How private jet charter works

Chartering a jet takes six steps and can be completed in under 24 hours. You send a route and dates, receive an indicative range, then confirmed options from operators with live availability. You contract and pay before departure, and arrive at a private terminal about 20 minutes before the flight.

Updated September 11, 2026

1. 1.Send your route, dates and party size

   You give the origin, destination, date and number of passengers. Nothing else is needed to price a trip. Flexibility of even a day often changes the price more than anything else you can control.

2. 2.Get an indicative range

   Historical pricing for the route and aircraft category gives a range within minutes. This is an estimate, not an offer, and it will not be the exact number you pay.

3. 3.Operators are approached for live availability

   The broker contacts operators with suitable aircraft near your departure point. This is where repositioning cost enters the price: an aircraft already in the area is cheaper than one flown in empty.

4. 4.You receive confirmed options

   Each option names the operator, the aircraft type and usually the tail number, with a firm price. Compare them on operator and aircraft age as well as price. Ask for the safety rating.

5. 5.Contract and payment

   You sign a charter agreement with the broker or operator and pay, normally by bank transfer, usually in full before departure. Read the cancellation terms: they tighten sharply inside 72 hours.

6. 6.Departure

   You arrive at a private terminal (an FBO) typically 15 to 20 minutes before departure, or around an hour for an international flight requiring customs. There is no separate security queue.

Where the price can still move

A confirmed quote is firm for the itinerary as quoted. It can still change if you move the departure time enough to push the crew past their duty limit, if de-icing is needed, if you overnight and the crew must be accommodated, or if a peak-day surcharge applies around a major event. Ask for these to be spelled out before you sign rather than discovering them on the invoice.

Book a Private Jet is not an air carrier and does not operate aircraft. We link you to a charter broker, Villiers, who arranges the flight with a certificated operator. How we are paid.