Turboprop
Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350
- Seats6–9
- Range~1,800 nm
- Per hour$1,800–3,200
The whole journey, compared
Private jet or first class? Count the whole journey, then decide.
Hours back
No check-in queues and no connections; most travellers are aboard 15 to 30 minutes after arriving.
All-in prices
Excise tax, segment fees and known airport costs in every quote, so the comparison with your fare is fair.
Certificated operators
Each flight is run by an FAA Part 135 carrier, or the foreign equivalent abroad.
No strings
No membership or deposit, and a straight answer when first class is the better buy.
Door to door
The flight is the same. The day isn’t.
One weekday trip from Manhattan to Palm Beach, counted from front door to car door. Same drive to each airport; the difference is everything around the flight.
Private jet from Teterboro
- Drive to Teterboro40 min
- At the terminal20 min
- Taxi and flight2 h 30 min
- Landing to car10 min
Door to door3 h 40 min
First class from LaGuardia
- Drive to LaGuardia40 min
- At the airport1 h 15 min
- Taxi and flight2 h 50 min
- Landing to car30 min
Door to door5 h 15 min
Illustrative timings for one nonstop weekday trip, with priority lanes and checked bags on the airline side. Your day will differ, and a connection widens the gap.
How we counted itCost, shared
A whole aircraft, divided by your group.
Charter is priced per aircraft, not per seat. Here is a light jet from Teterboro to Palm Beach, about two and a half hours, split by the number of travellers. Set it against the first-class fare you would actually pay that day.
When four tickets meet one jet| Travellers | Light jet total | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $9,420–14,790 | $4,710–7,400 |
| 4 | $9,430–14,800 | $2,360–3,700 |
| 6 | $9,440–14,810 | $1,570–2,470 |
A fair comparison
Sometimes the ticket wins. We’ll say so.
Private flying isn’t the right answer for every trip. These are the patterns we see when people weigh the two honestly.
First class usually wins when
- One or two people are travelling on a domestic route.
- The flight is long and overnight, and a flat bed matters most.
- Lounges, miles and airline status have real value to you.
- A fixed fare beats any variable cost, however small.
Private usually wins when
- Four or more people share a short or mid-length flight.
- The airline route needs a connection, or lands far from where you’re going.
- You’re bringing a dog, sports gear or a tight schedule.
- The day has several stops, or no airline time fits.
Aircraft
Five sizes of private aircraft.
US market hourly estimates before tax and fees. Most short trips that compete with first class are flown in light or midsize jets.
Light jet
Phenom 300E, Citation CJ4, Learjet 75
- Seats6–8
- Range2,000–2,150 nm
- Per hour$3,500–5,500
Midsize jet
Citation XLS+
- Seats7–9
- Range~2,100 nm
- Per hour$4,500–7,000
Super-midsize jet
Challenger 350, Citation Longitude, Praetor 600
- Seats8–10
- Range3,200–4,000 nm
- Per hour$6,500–9,500
Large cabin jet
Gulfstream G450, Challenger 650, Falcon 2000LXS
- Seats10–16
- Range4,000–4,300 nm
- Per hour$8,500–13,000
Ultra long range jets such as the Gulfstream G650ER and Global 7500 seat 13–19 at about $12,000–20,000+ an hour. All categories
How it works
From a question to the runway.
One advisor looks after your trip from the first message to the moment you land.
Describe the trip
Route, date, travellers and the fare you’re comparing against, if you have one.
See real options
We source aircraft from certificated operators and send each with its operator and an all-in price.
Decide on the numbers
Compare cost and time with your ticket. If first class wins, keep your fare.
Board in minutes
Sign the charter agreement and pay. On the day, arrive 15 to 30 minutes before departure.
Routes
Six trips, both ways of flying.
Approximate private flight times next to the usual airline option. Choose a route to start a quote with it already entered.
