Like an airline ticket, the cost of jet charter varies by date, origin, destination and whether it’s one way or round trip. Unlike commercial flights, aircraft type is the key, as its the basis of an hourly billing rate—while there are other business models, the vast majority of charter flights are priced hourly. While some operators/providers charge by specific model, most group aircraft into price classes like light, midsize and super-mid.
The main cost components are:
- Billable Flight Time – Time in the air, sometimes with the addition of taxi time to determine total time “chock to chock” which—after potentially rounding up to a minimum—is multiplied by an occupied hourly rate. An added leg to get the aircraft to/from its base (positioning and/or return on one-way), if required, is usually billed at a lower rate, while the occupied one-way rate might be higher.
- Fuel Surcharge – Because fuel prices fluctuate by date and airport, charter rates may include a fuel surcharge—even if fuel prices are low—enabling hourly rates independent of fuel prices. NetJets sets a “Fuel Variable Rate” for each aircraft type in its fleet. Charges vary by type of plane, distance flown and the cost of fuel.
- Crew Fees – Per diem payments for hotel, meals, etc.
- Landing, Handling & Incidental Fees – Charges vary by type of plane, airport and other details.
- Federal Excise Tax (FET) – Domestic US flights incur a tax of 7.5% on top of all charges, which has been waived in 2020 as part of the COVID-driven CARES Act.
The table below shows the typical hourly cost of chartering a jet in September 2020 within the United States for different classes of aircraft.
| Aircraft Type | Example Aircraft | Passengers | Hourly Rate |
| Turboprop | Pilatus PC12 | 6-10 | $1,200 – $1,800 |
| Very Light Jet | Phenom 100 | 4-5 | $1,500 – $2,250 |
| Light Jet | Hawker 400XP | 6-8 | $2,200 – $3,000 |
| Midsize Jet | Lear 60 | 7-9 | $3,000 – $3,800 |
| Supermidsize Jet | Gulfstream G200 | 8-10 | $4,000 – $5,000 |
| Heavy Jet | Gulfstream G-IVSP | 10-16 | $5,500 – $8,000 |
| Ultra Long-Range Jet | Global 6000 | 10-16 | $8,500 – $11,000 |