What does a private jet broker do?

A charter broker is the person or company that arranges your flight on someone else’s aircraft. You talk to the broker; an operator, with its own certificate, aircraft and pilots, flies the trip. Most private charter trips in the United States are arranged this way, and the Department of Transportation has a set of rules, 14 CFR Part 295, for what brokers may and may not do.

Lombardi Jet Services is a broker, so this page describes our own business. It sticks to what the rules say and what you should ask any broker, us included.

What does a private jet broker actually do?

It arranges a charter. 14 CFR 295.5 defines an air charter broker as a person or entity that “holds out, sells, or arranges single entity charter air transportation using a direct air carrier”. In plain terms:

1. Takes the trip. Dates, airports, passengers, bags, pets, the time you need to be somewhere.
2. Finds aircraft. Asks operators which suitable aircraft are available, including ones already positioned nearby or flying an empty leg. How a broker sources aircraft explains this step.
3. Checks the operator. Its FAA certificate, its safety rating and its record. ARGUS, Wyvern and IS-BAO covers the audits.
4. Quotes. One price for the trip, with the aircraft and the operator named.
5. Books and coordinates. The contract, the passenger manifest, catering, cars, and anything the airport needs, such as a parking reservation in an event week.
6. Handles changes. A new time, an extra passenger, a weather delay, a mechanical issue that needs a replacement aircraft. When the plane breaks describes what that looks like.

What does a broker not do?

Fly the aircraft or decide whether it flies. That belongs to the operator, which holds operational control: the legal authority over starting, conducting and ending a flight. A broker cannot overrule the pilot on weather, on a mechanical issue or on crew rest, and should not try.

That is also why every broker’s advertising must say so. Under 14 CFR 295.23, a broker’s solicitations and website must state that it is a broker, that it is “not a direct air carrier… in operational control of aircraft”, and that the flight will be provided by a properly licensed carrier, a rule that reaches booking apps selling someone else’s aircraft too. Ours is at the foot of every page.

How is a charter broker paid?

Out of the price you pay. There are two common ways:

Model	How it works	What you see
Margin	The broker buys the flight from the operator and sells it to you at a higher price	One price for the trip
Fee	The broker charges a separate fee on top of the operator’s price	The operator’s price plus the broker’s fee

Part 295 does not require a broker to tell you its margin. It does require, if you ask, the total cost of the trip, including any broker or carrier fees and government taxes (295.24(a)(4)). That is the number to compare. A quote that looks cheap because fees appear later is not cheap; how to spot a charter scam covers that pattern.

There is no published industry standard for what brokers earn. Figures quoted online, mostly in videos and forum posts, run from a few percent to 20% or more. Treat any single number with care.

What must a broker tell you before you sign?

Under 14 CFR 295.24, before you contract for a specific flight:

Always:

• the corporate name of the operator in control of the aircraft, and any other names it uses;
• the capacity the broker is acting in: as your agent, as the operator’s agent, or as an indirect air carrier;
• whether the broker carries liability insurance covering you, your passengers and your property, and its limits.

If you ask:

• any business relationship between the broker and the operator that could affect the choice, when the broker is acting as your agent;
• the total cost of the trip;
• fees third parties will charge you directly, such as fuel, landing or parking, or a good faith estimate.

If any of that changes after you sign, the broker must tell you in reasonable time. If it does not, 295.24(c) gives you the right to cancel and receive a full refund; what happens to your money when a charter is cancelled covers the other cases.

Is it better to book with a broker or an operator?

It depends on the trip. An operator sells its own fleet. If its aircraft is the right size, in the right place, on your dates, booking direct is simple. A broker is useful when the right aircraft belongs to someone else, when you want several options priced against each other, or when you want one person handling the trip from quote to landing and finding a replacement if something goes wrong. How to charter a private jet compares the two in its second step.

Either way, the questions are the same: who is flying it, which aircraft, what is the total, and what happens if the aircraft cannot fly.

What should you ask any broker?

1. Who is the operator, and may I see its certificate? The FAA’s list of Part 135 operators confirms it; Part 91 vs Part 135 shows how to check.
2. Which aircraft, and how old is it? The type, and the registration if available.
3. What is the total price, and what is not included?
4. Are you acting as my agent or as the seller? It changes what the broker must disclose.
5. What happens if the aircraft cannot fly? Refund, replacement, and who pays the difference.
6. Do you carry insurance that covers me? The broker must tell you either way.

How Jake works

Jake is a broker and acts as his clients’ agent. Each trip is quoted on its own, with one price, and the quote names the aircraft and the operator before you agree. There are no deposits and no membership terms: until you approve a flight, you have committed to nothing. He checks the operator’s certificate and safety rating before a trip goes in front of you, and he is the one person you deal with from the quote to the car on the ramp.

To see how that works on your trip, call +1 (862) 485-3510 or request a quote.

Sources

• 14 CFR 295.5, Definitions, including air charter broker, bona fide agent and single entity charter (eCFR, Title 14)
• 14 CFR Part 295, Air charter brokers, including 295.23 (advertising), 295.24 (disclosures) and 295.50 (unfair or deceptive practices) (eCFR, Title 14)
• 14 CFR 1.1, General definitions, including operational control (eCFR, Title 14)
• FAA: FAA-certificated aircraft operators (legal Part 135 holders)