Investing in a small private jet offers the ultimate antidote to the tiresome drawbacks of commercial air travel. You’ll skip security, boarding and luggage queues, while avoiding common delays and in-flight disruptions. Be it stateside or internationally, the option to fly in comfort and on your own schedule is certainly an appealing luxury to have at your disposal.
Aircraft ownership does require an extreme degree of financial freedom, however. The purchase and maintenance costs associated with new small private jets can quickly add up to tens of millions of dollars. But there are other ways to do it. Read our comparison of ownership and rental options below to help find the best value small private jet cost for you.
Before you enjoy a single flight, both new and second-hand small private jets for sale are likely to set you back several million dollars to purchase. Upgrades and customizations to your model and small private jet interior will increase this total – while annual running and maintenance costs can easily rise into the millions too.
You’ll have to pick up the check for aircraft insurance, hangar rental and the salaries of your flight crew. Even when you travel one way, you’ll still need to cover the costs associated with a return or ‘empty leg’ journey – which can be significant if flying coast to coast, for example.
Asset depreciation is another financial concern for small private jet owners. Much like a sportscar or SUV, the resale value of your investment will begin dropping as soon as you complete the purchase. General maintenance and repair fees meanwhile can come as a regular and unwelcome surprise.
All these factors mean that small private jet ownership is a leap few individuals are willing or able to take. But thankfully there are other means of enjoying private air travel without the same financial burden.
Two such options for small private jet rental are on-demand chartering and private memberships.
With chartering you’ll organize and pay for flights individually, with prices varying on a flight-by-flight basis even for the same routes. Memberships on the other hand are typically charged upfront as an annual allocation of flight hours. If you want to fly regularly while enjoying ease of booking and consistency of price and service, a membership solution such as VistaJet’s Program could be perfect.
You’ll get guaranteed access to a private fleet with as little as 24 hours’ booking notice. Your total small private jet cost will amount to the hours you’re in the air – and none of the extras associated with ownership. And with fixed one-way pricing, you’ll know your travel costs in advance and won’t be required to cover repositioning fees.
If you’re looking to enjoy all the same advantages of ownership, chartering is unlikely to offer the same consistent experience. That’s especially true if using alternate providers, but with our Program membership, you can expect the same aircraft, crew expertise and in-flight comforts on every journey. Our commitment to exacting standards makes us one of the safest small private jet providers, too.
This summary has shown there are several ways to enjoy private air travel, each with different costs and characteristics. It’s worth spending time researching your options to find which offers you the best value – and we aim to make that process as easy as possible.
You can use our cost calculator to compare the cost of small private jet ownership against our membership solution based on the number of hours you fly within a year. See how it stacks up today and don’t hesitate to contact our US team if you have any questions. They’ll be more than happy to help.
