The charter pricing guideChapter 2 of 5
Private jet cost per hour, by category.
The hourly rate, by category — and what the hour includes.
By the JetNine dispatch desk · Updated August 2026 · Rates reviewed quarterly
The card
Six categories, two rates each.
Market is what on-demand missions run today; locked is the 24-month fixed rate for JetNine Card holders. Either way the quote you accept is all-in and doesn’t move.
| Category | Typical mission | Sample lane | Market hourly | Card locked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 3–4 passengers · 1,500 nm · regional hops | Los Angeles (VNY) → Aspen (ASE) | $3,200–3,600/hr | $2,950/hr |
| Midsize | 5–6 passengers · 2,500 nm · coast to coast | Los Angeles (VNY) → New York (TEB) | $4,200–4,600/hr | $3,950/hr |
| Super-mid | 6–8 passengers · 3,500 nm · coast to coast nonstop | San Francisco (SFO) → Miami (MIA) | $5,400–5,900/hr | $5,100/hr |
| Heavy | 8–12 passengers · 4,500 nm · transatlantic | New York (JFK) → London (LHR) | $7,800–8,400/hr | $7,400/hr |
| Ultra long range | 12–16 passengers · 6,500+ nm · transpacific | Los Angeles (LAX) → Tokyo (HND) | $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.
Rate × speed = the real comparison
A cheaper hour isn’t always a cheaper trip.
Categories cruise at different speeds, so the hourly rate alone can mislead: a turboprop’s lower hourly buys a 290-knot cruise, while a super-mid covers the same ground at 490 knots — fewer billed hours on long legs. Rule of thumb: under about 600 nm the cheaper hourly usually wins; past about 1,500 nm the faster aircraft often costs less all-in, and it always costs less of your day. The wizard runs this math per route automatically.
Questions
Asked about hourly rates.
What does the hourly rate include?
On a JetNine quote: the aircraft, two-pilot crew, fuel, landing fees, repositioning, 7.5% FET, standard catering, and a sedan transfer. Some brokers quote a bare hourly and add those back later — always compare all-in totals, not headline rates.
Is billed time the same as time in the air?
No — charter is billed on block time: engine start at the departure ramp to shutdown at arrival, so taxi and climb-out count. Our indicative engine pads great-circle flight time for exactly that, which is why its estimates track final quotes closely.
Why is a heavy jet three times the hourly of a light jet?
Fuel burn scales with aircraft size, crews are larger, maintenance reserves are higher, and acquisition costs are in a different bracket. You're paying for range and cabin: a light jet does 3-hour legs for 6–7 people; a heavy does transatlantic legs with two cabin zones for 12.
Fees beyond the hourly rate are covered in charter fees and additional charges.
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