There are a tremendous amount of private jets being used in the US on a regular basis. While some are for the exclusive use of rock stars or celebrities, most of them are accessible to everyday people. Thus, there are different ways to fly “private” versus commercial for a reasonable cost.
Shared Charters
Many private jets are chartered by a group, who don’t use all the seats of the jet. The charter cost is by the flight, not by the seat. So, to make some money on these empty seats, the party chartering the jet will sell the empty seats to other people who want to share that particular flight. There are several online companies that act as brokers, who sell these seats to individuals.
Book By the Seat
Some private jet operators run scheduled flights, much like a commercial airline – but use a smaller “private” jet. These flights are usually between popular destinations and the jets typically hold 30 passengers. This will cost less than a shared charter seat and often can be less than a first-class ticket on a commercial airline flight.
Empty Leg and Last Minute
Parties who charter a private jet often do so for a one-way flight only. This causes the jet operator to fly an empty plane back to their home base. This is known as an “empty leg” flight. These jet operators offer these seats at a substantial discount – sometimes up to 75% off. There are special private jet brokerage services that specialize in booking these kind of seats.
Another reason that a jet can have empty seats is because some of their scheduled passengers cancel at the last minute. Again, there are private jet booking agencies that sell these – but you need to be ready to fly in usually less than 24 hours.
Membership Programs
If you anticipate flying private between 15 – 50 hours within a year’s time, then a private jet membership card might be a good option. These memberships give you an advanced fixed cost per flight hour and usually a guaranteed seat with 24 hours notice. Most of these plans have an upfront cost and maybe a monthly fee as well.