TEB · DJT
Teterboro to Palm Beach
- Private
- about 2 h 30 min from Teterboro
- Airline
- nonstops from LaGuardia, JFK and Newark
VNY · LAS
Van Nuys to Las Vegas
- Private
- about 50 min from Van Nuys
- Airline
- LAX or Burbank to Harry Reid
TEB · LTN
Teterboro to London Luton
- Private
- about 6 h 30 min eastbound, super-midsize or larger
- Airline
- flat beds from JFK and Newark
HPN · ASE
Westchester to Aspen
- Private
- about 4 h 30 min, straight into Aspen
- Airline
- often a connection on the way
DAL · SJD
Dallas Love to Los Cabos
- Private
- about 2 h 15 min from Love Field
- Airline
- nonstops from DFW
OPF · TEB
Miami-Opa locka to Teterboro
- Private
- about 2 h 45 min to Teterboro
- Airline
- Miami to LaGuardia or JFK
Standards
Who flies the aircraft?
Airlines fly under FAA Part 121; on-demand charter flies under Part 135. We arrange the trip, a certificated operator flies it, and you know which one before you book.
The Part 135 rules are published on eCFR.
FAA Part 135
The federal rules for on-demand charter in the US, covering maintenance, crew training and pilots’ duty and rest. Abroad, the national equivalent applies.
ARGUS
Rates charter operators after reviewing their safety history, pilots and aircraft: Gold, Gold+ or, with an on-site audit, Platinum.
Wyvern
Audits operators to its Wingman standard and lists those that pass, a credential many corporate travel managers look for.
IS-BAO
A voluntary international code for business aircraft operators, with three stages that track how far a safety management system has matured.
Questions
Private or first: the usual questions.
Straight answers on time, cost and comfort. There are more on the FAQ page
Is a private jet faster than first class, door to door?
Usually by an hour or more on domestic trips. Private passengers arrive 15 to 30 minutes before take-off and skip connections; the flight itself takes about as long as the airline’s.
When does a private jet cost about the same as first class?
When four or more people share a short flight, especially on dates when fares run high. A 1.5-hour light jet trip works out at roughly $1,420–2,220 each for four travellers, before repositioning and airport fees.
Is first class ever the better choice?
Often. For one or two people, for long overnight flights with flat beds, or when lounges and miles matter to you, the ticket usually wins, and we will tell you when it looks that way.
Do private passengers go through airport security?
Not through the airline checkpoints. You board from a private terminal where the crew checks photo ID; on international trips, passports are cleared at the terminal or on arrival.
Can my dog fly in the cabin?
On many aircraft, once the operator agrees. Mention the size and breed in your request and we will quote only aircraft that will take it.
How much luggage can we bring?
That depends on the aircraft. Light jets take roughly one medium case per person plus soft bags; larger jets take far more. List golf clubs, skis or big cases so the operator can confirm.
Who actually flies the aircraft?
A certificated operator: an FAA Part 135 carrier in the US, or the equivalent abroad. Private Jet vs First Class arranges the flight, and you see the operator’s name before you book.
Is there a fee or membership to get a quote?
No. Quotes are free and there is nothing to join; you pay only if you book and sign the charter agreement.
Comparisons
Read the long version.
Detailed, even-handed pieces on time, money and the cases where each option wins.
Time
Door to door: private vs first class, counted properly
A fair door-to-door comparison of a private jet and a first-class ticket: airport time, flight time, connections, arrival and what each hour costs.
Money
When four first-class tickets cost about as much as a light jet
When does chartering a light jet cost about the same as four first-class tickets? The per-person maths by flight length, with caveats.
Fairness
What first class still does better
An honest look at where first class beats a private jet: price for one or two travellers, flat beds on long flights, lounges, miles and networks.
Request a quote
Put a real number next to your fare.
Tell us the trip and the fare you’re weighing. You’ll get aircraft options from certificated operators, each with one all-in price.
- One-way, round trip or multi-city
- Turboprops to ultra long range jets
- Excise tax and known fees included