The short answer
A private jet charter has no price per person, because you charter the whole aircraft. The cost per person is the total divided by the number of people travelling, so it falls as the cabin fills. A light jet seats 5 to 9, a midsize jet 6 to 9 and a heavy jet 11 to 14. An empty leg, often 25 to 75 per cent cheaper, can lower the total further.
Key facts
- The price is for the whole aircraft, not for each seat.
- Cost per person is the total divided by the people on board.
- Seats by class: very light 4 to 5, light 5 to 9, midsize 6 to 9, super-midsize up to 9, heavy 11 to 14, ultra-long-range 9 to 19.
- Empty legs are often 25 to 75 per cent below a standard charter, with fixed route and timing.
- Charter-A charters whole aircraft; it does not sell individual seats.
Is there a price per person on a private jet?
Not in the way there is on an airline. When you charter, you book an aircraft with its crew for your trip, and the price is for that aircraft. The number of passengers matters only because it decides which size of aircraft you need. A flight quoted at £6,000 costs the same whether three people are on board or six; the cost per person is simply the total divided by the people travelling.
This is why the question "how much per person?" gets a range of answers, and why the useful version is "how many of us are there, and what is the aircraft price?" The existing guide to how much it costs to charter a private jet covers the whole-aircraft price; this article is about how that price is divided.
How many passengers does each class carry?
The seats set the largest group an aircraft can carry, and so the lowest per-person cost it can offer. These are the passenger numbers in the Charter-A fleet guides, which show the highest number seen for each type:
| Class | Passengers | Examples from the fleet |
|---|---|---|
| Very light jets | 4 to 5 | Phenom 100, Citation M2 |
| Light jets | 5 to 9 | Citation CJ2, Phenom 300E |
| Midsize jets | 6 to 9 | Citation XLS+ |
| Super-midsize jets | Up to 9 | Citation Latitude |
| Heavy jets | 11 to 14 | Challenger 604, Falcon 900 |
| Ultra-long-range jets | 9 to 19 | Global 6000 |
| Turboprops | 6 to 8 | Pilatus PC-12, King Air 200 |
Passenger numbers are the highest seen on the Charter-A fleet guide sheets for each type. Actual seating depends on the aircraft offered for your date.
What does the split look like in practice?
The table below divides one whole-aircraft price among different group sizes. The £10,000 is a round number chosen to make the arithmetic easy to follow: it is not a quote, a guide rate or a real flight.
| Passengers | Cost per person on an illustrative £10,000 aircraft price |
|---|---|
| 1 | £10,000 |
| 2 | £5,000 |
| 4 | £2,500 |
| 5 | £2,000 |
| 8 | £1,250 |
Illustration only: £10,000 is an assumed round figure used to show how the division works. The same aircraft price applies whatever the number of passengers, up to the seats available.
Two lessons follow from the sum. The first is that the first few passengers lower the per-person cost most: going from one passenger to two halves it, while going from seven to eight changes it by much less. The second is that adding a passenger does not raise the aircraft price, so a group that is on the edge of needing a bigger jet is better off checking whether everyone can fit in the smaller one. The reverse applies as well: a party of eight in a six-seat jet is not a saving, it is a second aircraft.
Do bigger groups always mean a lower cost per person?
Up to the seats in the aircraft, yes. Beyond that point the aircraft price steps up, because you need the next class. A heavy jet costs more per hour than a light one, so a group of ten in a heavy jet pays a higher total than eight in a midsize jet, and the cost per person depends on how those two figures compare for your route. Luggage can push you up a class too, because the holds in the smaller jets suit soft bags and a few cases; see how much luggage you can take.
A sensible approach is to ask for options in two neighbouring classes and compare the cost per person for each. Charter-A does this when two classes would both do the job: both go to you as options so you can compare the price and the space. Which size of private jet you need sets out how to choose.
How do empty legs lower the cost per person?
An empty leg is a flight an aircraft has to make without passengers, to reach its next booking or return to base. Because it is flying anyway, the price is reduced: often 25 to 75 per cent below the standard charter price. On a whole-aircraft price, a lower total lowers the cost per person directly.
The price of that saving is flexibility. Empty legs are one-way, their route and timing are fixed by the original booking, and they can move or disappear if that booking changes. Where an empty leg does not match your journey exactly, Charter-A can sometimes re-route it. See empty leg flights from the UK for the popular routes and how to be alerted when one matches.
Can I buy a single seat on a private jet?
Not from Charter-A. Charter-A is a broker that arranges the whole aircraft for your party, and a quote is for the aircraft. Selling individual seats on a flight is a different kind of business, with a different structure: it means finding other passengers for the same flight, and the flight then has to be scheduled around the group rather than around you. If you want to share, the way to do it is to charter the aircraft with people you know and divide the price among yourselves.
How do friends or colleagues usually split the cost?
- Agree the shares before you ask for a quote, so that nobody is surprised by the total.
- Divide the aircraft price equally, or by agreement if some people bring more luggage or a pet.
- Decide who pays the deposit and who collects from the others. The booking is made in one name, with a 50 per cent deposit on signing and the balance due 15 days before the flight.
- Settle ground costs separately: cars and extra catering are charged at cost and are not part of the aircraft price.
- Agree in advance what happens if someone drops out, because the aircraft price does not fall when a seat goes empty.
How do I choose the aircraft for my group size?
Start with the number of seats, then add luggage and distance. These examples are drawn from the fleet guides:
| Your group | Where to look | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 people, travelling light | Very light jets or a turboprop | Lowest hourly cost; suits sectors of up to around two hours |
| 5 to 7 people with cases | A light jet such as the Citation CJ2, shown at 6 to 7 passengers | Holds that take proper suitcases |
| 8 to 9 people | A midsize or super-midsize jet | Stand-up cabin and larger holds |
| 10 to 14 people | A heavy jet | Three cabin zones and heavy-jet range |
| 15 to 19 people | An ultra-long-range jet or VIP airliner | The largest cabins in the fleet |
A starting point, not a recommendation: the right aircraft also depends on the route and on what is available on your dates.
