Six friends, one midsize jet, three hours
- Flight time, 3 h × $4,500–7,000$13,500–21,000
- Federal excise tax, 7.5%$1,013–1,575
- Segment fees, 6 × about $5$30
- Total for the aircraft$14,543–22,605
Each of 6$2,424–3,768
Private jet cost, shared fairly
What a private jet really costs, per person.
Choose how many are flying and roughly how long. We split the estimate, show the math, then quote the whole trip all in.
- Whole price, then the splitTax and fees go into the total before it is divided by your group.
- Certified operators onlyYour flight is run by an FAA Part 135 carrier, or its equivalent abroad.
- A single point of contactOne advisor handles the quote, the booking and the day itself.
- Free to askNo membership, deposit or sign-up just to see a price.
Worked examples
Three group trips, every line shown.
Real routes, typical hourly ranges and the taxes that apply, divided by the people on board. These are estimates; your quote replaces them with exact numbers.
Four people, Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back in a day
- Flight time, 2 h × $3,500–5,500$7,000–11,000
- Federal excise tax, 7.5%$525–825
- Segment fees, 4 × 2 legs × about $5$40
- Total for the aircraft$7,565–11,865
Each of 4$1,891–2,966
Eight skiers, New York to Aspen, one way
- Flight time, 4.5 h × $6,500–9,500$29,250–42,750
- Federal excise tax, 7.5%$2,194–3,206
- Segment fees, 8 × about $5$40
- Total for the aircraft$31,484–45,996
Each of 8$3,935–5,750
Aircraft
Five cabins, priced per seat-hour.
Hourly rate divided by a comfortable load, before tax. Notice that bigger aircraft cost more per person per hour even when they are full.
Turboprop
6–9 seats
- Per hour
- $1,800–3,200
- Each, 6 aboard
- $300–533
Light jet
6–8 seats
- Per hour
- $3,500–5,500
- Each, 6 aboard
- $583–917
Midsize
7–9 seats
- Per hour
- $4,500–7,000
- Each, 7 aboard
- $643–1,000
Super-midsize
8–10 seats
- Per hour
- $6,500–9,500
- Each, 8 aboard
- $813–1,188
Large cabin
10–16 seats
- Per hour
- $8,500–13,000
- Each, 10 aboard
- $850–1,300
How it works
From head count to wheels-up.
Tell us the trip and the group
Route, dates and how many are flying. Mention bags, skis or pets; they decide the aircraft as much as the head count does.
Compare whole-trip prices
We bring back aircraft that fit, each with one all-in total and the share per person, so the group can decide together.
Book once, fly together
One person signs the charter agreement, which names the operating carrier. Your advisor handles timing, terminal and catering.
Cost each on a 3-hour trip, as the group grows
Midsize jet up to 8 people; 10 people need a super-midsize. Flight time, 7.5% tax and segment fees, estimates.
Group size
Why the share doesn't keep shrinking.
The first few friends cut the cost each dramatically. After that, three things slow the fall.
- Seats run outPast the comfortable capacity, the next aircraft size costs more per hour.
- Bags take spaceSkis, golf clubs and hard cases can force a larger aircraft before the seats do.
- Some costs scale with peopleSegment fees and catering are charged per passenger, not per aircraft.
Popular routes
What six routes cost each.
One-way flight time at typical hourly rates, with US tax and segment fees where they apply, divided by the people aboard.
VNY → LAS
Los Angeles to Las Vegas
About 50 min, 1 billed hour · light jet · 4 aboard
Each, est.$946–1,483
TEB → DJT
New York to Palm Beach
About 2 h 30 min · light jet · 6 aboard
Each, est.$1,573–2,469
OPF → NAS
Miami to Nassau
About 45 min, 1 billed hour · light jet · 6 aboard
Each, est.$583–917*
DAL → SJD
Dallas to Los Cabos
About 2 h 30 min · midsize · 6 aboard
Each, est.$1,875–2,917*
HPN → ASE
New York to Aspen
About 4 h 30 min · super-midsize · 8 aboard
Each, est.$3,935–5,750
LTN → IBZ
London to Ibiza
About 2 h 15 min · light jet · 6 aboard
Each, est.$1,313–2,063*
Estimates. *International legs: before foreign and international taxes and fees. Return legs, repositioning and airport fees are added in your quote.
Safety and standards
The people flying you are certificated.
We are the broker; an air carrier operates every flight. In the US that is a company holding an FAA Part 135 certificate, with the maintenance, training and crew rest rules that come with it.
FAA Part 135
The certificate a US company needs to sell on-demand flights. It brings FAA oversight, maintenance and training programmes, and duty limits for crews.
ARGUS ratings
An outside rating of charter operators. Gold is earned on safety data; Gold+ and Platinum add audits carried out on site.
Wyvern Wingman
Operators that pass Wyvern's audit standard can be listed as Wingman operators.
IS-BAO
Business aviation's shared code of practice. An operator's registration climbs from stage 1 to stage 3 as its safety system develops.
Questions
Splitting a jet, answered.
How do you work out the price per person?
We price the aircraft as a whole, with flight time, repositioning, federal excise tax and fees included, and then divide that total by the number of people flying. The split is simply how your group shares one price.
Does every extra friend lower the cost each?
Up to what the aircraft carries comfortably, yes, because the aircraft costs the same however many seats are filled. Beyond that you need a bigger aircraft and the share can rise again. Luggage counts too: eight skiers with kit may need the next size up.
Is the per-person figure what each of us gets charged?
No. The operator charges for the whole aircraft, and the charter agreement is signed by one person or company. How your group divides it is between you; the per-person number is there to help you agree before anyone books.
How is per person different from per seat?
Per person is your share of an aircraft your group controls: your route, your time, your people. Per seat means buying one seat on a flight someone else scheduled, at their price. For one or two travellers a seat can cost less; once your group fills most of a jet, sharing the whole aircraft usually wins.
Are taxes in the estimates?
Yes, for domestic US flights we add 7.5% federal excise tax and the federal segment fee of about $5 per passenger per leg. International trips have different charges, which your quote spells out.
Can we bring the dog?
Quite often. Lots of operators let pets fly in the cabin, provided they approve each animal ahead of time. Tell us what you are bringing and we will stick to aircraft that say yes.
Do we need to join anything or pay a deposit to see a price?
No membership and no deposit. You only pay once you have picked an aircraft and signed the charter agreement.
Lessons
Learn the math before you split it.
Worked example
Six friends, one midsize jet, three hours: the math
Every line of a real-world group trip, from flight time to the share each person pays.
Group size
Why per-person cost falls slower than you expect
Adding friends lowers the share, until bags, seats and bigger aircraft push it back up.
Pricing basics
Per-person vs per-seat: two different prices
Your share of a whole jet is not the same thing as a seat on someone else's flight.
Request a quote
Got a group and a date? We'll price the whole trip.
Send the route and the head count. You get aircraft options with an all-in total and the share per person.
- Tax and fees in the total
- No membership, deposit or sign-up
- One way, round trip or multi-city, worldwide
