Private jet from Westchester (HPN) to Palm Beach: times, prices and timing

What goes into the price

The parts of the price are the same as on any domestic charter. Flight time at the operator’s hourly rate is the largest part. Then comes any positioning the aircraft needs, the 7.5% federal excise tax and a $5.30 per-passenger segment fee for 2026. On top of those are landing and handling fees at both ends, crew hotel and per diem if the aircraft waits, catering and, on winter mornings, de-icing. Jake’s quote shows you which apply.

One cost is particular to Westchester. Both Signature terminals at HPN say they offer day-use only, with no overnight ramp or hangar parking. If your aircraft would normally wait for you, it may have to park elsewhere or fly away and come back, and that positioning can show up in the price. Atlantic and Million Air have their own policies, and Jake checks them when he builds the quote.

What makes this route cheaper or more expensive

School breaks. Many families who fly from Westchester travel when school is out, and the 2026 to 2027 calendars don’t line up:

District	February break	Spring break
Greenwich, CT	February 8 to 12, 2027 (Presidents’ Day, February 15, also closed)	April 12 to 16, 2027
Scarsdale, NY	February 15 to 19, 2027	April 19 to 23, 2027
Chappaqua, NY	February 15 to 19, 2027	April 19 to 23, 2027

So in February and April the busiest southbound days come two weekends in a row. If your dates are flexible, the days between those peaks are easier to book.

Direction. In winter, most demand runs south. A jet that takes a family down often has to fly back empty, and that is part of a one-way price. Flying against the flow, or at the end of a season, gives operators a reason to price more keenly.

Holidays. Thanksgiving week and Christmas to New Year’s are the most expensive and the first to sell out. Greenwich schools are out December 23 to 31, Scarsdale December 21 to January 1, and Chappaqua December 23 to January 1.

Empty legs between Westchester and Florida

Empty legs are flights an operator has to fly anyway, without passengers, often sold at a discount. Charter Jet One says the discount can be up to 75% off a custom charter. On this route they tend to follow the season, though that pattern is general industry experience rather than published data: northbound out of Palm Beach in the winter after families have been dropped off, and the other way in spring.

An illustrative example: a midsize jet brings a Bedford family to Palm Beach for the February break and has a trip from Westchester the following Monday. If you can fly north on its schedule, it may be offered at a lower price. That is an example, not a listed flight. Empty legs change at short notice and run on the operator’s timing, so they suit people with flexible plans. Tell Jake your window and he will look.

Departing from Westchester County Airport

Location. Westchester County Airport (HPN) is about 3 miles northeast of White Plains. In free-flow traffic it’s about 15 minutes from Greenwich, 16 from Rye, 15 from Chappaqua, 21 from Scarsdale, 23 from Bedford and around half an hour from Darien and New Canaan. From the Upper East Side it’s about 49 minutes, against roughly 27 to Teterboro, so for Manhattan, Teterboro is usually the better start.

Runways. 16/34 is 6,549 feet long and 11/29 is 4,451 feet. Runway 29 is closed to landing aircraft over 12,500 pounds, and aircraft over 120,000 pounds need prior permission. That limit is well above anything you’d charter for Palm Beach.

Night rules. There is no mandatory curfew. The county runs a Voluntary Restraint From Flying program from midnight to 6:30 am, monitors it and contacts operators who fly in those hours. Through November 23, 2026, the main runway is also closed from midnight to 5:30 am, Monday to Friday, for construction. An early-morning departure is best planned for after 6:30 am.

Terminals. Five FBOs operate at HPN: Signature East, Signature West, Atlantic East, Atlantic West and Million Air White Plains. Million Air’s terminal opened in 2019 with a heated hangar that, it says, reduces the need for de-icing. Signature East lists de-icing among its services. Customs is available at the airport for international arrivals.

A quieter airport. Westchester is mostly a corporate-jet airport. From January to July 2026 the county counted 54,380 corporate operations against 15,298 airline operations.

Arriving in Palm Beach

The code is now DJT. The airport was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport in 2026. Its FAA code became DJT on July 9, 2026, and its passenger code changed from PBI on August 18, 2026.

Runways and terminals. The main runway is 10,001 feet, with a 6,931-foot crosswind runway. Atlantic Aviation, Jet Aviation, Signature North and Signature South operate around the clock, and the tower is open 24 hours.

Runway work. Through January 31, 2027, both main runways close Monday to Thursday nights from 11 pm to 6 am, which the FAA says effectively closes the field to nearly all business jets in those hours. From February 1 to July 31, 2027 the main runway is closed continuously and flights use the 6,931-foot runway, with possible delays. Our Teterboro to Palm Beach page has the full schedule.

Alternates. For Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Boca Raton Airport (BCT) has a 6,276-foot runway and a voluntary curfew from 10 pm to 7 am. For Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach County General Aviation (F45) has a 4,300-foot runway and a 30,000-pound weight limit, which suits light jets only.

Presidential flight restrictions

When the President is at Mar-a-Lago, private flights into the Palm Beach airport must come from, or stop for TSA screening at, one of five gateway airports. Westchester is one of them, alongside Teterboro, Washington Dulles, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.

That means a flight from HPN can still go straight to Palm Beach. The operator must register with the TSA at least 24 hours ahead, and everyone on board is screened at the departure airport between 8 am and 5 pm. Atlantic Aviation’s HPN East terminal also lists itself as a gateway for a separate Washington DC security program, a sign of how used the airport is to these procedures.

When to book, and the weather

For the school-break weekends and the holiday weeks, ask for a quote as early as you can. For ordinary dates, a few days is workable but gives you fewer aircraft to choose from.

In winter, cold mornings at Westchester can mean de-icing, which adds time and cost. Hurricane season in Florida runs June 1 to November 30, with the peak from mid-August to mid-October.

Which aircraft fits best

A light jet is right for most families of four to six on this route. A midsize jet is worth it if you have more bags, sports equipment or seven passengers. A super-midsize makes sense for eight or more, or if you want a cabin you can stand up in. On a two-and-a-half-hour flight, the bigger aircraft saves only about 15 minutes, so choose it for space, not speed.

How Jake handles this route

Jake often meets clients on the ramp at Westchester before departure. He builds each quote around the details that change the price here: where the aircraft can wait, the night runway work and the school calendars that set the peak days. He also confirms that the operator is ARGUS Gold or Platinum rated. If a presidential restriction is announced for your dates, he talks you through the screening timing before the day.