How much does a private jet charter cost?
The industry's least-answered question, answered with our actual numbers: the hourly rate card, a real itemized quote, what moves the price, and the honest ways to pay less.
— The short answer
$3,200–3,600 to $10,400–11,200 per flight hour.
That’s the market range across the six aircraft categories, and it’s the honest unit to think in: your trip’s price is the hourly rate for the category you need, times the hours the mission takes, plus tax — all of which is in the quote before you accept it. Most charter sites won’t print these numbers. Here’s our card:
| Category | Typical mission | Sample lane | Market hourly | Card locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 3–4 pax · 1,500 NM · regional hops | KVNY → KASE | $3,200–3,600/hr | $2,950/HR |
| Midsize | 5–6 pax · 2,500 NM · transcon | KVNY → KTEB | $4,200–4,600/hr | $3,950/HR |
| Super-mid | 6–8 pax · 3,500 NM · transcon nonstop | KSFO → KMIA | $5,400–5,900/hr | $5,100/HR |
| Heavy | 8–12 pax · 4,500 NM · transatlantic | KJFK → EGLL | $7,800–8,400/hr | $7,400/HR |
| Ultra long range | 12–16 pax · 6,500+ NM · transpacific | KLAX → RJTT | $10,400–11,200/hr | $9,850/HR |
— Included: flight time, fuel, crew, landing, repositioning, 7.5% FET, standard catering, sedan transfer · Itemized separately: premium catering, de-icing, international handling · Rates reviewed quarterly · Updated August 2026
— A real itemized quote
What $47,260 actually buys.
A midsize round trip, Los Angeles (Van Nuys) to New York (Teterboro area) and back — about ten hours of block time. This is the same breakdown a JetNine quote itemizes before you accept:
| 01 | AIRFRAME | Midsize · ~10h block-time · KVNY ⇄ KJFK round-trip | $36,400 |
| 02 | FUEL SURCHARGE | Variable component · indexed to weekly Jet-A spot | $5,800 |
| 03 | REPOSITIONING | Ferry leg if applicable · zero on this mission | $0 |
| 04 | CREW & CATERING | Two-pilot crew · standard cold catering · standard bar | $1,400 |
| 05 | FET (7.5%) | Federal Excise Tax on domestic charter | $3,300 |
| 06 | GROUND TRANSPORT | Black sedan · both legs · curb-to-FBO | $360 |
| All-in total | Locked at acceptance — this is the invoice number | $47,260 |
Two things worth noticing. Repositioning is $0 here because the airframe was already based on the departure coast — when it isn’t, that line is real money, which is why flexible routing saves more than any coupon. And the 7.5% Federal Excise Tax applies to every domestic charter, whoever you book with; a quote that doesn’t show it isn’t cheaper, it’s incomplete. Line-by-line detail is in what moves the price.
— Per passenger
You’re buying the aircraft, not a seat.
The quote is for the whole cabin — so the per-person math turns on how many seats you fill. Los Angeles to Aspen on a light jet prices at $9,500 – $13,000 all-in. With four aboard, that’s roughly $2,800 a seat — into a mountain airport the airlines serve badly, on your schedule, with the car on the ramp when you land.
— Worked live · KVNY → KASE · light jet
Computed by the same engine as the quote wizard, refreshed with the rate card. Your exact number depends on date and airframe availability.
— How to pay less
Three honest discounts. No coupon codes.
Fly an empty leg.
Repositioning flights sell at 30–60% off, occasionally deeper — same airframe, same crew, locked date and route. Our live board lists them and the SMS watchlist texts you when your lane shows up.
See the live board →Be flexible on routing.
Repositioning is the biggest avoidable line item. Shifting a departure day toward where aircraft already are — or accepting the region's secondary airport — regularly beats any negotiation.
The price drivers →Lock rates if you fly often.
The JetNine Card fixes hourly rates from $2,950/hr for 24 months with no peak surcharges — worth the math at roughly 25+ flight hours a year. Below that, stay on-demand; we'll tell you the same.
Compare programs →— Cost questions, answered straight
How much does it cost to charter a private jet?
At market rates, $3,200–$11,200 per flight hour depending on aircraft category. A short light-jet hop like LA to Aspen runs about $9,500 – $13,000 all-in; a coast-to-coast midsize round trip runs about $47,000 including fuel, crew, FET, and ground transfer. JetNine publishes the full rate card and locks the number at acceptance.
What's the cheapest way to fly private?
An empty leg — a repositioning flight sold at 30–60% off, occasionally more. The trade is a locked date and route. Second cheapest: flexible dates on a light jet or turboprop, quoted on-demand with no membership.
Are there hidden fees on top of the quote?
Not on ours. A JetNine quote is the all-in number — flight time, fuel, crew, landing, repositioning, 7.5% FET, standard catering, sedan transfer — and it's locked at acceptance. Premium catering, de-icing, and international handling are itemized before you accept, never after.
Do I need a membership or jet card to charter?
No. On-demand charter is the default — pay per flight at market rates. The JetNine Card exists for frequent flyers who want rates locked from $2,950/hr for 24 months, but nothing on this page requires it.
Is chartering cheaper per person for a group?
It gets close to premium-cabin airline pricing faster than most people expect: the aircraft price is fixed, so six passengers on a $15,000 flight pay $2,500 a seat — with no security line, positioning to a closer airport, and the schedule you chose.
— Start a quote
Numbers read. Now price yours.
Route, date, and passenger count — the same engine behind every figure in this guide, live on your trip.
Or just ask a human.
The dispatch desk wrote this guide and picks up in under twenty seconds — every hour of every day.