pandora box of callbacks etc. and you just want to see a price. We understand, so you may want to skip to the bottom of this article just for indicative options.
For those who may still be curious about how, what, and why charter prices can change so dramatically we have listed just a few of the variables to consider.
Some Important facts that need to be known.
Obviously, where are you flying from and to?
Certain airports are going to be more expensive than others, for instance the handling charges at Heathrow are in the thousands, compared to the hundreds at Biggin Hill. Both serve London but already there is a seismic difference in cost – so let's use this in the example.
The length of your trip is also an important factor.
Consider driving a car, short intercity journeys have a higher MPG than cruising on the motorway – exactly the same with aviation. Short trips command higher hourly rates than longer flights. Let us then consider 3 different charter flights (Short European, Mid-European, and Long European).
How many passengers / what size of private aircraft would you consider?
Traditionally within Europe, there is a noticeable increase in the hourly rate on aircraft that can seat more than 8 passengers (Midsized and above), so you should consider the aircraft and number of passengers – the average cost of a private jet charter per person for 9 passengers is going to be traditionally much higher than the average cost of a charter for 8 passengers. Let us work with the polar opposites of aircraft available to Jet Members. Namely a 6 seat Light Jet vs a 14 seat Heavy Jet.
How long is your stay?
The longer the stay the higher the cost. If the aircraft can remain with you for the duration of your stay (and providing airport parking is available and not expensive) a round trip rate will give you a lower overall cost per person. We won't cover this in the example for the sake of ease, but we are happy to give guidance on the difference a day return flight may have compared to a 3-night stay, if you are looking to make a request.
How much notice can you give prior to the charter flight?
Charter rates offered for a trip needed for the following day may limit your choice of options, in turn, that’s going to increase the cost. So for the sake of the example, let us take the estimated average booking of a private aircraft only 1 day prior to 14+ days prior.
Historical European Charter Prices into our example;
Notice Period | Pax | Aircraft Type | From | To | Private Jet Charter Cost | Cost Per Person | Cost Per Hour |
Short Leg 60 MIN | |||||||
1 Day | 1 Pax | Heavy Jet | London Heathrow | Paris | £20,000 | £20,000 Per Person | £20,000 Per Hour |
14+ Days | 6 Pax | Light Jet | London Biggin Hill | Paris | £5,900 | £983.33 Per Person | £5,900 Per Hour |
Medium Leg 120 MIN | |||||||
1 Day | 1 Pax | Heavy Jet | London Heathrow | Madrid | £25,000 | £25,000 Per Person | £12,500 Per Hour |
14+ Days | 6 Pax | Light Jet | London Biggin Hill | Madrid | £11,000 | £1,833 Per Person | £5,500 Per Hour |
Long Leg 180 Min | |||||||
1 Day | 1 Pax | Heavy Jet | London Heathrow | Malta | £30,000 | £30,000 Per Person | £10,000 Per Hour |
14+ Days | 6 Pax | Light Jet / Super Light Jet | London Biggin Hill | Malta | £16,300 | £2,717 Per Person | £5,433 Per Hour |
These example trips show how the variables work on each specific trip.
What does it tell us?
Can you get a private jet for less than £1,000 per person, yes - but the conditions have to be right and the correct private jet used.
You also would have to pay a high price per person for longer flights on the same aircraft within Europe, so the destination is also key.
Interesting (for us anyway) to see how the average cost per hour of any aircraft falls, the longer the destination, regardless of the notice period.
So this supports the evidence that if you are on a Fixed Non Negotiable Hourly Rate agreement, you may be overpaying on longer routes or if you know your plans ahead of time.
This is where our protected hourly rate membership enables members to receive the reduced hourly rate saving returned to their account, which can be used for additional flying – earning free hours on a private jet whilst still being protected with an uppermost price per hour any time they fly.
Would you like to know more about our services or review your own flying to see if we can reduce your travel spend? Contact us today, it could save you a considerable sum over the year.
Interested in a free quote? Curious to know the cost for your next trip? Please click below to fill in the form for your estimation.
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