Private charters are a comfortable and convenient way to travel. You can avoid the long check-in and boarding queues. Have irregularly sized luggage? No problem. You can have every comfort of home you want onboard.
You don’t have to be at the airport hours before your flight. Air charter providers may even have exclusive lounges for private charter passengers. The best part: You can sit wherever you want and need not worry that somebody will recline so far down that they’re practically leaning on your lap.
Of course, private air travel is expensive. However, for private jet to India you can get on empty-leg flights, book months in advance, fly during the low season, or share a private jet ride with others. These and other similar strategies will allow you to get the high-flier experience for a considerably lower cost. It also helps to understand what variables dictate the price of a private jet charter.
1. Type and Size of the Plane
Turboprop aircraft costs less to rent than turbojets. And when it comes to jet planes, there are light jets, midsize jets, and heavy jets.
There are also several other variations within each category of planes. Private jets vary in the number of seats, the amount of space available, the headroom, the legroom, and the available amenities. Some jets will have a fully equipped bar, kitchen, bedroom, chaise lounges, divans, and fully reclining seats. Some, however, will have just seats and not much else.
Jets also vary by capacity. Naturally, those that can carry more passengers and more cargo cost more.
2. Distance
Private jets have different flight ranges. Some jets are best for short intercity hops, while others can travel clear across the country. Then, some jets can cross oceans and travel from one continent to another.
Naturally, long-range jets cost more to charter than short-range jets.
3. Inflight Services and Amenities
Do you want a private jet with its own bedroom, shower, living room, boardroom, and game room? Naturally, all these extra rooms come at a premium.
How about people? Aside from the captain and a first officer, you also need a cabin crew. If you want a flight where you’re pampered and have your every request attended to promptly, you may want as many flight attendants as the aircraft capacity allows. How about a chef to whip up some delicacies mid-flight? A full-size flight crew will cost you.
Down pillows, Moët & Chandon champagne, designer plates and cups, Beluga caviar, wagyu beef — all these cost money. Every extravagance you demand is an expense you add to the cost of your private jet rental.
4. Purpose
The purpose of the flight may also affect the charter price tag. For example, private medical flights are more expensive than routine tourist flights.
First, they require special permits. Air ambulances are also outfitted for life support and medical services. They have life-saving medication and medical equipment onboard, and they may have a full medical staff (i.e., a doctor and nurses) to administer medication and provide emergency care if needed. Thus, a private jet charter for this purpose is more expensive than private jet flights for other purposes.
5. Season
Try booking a private jet around holidays, e.g., Eid Al-Fitr, Thanksgiving, and New Year. You’ll pay a premium to get an airplane.
As expected, you pay more for private charters when there’s more demand for private flights. Private jets are more scarce. Whenever those who can afford to fly private go out of the country to visit cooler or sunnier destinations, you can expect private jet charter prices to be higher.
If you can, fly privately during the mid or low season. If you compete for a private jet during high season, prepare to pay an equally high price.
6. Flight Direction
The flight direction affects private jet charter prices. Specifically, the flight out from the origin country to a destination airport is more expensive than its flight back.
Have you heard of empty-leg flights? They refer to flights involving private jets returning to base or their home airport. They have dropped off their passengers on the one-way flight out, so only the flight crew are onboard. That flight back — the return flight — is an empty leg.
An empty-leg flight is significantly less expensive than an on-demand flight out. It’s a flight the plane must make with or without passengers. Therefore, private jet providers offer them at a lower price. This way, they can get passengers onboard and defray the cost of the flight home.
Save on Private Jet Travel
Flying private is quite the experience. Even if you don’t want to make it your default way of air travel, you can still give it a go at least once or a few times. Treat yourself or use it to expose your children to new experiences.
When you do try it, remember that several factors affect the price of a private jet charter. The type and size of the aircraft, the distance you’ll travel, the inflight services and amenities, the purpose of the flight, the time of travel, and flight direction are some of these. Consider these when planning your next private jet flight to maximize value and save on costs.
