Private jet cost per hour

By published jet card rates, about $7,500 to $9,500 an hour for a light jet, $9,500 to $10,500 an hour for a midsize jet, $12,000 to $13,000 an hour for a super-midsize jet, $14,500 to $16,500 an hour for a large jet (the middle half of what companies publish, on one basis: the 7.5% federal excise tax added where they say it's extra or don't say, and an estimated fuel surcharge where one applies but isn't published). For a super-midsize jet, CRAFT's own card is $12,950 an hour on 25 hours, fuel and FET included. What a jet costs to buy and own is a different question.

Yes. Private jet rental is the everyday name for charter: you hire the whole aircraft and its crew for your trip, and the price is built from the flight hours (including the flight back or on to the next trip where the aircraft has to reposition), plus airport fees and taxes. Jet cards fix the hourly rate ahead of time; on-demand charter is quoted trip by trip.

About $7,500 to $9,500 in a light jet, $9,500 to $10,500 in a midsize jet, $12,000 to $13,000 in a super-midsize jet, $14,500 to $16,500 in a large jet: 1 hour times the published hourly rates, with the 7.5% FET added where a company adds tax or doesn't say, and an estimated fuel surcharge where one isn't published. 1 hour is about Los Angeles to Las Vegas, San Diego to Las Vegas or Scottsdale to Las Vegas. Minimums often bill more than an hour: CRAFT's card bills at least 2 hours a day. Estimates, not quotes.

About $15,000 to $19,000 in a light jet, $19,000 to $21,000 in a midsize jet, $24,000 to $26,000 in a super-midsize jet, $29,000 to $33,000 in a large jet: 2 hours times the published hourly rates, with the 7.5% FET added where a company adds tax or doesn't say, and an estimated fuel surcharge where one isn't published. 2 hours is about Seattle to Las Vegas, Chicago to New York or Los Angeles to Aspen. Estimates, not quotes.

About $23,000 to $29,000 in a light jet, $28,000 to $32,000 in a midsize jet, $36,000 to $39,000 in a super-midsize jet, $43,000 to $49,500 in a large jet: 3 hours times the published hourly rates, with the 7.5% FET added where a company adds tax or doesn't say, and an estimated fuel surcharge where one isn't published. 3 hours is about Houston to New York, Boston to Palm Beach or New York to Turks & Caicos. Estimates, not quotes.

About $38,000 to $48,000 in a light jet, $46,500 to $53,000 in a midsize jet, $60,000 to $65,000 in a super-midsize jet, $72,000 to $83,000 in a large jet: 5 hours times the published hourly rates, with the 7.5% FET added where a company adds tax or doesn't say, and an estimated fuel surcharge where one isn't published. 5 hours is about New York to Las Vegas, Miami to Los Angeles or New York to Los Cabos. Estimates, not quotes.

Minimums. Published programs bill 48 to 120 minutes a leg even when the hop is shorter, and CRAFT's card bills at least 2 hours a day (with no per-leg minimum, so two short legs the same day share it). Taxi time is billed too.

Only at high use. An owner pays crew, hangar, insurance, management and maintenance programs whether the jet flies or not, so the cost per hour falls as the hours rise; at a few dozen hours a year those fixed costs dominate. Charter and jet cards bill only the hours you fly. What a jet costs to buy and run, by size, is in our private jet price statistics.

About 760 miles in a light jet, 820 miles in a midsize jet, 840 miles in a super-midsize jet, 880 miles in a large jet, at our typical block speeds less time for taxi, climb and descent.