Private jet charter

Empty leg or charter: two ways to fly private

A private jet rarely flies just one route. After a one-way charter it has to return to base or move on to its next job, and it flies that leg without passengers. These flights are called empty legs. The operator sells them for less because they are happening anyway. If no positioning flight fits your trip, you charter the jet the classic way: you set route and time, and operators send you a quote.

You find both in one place: the current empty legs with price and aircraft, and the charter request for everything else. The difference in detail is explained in our guide Empty leg or charter.

How to charter a private jet with PrivJet

1. Find a flight: search the empty legs for your route or departure city. If nothing fits, send a charter request with route, date and number of passengers. Requests and bookings need a free account.
2. Get quotes: for an empty leg we ask the provider of that flight. For a charter request we contact suitable operators in the region. Depending on departure they have 15 minutes (departure within 12 hours) up to 24 hours. You see the quotes with aircraft type, class and price and pick one.
3. Sign the pre-contract: add the passengers, mention special requests and sign digitally. You have paid nothing so far.
4. Pay the service fee: once the operator has confirmed, you pay the service fee to PrivJet by card or bank transfer within 48 hours (12 hours if departure is less than 3 days away).
5. Pay the flight price to the operator: you then see the operator, registration, crew, meeting point and bank details. You pay the flight price directly to the operator, at the latest 7 days before departure, immediately for short-notice flights.
6. Fly: once the operator confirms receipt, you get your boarding pass in the app and for your wallet. On the day, be at the meeting point 30 minutes before departure, usually the FBO or general aviation terminal.

Every step with screenshots is in the booking guide. If the provider of an empty leg declines or does not reply in time, we automatically create a charter request for the same route. Nothing is booked unless you choose a quote.

Which private jet is right for you?

Choosing a class comes down to three questions: how many people are flying, how far is the route, and how much luggage is coming along? The table shows typical values per class; click a class to see matching empty legs.

As a rule of thumb, a light jet takes about 5 large suitcases, a midsize jet 8 and a heavy jet 16. If you travel with golf bags, skis or a lot of luggage, go one class larger. For a recommendation based on route, passengers and luggage, use the aircraft finder; every class is explained in our guide private jet classes.

How much does it cost to charter a private jet?

Charter is priced by the flight hour: from about €3,200 – €4,500 per hour for a light jet to €11,000 – €15,000 for an ultra long range jet. Airport fees come on top, and on a one-way trip so does the empty flight back to base. A one-way flight Nice → Paris in a light jet costs an estimated €7,900 – €15,100; empty legs on this route were offered at a median of €6,100 over the last 18 months.

All prices per class, example routes and extra costs are on How much does a private jet cost?. Your own route is worked out by the cost calculator, the flight time by the flight time calculator.

Service fee, payment and cancellation

PrivJet charges a service fee of 20% on the flight price, on top of the flight price. With a flight price of €10,000 that is €2,000, €12,000 in total. The operator receives the full flight price directly from you.

Until the service fee is paid you can withdraw free of charge. After that the pre-contract applies: cancelling more than 21 days before departure costs 50 % of the total price, within 21 days 100 %. If the operator cancels the flight, you get the flight price back in full.

What to know before you fly

• Passenger details: for the manifest the operator needs names, dates of birth and ID or passport numbers of everyone flying. In the app the passport scan fills them in.
• Meeting point: private jets usually depart from the FBO or general aviation terminal, not the main terminal. Address, directions and the operator’s phone number are in your booking once you have paid.
• Arrival: be at the meeting point 30 minutes before departure with valid ID. There are normally no long queues at security or gates.
• Empty legs depend on the main charter. If that changes, your flight can move or be cancelled. If you need a fixed date, a charter request is the safer choice.

Travelling at short notice? Flights in the next few days are listed under last-minute empty legs. Single seats instead of the whole jet are available via ShareMyJet.