Best Private Jet Companies for Your Personal Charter
Descriptions
For those toying with the idea of private jet travel, and attempting to sort through the myriad options, we called in an expert to narrow down the best private jet companies for your personal charter. Private aviation expert Doug Gollan, who runs the website Private Jet Card Comparisons, says choosing a private jet charter is, predictably, contingent on the needs of the traveler.
"A company that's good for flying you up to the house in Maine is maybe not the best for flying you up to the ski place or the West Coast," Gollan said.
When determining the best jet company for your needs, Gollan told Travel + Leisure key factors should include "lead time for booking, peak days where surcharges range up to 100 percent, daily minimums, which vary significantly, and where you can fly without having to pay repositioning fees."
The biggest mistake you can make as a first-time private jet flier is to commit without doing your research, Gollan said. He recommends potential jet card holders "map out the flights you expect to make in the next 12 to 18 months, how many people will be traveling, what type of amenities you want, from Wi-Fi to the ability to bring pets, and how flexible you are on dates, so you can compare program rules before buying."
Like any major investment, the PJ (private jet) lifestyle is all about doing your homework. To that end, we've outlined eight top private jet companies and what kind of travel each charter is suited for.
XO
For those looking to fly cross-country, rather than booking short-haul jaunts from Teterboro Airport to Martha's Vineyard, XO gives fliers access to its fleet at a competitive price with three distinct membership options: XO Shared Membership, XO Membership, and XO Reserve. XO Membership and XO Reserve cost $995 annually, while XO Shared Membership costs $595 and still gives you limited access to more than 360 aircraft without having to pay a minimum deposit.
However, you don't get member benefits like 24/7 support with Shared Membership. The XO Membership comes with these benefits and more, and you can upgrade to XO Reserve for priority access and guaranteed recovery, so you won't have to pay anything if the airline needs to bring in another plane because of mechanical issues.
Sentient Jet
Sentient Jet, known as the first company to offer private jet cards, is one of the best charter options if you plan on regularly taking short-haul flights. The PJ life lends itself to quick jumps — Los Angeles to Las Vegas; New York City to the Hamptons; Denver to Telluride, Colorado — and Sentient Jet has a 72-minute daily minimum for a number of jets in its fleet. "Many programs these days bill at least two hours, even if you fly less," Gollan pointed out, which means paying for only the amount of time you're in the air on these short flights is a financial victory.
Wheels Up
Known for an impressive array of partnerships — perhaps the most notable being that American Express Platinum cardholders benefit from discounted Wheels Up membership rates — Wheels Up aligns with brands that further elevate the luxury travel experience. Like its partnership with Porsche, which offers exclusive access to sought-after rentals when your flight touches down. The jet company, which became a publicly traded company in 2021, has coveted, in-the-know perks, too. "Members can snag empty leg repositioning flights" — one-way flights to reposition the plane, that is — "for just $350," Gollan said.
VistaJet
PJ flights across the Atlantic, or from New York City all the way to a far-flung island, are less prevalent in private aviation — with most charterers opting to fly commercial between continents. However, VistaJet has become a top choice for long-haul journeys with its fleet of Global 7500 jets, which can fly 7,700 nautical miles (and 16 hours nonstop), making this the "largest, fastest, and longest-range aircraft in business aviation," according to a statement released by the company to Travel + Leisure. VistaJet also offers its Private World series, partnering with elite tour companies and yacht charters, to take faithful fliers to destinations as far-flung as Maldives, Mozambique, and China.
Verijet
Known for smaller jets that can land in more than 5,000 airports in the U.S., cutting-edge technology, and a lower carbon footprint than most jet companies, Verijet offers competitive pricing, with its Cirrus SF50 jets starting at $3,000 per hour. There are, however, downsides to flying such a small jet. "There's no toilet, so make sure you stop before you go," Gollan said. Nonetheless, he concluded that "for flights under 90 minutes, it's a great option" — especially considering you can book on a per-flight basis without a jet card membership.
Flexjet
Instead of chartering someone else's jet, you can go in on a jet yourself with fractional (aka "shared") ownership, which usually means members pay for guaranteed access to a jet they co-own for a predetermined number of hours per year. Flexjet offers fractional ownership but does so a little differently than other companies. "While most fractional share providers sell by the hour, Flexjet offers its ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650ER on a by-the-day basis," Gollan said. "If you are going to Europe or Asia and making multiple stops, it means you can leave luggage on the jet during stopovers, [and] keep the same aircraft and crew for your entire trip."
Flexjet also offers a jet card program, and the company recently added Gulfstream G700s to its fleet for longer-haul travel.
Tradewind
Tradewind is another smart choice for short private flights. As Gollan explained, "Tradewind's fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turboprops are a cost-effective way to access small airports larger jets can't fly into." Operating only in North America and the Caribbean, Tradewind does not require fliers to have a jet card or any type of membership in order to charter. You can also book just one seat on a Tradewind jet directly through the company's website or app. If you are frequently flying the same route to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard, you can purchase your flights in advance at a discounted rate by buying a ticket book.
NetJets
NetJets seemingly has a solution for every type of private jet traveler, including a shared ownership program, a leasing option (which has a slightly different payment structure than the shared ownership route), and a private jet card. Gollan is a proponent of NetJets' fractional ownership plans, because they get you access to a jet "on as little as four to six hours' notice." He said NetJets is ideal for those looking to fly private for years to come, because committing to a longer duration of fractional ownership gives you access to its 800-jet fleet.
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