Can a bigger aircraft cost less per person?
It can, when it is full and the smaller one would not take everyone. The figures below are an illustration with assumed round prices, not quotes. Suppose six people could go in an aircraft priced at £8,000, or nine in a larger one priced at £11,000.
| Aircraft | Assumed price | People | Cost per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smaller aircraft, six seats filled | £8,000 | 6 | £1,333 |
| Larger aircraft, nine seats filled | £11,000 | 9 | £1,222 |
| Larger aircraft, only six aboard | £11,000 | 6 | £1,833 |
Illustration only: both prices are assumed round numbers chosen to show the arithmetic, and per-person figures are rounded to the nearest pound. They are not guide rates.
The pattern is what matters. The larger aircraft is better value per head only when you fill it, and it is dearer per head when you do not. Ask for both options and look at the cost per person for each, as set out above.
How does luggage change the choice for a group?
A party of six with suitcases needs a hold that takes them. The fleet guides give the Citation Mustang four cases and the Citation CJ1 five cases, while the Phenom 300E has 74 to 84 cubic feet and the PC-24 has 90 cubic feet. A group that is on the edge of a class, with skis or golf clubs, may be pushed up one. There is no charge per bag; the only effect of luggage on price is through the aircraft it requires. How much luggage you can take has the figures by class.
What else changes the price besides the group size?
The same things that change the price of any charter: the aircraft, the flying time, whether it has to be positioned, the airports and the date. Nothing about the number of passengers changes them except the choice of aircraft. How the hourly rate and the trip total are built up explains the parts. A return trip with a short stay is often better value for a group than two one-way flights, because the aircraft waits for you.
Do children and dogs count as passengers?
Children need a seat like any other passenger, so they count towards the seats the aircraft needs and towards the cost per person. A dog can usually travel in the cabin with you on a private flight, and does not take a seat in the way a person does, though the arrangements and any airport fees for pets are set out in taking a dog on a private jet. Tell us about both when you enquire, because they can affect the choice of aircraft and the luggage space you need.
What is the simplest way to work out my own figure?
- Count everyone who needs a seat, children included.
- Ask for a quote, and ask for a second option in the next class up or down if your party is close to a limit.
- Divide each price by the number of people to get the cost per person for each aircraft.
- Add what you will pay on top, such as cars and special catering, which are charged at cost.
- Decide whether the saving from an empty leg is worth the fixed route and timing.
What happens if someone drops out or joins late?
Because the price is for the aircraft, a person dropping out does not lower it. The remaining passengers either absorb the difference or agree a different split among themselves, which is why it helps to settle that before booking. If someone is added, the aircraft can usually carry them provided there is a seat, and Charter-A needs the passengers’ names before the flight for the border and security checks. If the party grows beyond the seats, the options are a larger aircraft, which has to be priced again, or a second aircraft.
Tell us early if the number of people is likely to move. A party that might be five or might be seven is better asked as two options, so that you see the price for a light jet and for a midsize jet before you decide, rather than finding out on the week of the flight.
Why do some groups choose an empty leg?
Because the saving is large and the trip is simple. If your group can fly on the date and between the airports of an empty leg, you pay a reduced price for the whole aircraft and divide it as normal. A group that is flexible by a day or two, and by nearby airports, is the natural user, and Charter-A can sometimes re-route an empty leg that is close but not exact. If your dates are fixed, a standard charter is the dependable route, and the quote will show it.
Be careful not to plan the rest of a trip around an empty leg until it is confirmed, because it can move or disappear if the original booking changes. How the empty leg price compares with a standard charter is in the main cost article.
More questions
How much does a private jet cost per person?
There is no fixed figure, because the price is for the whole aircraft. Divide the quote by the number of passengers: a flight quoted at £6,000 is £1,000 each for six people. The more of the seats you fill, the lower the cost per head.
How many people can share a private jet?
From four in a very light jet to 19 in a VIP airliner. Light jets seat 5 to 9, midsize jets 6 to 9, super-midsize up to 9, and heavy jets 11 to 14, according to the Charter-A fleet guides.
Can I book just one seat on a private jet?
Not through Charter-A, which arranges whole-aircraft charters. A single passenger pays for the aircraft; an empty leg, where one matches the route, is the usual way to lower that price.
Does it cost more per person with more luggage?
Not directly, because there is no charge per bag. But luggage can decide the size of aircraft, and a larger aircraft costs more in total. Tell us what you are bringing so the aircraft is matched to it.
Are empty legs cheaper per person?
Often, yes. Empty legs are commonly 25 to 75 per cent below the standard price, and the price is still for the whole aircraft. The trade is that the route and the time are fixed by the aircraft’s next booking.
Related articles
How much does it cost to charter a private jet?
Chartering a private jet typically costs from around £2,000 to £3,000 per flying hour for a small jet, rising to £6,000 to £8,000 per hour and more for a large or long-range jet.
Which size of private jet do I need?
Compared by size, the rule is simple: choose the smallest aircraft that carries your party and its luggage the distance without stopping.
Is a private jet cheaper than flying first class?
Sometimes, but only for a group on the right route.
On this site
More from Charter-A.com
Passenger numbers are from the Charter-A fleet guides; the empty-leg saving, the payment terms and the whole-aircraft pricing are from the existing Charter-A cost and booking articles; the £10,000 split is a labelled illustration, not a rate. Charter-A Ltd acts as agent for the passenger; details are confirmed for each flight at booking.