No vague "it depends" — the rates, the factors, and the programs, explained with numbers you can check against the calculator.
Every charter quote starts here: block time multiplied by the aircraft's hourly rate. These are the 2026 ranges across our operator network.
| Aircraft class | Seats | Hourly range | Typical 2-hour trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 7–7 | $3,200 – $3,500/hr | $8.0k – $8.8k |
| Midsize | 8–8 | $4,500 – $4,800/hr | $11.3k – $12.0k |
| Super-midsize | 9–9 | $5,800 – $6,500/hr | $14.5k – $16.3k |
| Heavy | 13–14 | $9,500 – $12,500/hr | $23.8k – $31.3k |
Block time includes roughly 30 minutes of taxi and climb on top of cruise time. Minimum daily charges of 1.5–2 flight hours typically apply.
Two quotes for the same route can differ by thousands of dollars, and the reasons are almost always the same six. Aircraft size leads — a heavy jet burns roughly three times the fuel of a light jet and carries the crew, insurance and landing fees to match. Routing follows: charter is billed per flight hour, so headwinds and ATC routing matter. Positioning is the quiet one — if the jet has to fly empty to reach you, that leg is in your price. Airport fees range from a few hundred dollars at a reliever field to four figures at Teterboro in peak season. Dates move everything: holidays and major events can lift rates 20–40%. And the details — catering upgrades, crew overnights, winter de-icing — close out the list.
Empty legs discount repositioning flights by 30–60% when your schedule flexes. Jet cards prepay 25 hours at a locked rate — worth it past roughly 20 hours a year. Memberships charge an annual fee for capped rates and priority access. Each has a break-even point, and each has a full guide below.
What each aircraft class costs per flight hour in 2026, what drives rates up or down, and how to read an hourly quote.
Prepaid hours, fixed rates and annual memberships — when the math beats on-demand charter, and when it doesn’t.
Repositioning legs at 30–60% off: how they work, where to find them, and the trade-offs to understand first.
Send the route and a charter advisor replies with firm, all-in options from vetted Part 135 operators — usually within thirty minutes, day or night.
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