Seats on private jets
How per-seat private flights work, who they suit, and how to tell when the whole aircraft is the better buy. Then request seats for your route.
How it works
A seat is sold only on a flight set up to sell it.
An ordinary charter is a contract for the whole aircraft: one customer books it and brings their own guests. Individual seats are sold on flights organized for that purpose, which is why they follow set routes, dates and departure times.
Every option below is flown by a certificated air carrier. What changes is how the seat is sold, how firm the schedule is and what happens if plans change.
Semi-private scheduled seats
Carriers publish a timetable on set routes and sell seats one at a time, usually from private terminals with short check-in.
Public charter seats
A charter operator sells seats on a specific flight and date, flown by a certificated carrier under the DOT’s public charter rules.
Shared charters
A group charters the whole aircraft and splits the bill. One person or company is the charterer; the group divides the cost.
Empty legs, the repositioning flights operators sell at a discount, are usually sold as the whole aircraft rather than by the seat. Read more in how buying a seat on a private jet works.
Who seats suit
Great for some trips. Wrong for others.
A seat suits you if
- You are one or two travelers
- Your route is a busy city pair and the timetable works
- You travel light, with soft bags
- You can live with the carrier’s change and refund terms
Take the whole jet if
- Your group is past the breakeven headcount
- You need a set time or a particular airport
- You bring skis, golf bags or a pet
- The trip simply cannot be moved or missed
Breakeven calculator
Seats or the whole jet?
Enter a seat price and a whole-aircraft price for the same trip. The calculator shows which costs less for your group and the headcount where it flips.
Per person, one way, including tax and fees if you can.
From a quote that includes positioning, tax and fees. As a guide, light jets run about $3,500–5,500 an hour before tax and fees.
Seats cost less for 4 travelers.
- Whole jet per person
- $2,400
- Flips at
- 6 travelers
- Starting figures
- Hypothetical
The starting figures are hypothetical examples, not live prices. Real prices depend on route, date, aircraft and positioning; we quote both options for your trip.
Request seats
Tell us the route, date and seats you need.
We check scheduled seats and public charter seats for your date and tell you who operates each option, what the terms say about changes and baggage, and whether the price is all-in.
If no seat fits, we will say so plainly and, if you like, quote the whole aircraft instead.
- Free to ask, no membership or deposit
- Operator named for every option
- One advisor from request to landing
Request seats on your route
Seat request received.
Your advisor will check what is scheduled on your route and email the seats on offer, with the operator named.
If nothing fits your date, you will hear that plainly, with whole-jet prices if you want them.