Charter pricing looks mysterious until you see what goes into it. Once you do, you can tell a fair quote from a poor one, and know which choices move the figure.
The short version
A charter price is built mainly from how long the aircraft and crew are committed to your trip. That includes your flight, and it also includes getting the aircraft to you beforehand and back to its base afterwards, unless it happens to be in the right place already.
That is why two quotes for the same route can differ widely, and why the cheapest aircraft type is not always the cheapest trip. An aircraft based at your departure airport can beat a smaller one that has to fly in empty from another country.
Line by line
| Element | What it is | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Flying time | An hourly rate for the aircraft multiplied by the time in the air. Larger, faster, longer-range aircraft cost more per hour. | Aircraft category, distance, winds |
| Positioning | Flying the empty aircraft from its base to you, and home again afterwards. | Where suitable aircraft happen to be on your dates |
| Airport and handling fees | Landing, parking, passenger handling at the private terminal and air navigation charges. | Which airports you use. Major hubs cost more than smaller fields |
| Crew costs | Overnight accommodation and expenses if the crew wait for your return. | Length of stay, or whether the aircraft leaves and comes back |
| Catering and extras | Standard refreshments are normally included. Particular menus, wines and ground services are added at cost. | What you ask for |
| Winter and weather | De-icing before departure in freezing conditions, charged at cost and hard to predict. | Season and airport |
| Taxes | Passenger duties and VAT where they apply, which depends on the route. | Departure country, destination and aircraft size |
We show these elements in every quote, so you can see what you are paying for. We do not publish hourly rates because they vary with the market and mean little without the rest of the calculation.
How to pay less
None of these reduce the quality of the flight. They change how much empty flying and waiting you pay for.
A day trip
London to Geneva for a meeting, home for dinner.
A long stay
London to Nice for a fortnight.
Request a quote
The only accurate price is one built for your trip and your dates. Tell us the route and we reply with options, each broken down. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
No, it is for the whole aircraft. Filling more seats costs nothing extra, apart from passenger taxes where they apply.
Because the aircraft in the right place on your dates are different, and demand moves with the season. Peak weeks such as the ski season, the Monaco Grand Prix and August in the Mediterranean are always firmer.
There should not be. The items that cannot be fixed in advance, mainly de-icing and changes you ask for on the day, are named in the quote so they do not surprise you.
Charter is normally paid in full before the flight. Your quote and agreement set out the terms, including cancellation.
Often much cheaper, because the aircraft has to make the flight anyway. The catch is that it depends on someone else's trip and can change or disappear. See empty legs.
One contact, wherever you are
