There are four primary industry categories of private jets, which take into account weight, flight range, and capacity. These include the following:

Light Jet

Capacity

7 Seats

Typical Aircraft

• Hawker 400XP
• Citation CJ3
• Lear 40XR

Midsize Jet

Capacity

8 Seats

Typical Aircraft

• Citation XLS
• Hawker 800XP
• Lear 60

Super Midsize Jet

Capacity

8 Seats

Typical Aircraft

• Citation X
• Citation Sovereign
• Challenger 300
• Gulfstream 200

Heavy Jet

Capacity

10 Seats

Typical Aircraft

• Challenger 605
• Gulfstream G-IV
• Gulfstream G-V
• Falcon 2000

Private aviation surcharges are those costs that are applied outside of the flight quote or base price. These surcharges can include landing fees, ramp fees, fuel prices, segment fees, crew overnight/per diem fees, wait time fees, one-way fees, and de-icing fees, among others. Surcharges can vary widely, which is why it’s important to get details on these fees from your provider.

Full ownership means that you purchase and own 100% of your aircraft. As a full owner, you can fly whenever you want, with the same pilots, on your actual aircraft—which you can customize to meet your exact comforts, tastes, and needs. Fractional ownership involves purchasing a share of a specific aircraft and the size of your share determines the number of hours you can fly in that type of aircraft.

A jet card is essentially a private flight debit card program. You deposit money to a Jet Card to prepay for private jet flights at a fixed hourly rate with guaranteed availability. This ensures you know in advance how much you are going to pay per flight.

In the United States, planes used for private flight must hold an FAA Part 135 certificate and all pilots must meet the stringent requirements outlined by this standard. Private aviation companies also contract with third party safety auditing firms (ARGUS) to conduct ongoing audits of operations and pilots. In addition, IS-BAO and WYVERN standards recognize the highest levels of safety and professionalism in flight operations.

Amenities are one of the greatest perks of private aviation. Amenities can vary widely based on jet size and private aviation providers, but the most common amenities include comfortable seating with plenty of private space, spacious bathrooms, meeting areas, technology for entertainment and business, first-class service, pet accommodation, and high-quality food and beverage options.

Yes—unaccompanied minors can fly on a private aircraft. HOWEVER, policies for this type of travel vary widely. It is important to check with your private aviation provider to determine requirements for this type of travel well in advance of booking.

Private aviation providers can either operate the fleet of planes you will be flying or charter planes from the open market to meet demand.