Why you’d want to rent a plane

Flying on a private jet may actually be more cost-effective than you think – saving you airport time, minimizing travel fatigue, optimizing work productivity while onboard, and getting you close to your destination at a time of your choosing.

If you’re on the “Forbes Richest” list or an A-list celebrity, your next few paychecks should cover your own private jet – the new Cessna CJ4 is going for about $9 million. Pocket change, right? But for the majority of travelers, a private jet rental is a better option. Private jet charter offers all the benefits of owning a private jet without the hefty price tag and the hassle of continual maintenance.

There’s also no need to settle for one airplane. Hopping over to the Hamptons for the weekend requires a different plane for the journey than if you were taking your boardroom overseas. When you rent a jet, you select the most cost-effective aircraft that’s just right for your needs every time you fly.

To book a private jet for a vacation, business trip or special occasion, please visit our private jet charter page.

How much is a charter flight on an air taxi or light jet?

Whenever there’s a headlining game in town, you’ll see private jets parked wing-to-wing on the apron at the nearest airport. A private helicopter rental (or air taxi) will help you beat the airport scrum. The Sikorsky S-76 has been transporting three passengers in comfort to their business and leisure destinations since the 70s. Regular enhancements have made the S-76 a seriously impressive travel solution at a lower cost.

For a weekend in the Hamptons, consider a private jet charter turboprop like the Piper Aztec. This popular commuter plane costs around $2,900 to fly from New York to Montauk, while a 40-minute flight from Montauk to White Plains comes in at a private jet rental cost of around $2,800 aboard a Piper Seneca,  these are certainly the best deals if you are flying private to new york.

If you’re bringing family and friends along (all that extra baggage!), you could upgrade to a Cessna Citation CJ3 light jet, which can complete the journey in under 30 minutes for a private charter flight cost of around $3,900.

Turboprops and light jets are perfect for short journeys from, say, Los Angeles to Las Vegas. A Cessna Citation Mustang will get you and three additional passengers to the City of Lights in about an hour at a cost of around $4,100.

Now for a look at a selection of popular light jets and turboprops, and the private jet cost per hour:

Can’t wait to charter a light jet or turboprop? No problem. Find out more about how to charter a plane with ACS.

How much is a charter flight on a mid-size or super-mid-size jet?

Your charter plane cost will increase as your need for additional space for passengers, luggage or equipment increases. The private jet hire of a mid-size plane allows you to cover greater distances and reach higher speeds. So if you’d like to get from Los Angeles to Washington in a five-and-a-half-hour journey with six passengers onboard, the sleek mid-size Learjet 40/40XR will cost around $30,000. The same journey in the nine-seater Hawker Beechcraft 900XP will cost around $38,000 for an elegant and smooth ride. That works out to about $5,500 and $7,000 respectively per hour in the air.

Alternatively, the five-hour journey from Atlanta Georgia to San Francisco costs around $41,500, which is $8,300 per hour in a Falcon 20 private jet.

Other popular options for mid-size jets include the Bombardier Learjet 60XR, which costs approximately $7,000 per hour of flight, while the private flight cost of a Gulfstream G200/G280, is $9,500 an hour.

If you’re all about saving on your jet lease cost by chartering a smaller plane over a greater distance, keep in mind that this may end up making your journey more expensive. Smaller private jets that must cover long distances will need to stop to refuel. This will increase the cost because of landing, refueling and the extra time added to your journey. Private jet charter costs typically include:

• Fuel for the distance you travel. Prices change constantly so a surcharge is usually added to make up the difference between the projected cost on your private jet charter quote, and the actual cost of flying.
• Landing fees calculated on the size and weight of your aircraft. These vary from airport to airport, and go towards maintaining airport facilities.
• Airport fees are charged for managing an aircraft on the ground by a Fixed Based Operator (FBO) or Aircraft Handling Company. This includes servicing the aircraft’s toilets, arranging fuel and passenger transport to and from the terminal, and rest facilities for the crew.
• On a return journey, ramp fees are charged when a plane is parked at an airport overnight or for any length of time.
• Other costs of multi-leg journeys can include overnight accommodation for private jet charter crew members and their taxis to and from hotel to airport during stop-overs.

Super-mid-size and larger private jets are better suited to journeys of six hours or more. The private flight cost of an eight-and-a-half-hour journey from Chicago to London comes in at around $74,600 in an Embraer Legacy 500 that has an impressive range of 3,450 miles. Or the trip will cost just under $94,000 in the intelligently-designed and high-performing Bombardier Challenger 300. This works out at $8,776 and $11,750 respectively per hour in the air.