How to charter a private jet

Chartering a private jet is a short process with a few decisions that matter. This guide follows it in order, from the first message to the ramp, and points to the longer articles where a step has its own detail.

How do you charter a private jet?

You send the details of the trip to a charter broker or an operator, compare itemised quotes, check who will fly you, sign a charter agreement, pay, send passenger information and arrive at the private terminal. The whole sequence can take a day for a simple domestic trip and several weeks for an international one.

Step 1: What do you need to decide before asking for a quote?

You need your dates, the airports at both ends, how many people are travelling and how many bags, and whether you need a return. The more flexible any of those are, the better the choice of aircraft.

Useful extras: the longest item you are bringing, any pets, and which nearby airports you would use. See how far in advance to book, how much luggage fits and what size private jet you need. Travelling with young children or anything unusual? See flying private with children and what you can bring on a private jet.

Step 2: Should you book through a broker or an operator?

Either can arrange a charter, and the difference is who does what. An operator holds the FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate and flies the aircraft. A broker holds out, sells or arranges charter transportation using a direct air carrier, in the words of 14 CFR 295.5, and does not fly.

A broker can ask many carriers at once where their aircraft are, which matters when you are not flying from a major hub. An operator can quote only its own aircraft. Either way, the carrier keeps operational control of the flight. Flying private from anywhere explains how aircraft are sourced, and what a private jet broker does covers what a broker must tell you and how it is paid.

Step 3: What should a charter quote include?

A quote should state the aircraft category, the billable hours, taxes and fees and the positioning legs, each shown separately. Published base rates run from about $2,300 an hour for a turboprop to $17,000 for an ultra-long-range jet as of October 2026, and a daily minimum of two or more hours can apply.

Compare quotes on the full trip price, not the hourly rate. The cost-per-hour guide and what a charter actually costs show how the layers add up.

Step 4: How do you check who will actually fly you?

Ask for the carrier’s corporate name before you commit, and ask for its safety rating and the date. Under 14 CFR 295.24, a broker must disclose the corporate name of the direct air carrier in operational control, and any other names it holds out under, before entering a contract for a specific flight.

Then look the carrier up. ARGUS, Wyvern and IS-BAO ratings explained says what each rating checks and where to verify it, and is flying private safer puts the risks in context.

Step 5: What should the charter agreement say?

The agreement should name the carrier, set the price, and say what happens if the aircraft changes or the flight is cancelled. Ask for the operator’s certificate of insurance as well; what insurance a charter operator carries lists what it should show. Before a contract for a specific flight, a broker must disclose three things: the carrier’s corporate name, the capacity the broker is acting in, and whether it holds liability insurance covering you, with the limits.

On request, it must also tell you any business relationship with the carrier, the total cost paid to or through it, and third-party fees you pay directly. Read the substitution, delay and refund terms. What happens when the plane breaks lists the clauses to look for.

Step 6: How do you pay for a charter?

Payment terms are in the agreement and vary: some operators take a card, others require a wire transfer. There is no federal rule on how a broker must hold a deposit, since Part 295 has no escrow requirement, so ask how your money is held and when it is returned; private jet cancellation and deposits lists what the agreement should say.

If a flight cannot be performed, 14 CFR 295.26 requires prompt refunds of money paid for the transportation. Cash and cheque refunds are due within 20 days after a complete request, and card refunds follow the card rules. How to spot a charter scam covers payment fraud, surprise fees and switched aircraft.

Step 7: What information do you need to send before the flight?

Send the full name of every passenger as it appears on their ID, and for international trips their passport details, dates of birth and nationality. The operator builds the manifest from them, and a name that does not match a document is the most common avoidable delay.

Also send contact numbers, catering requests and any ground transport you want. See flying private internationally for what customs needs.

Step 8: What happens on the day you fly?

You go to the FBO named in your trip plan at the report time, show photo ID, and are taken to the aircraft. There is no TSA checkpoint on a typical domestic charter, bags are loaded for you, and the crew meets you at the aircraft. Do you go through TSA on a private jet? explains the exceptions.

If the aircraft has a mechanical problem, the operator and the pilot decide what happens, and the broker arranges a replacement where one is needed.

What to ask before you say yes

1. Who is the carrier, by corporate name, and what is its rating and date?
2. What is the full trip price, itemised, and what is not included?
3. What happens to my payment, and when is it refundable?
4. What happens if the aircraft changes?
5. What does the broker’s fee cover, and is it refunded if the flight is not flown?

To start, call +1 (862) 485-3510 or request a quote with your dates, airports and passenger count.

Sources

• 14 CFR Part 295, Air charter brokers, including 295.5, 295.24 and 295.26 (eCFR, Title 14)
• Paramount Business Jets: published hourly rates by aircraft category
• Paramount Business Jets: private jet rental cost, daily minimums, positioning and fees
• 49 CFR 1544.101, Adoption and implementation of aircraft operator security programs (eCFR, Title 49)
• CBP: general aviation processing FAQs