Ever wonder how much it costs to charter a private flight? Chances are it’s not as much as you think. There has been a lot of innovations in the charter flight industry over the past few years that have worked towards making these types of journeys accessible to a wider range of clientele.
While around-the-world flight in a jumbo jet may still be out of reach, the truth of the matter is there are now several sensible flight options available for savvy business people, holidaymakers, and everyone in between.
Two major factors are contributing to the cost of chartering a private flight: the size of the plane and the distance to your destination. Larger jets are naturally more expensive to operate, and the cost of chartering them reflects that. Likewise, traveling over a long distance requires more fuel and more time, which equals more operating costs.
Generally, small jets that can accommodate up to 8 or so passengers will cost £2000 – £4000 per hour to charter. It’s important to note that this rate is for the cost of chartering the entire jet. This means that a £4000/hour jet with 8 passengers works out to £500 per passenger. Flying from the UK, numerous major cities in Europe are fewer than 2 hours away.
Hiring an entire plane is not the only option for those who want to fly privately. Increasingly, private jet hire companies are opening up seats on empty leg flights at a fraction of the typical cost.
It’s estimated that nearly half of all private jet flights in Europe are empty return journeys, so companies are more than willing to offer discounted rates to potential passengers.
While prices vary between different routes and companies, empty leg fliers have quoted savings of anywhere from 40% – 75%. Private Charter Flight, which operates out of the UK to multiple destinations abroad, is a good place to get a quick quote for an empty leg journey.
The question of whether to charter a private flight or fly commercial comes down to time, money, and convenience. There is no getting away from the fact that flying private costs more than the commercial alternative, but it offers a lot more in terms of time savings and convenience.
With empty leg journeys and expanded private jet fleets lowering the cost of a private plane ride, it’s becoming a much more attractive option for savvy travelers.
