Travelling in luxury – a guide on private jets

Travelling in luxury is a dream for many people and private jets are the ultimate way to do it. They are designed to provide people with maximum comfort and convenience with high-end finishes. However, while they are most commonly used by the ultra rich and famous, are they completely out of reach for the rest of us? This guide will cover everything you need to know about private jets, including their prices and how chartering them works. 

Flying private vs first class

First-class travel is the most popular choice for luxury-seeking holidaymakers and, while it is already a deluxe experience, it is very different compared to private jets. This is because of the extra flexibility, privacy and convenience that private flying provides you compared to flying first-class in a commercial flight. 

Perhaps the key difference is that, with private jets, the luxury experience includes pre, during and after the flight. The airport security process, for instance, is done in a separate VIP area, avoiding the long queues and enjoying a much more personal interaction with the staff. This also means that you can arrive at the airport just before your flight and the timing is much more flexible to your personal schedule. 

First-class flying, on the other hand, still requires you to arrive at the airport hours before your flight, go through the regular airport security and share VIP lounges with hundreds of other travellers. Not only that, air travel cancellations and delays can be caused due to issues with other travellers or the rigid commercial flying schedules. 

The costs of private jets

It is clear that private jets are at the top of the list for the most luxurious methods of flying but, naturally, the next question is how much does it really cost? 

Ownership of your own private jet is, of course, incredibly expensive. The aircraft itself costs millions to buy and there are ongoing routine maintenance costs too. Not only that, you’d have to employ your own crew and pay for any other expenses yourself. It’s safe to say that this option is only accessible to a small number of people. 

Luckily, chartering private jets is a popular option and it is cheaper than some people may think. The costs of a private jet charter will highly depend on a number of factors: the length of your journey, whether it is a round-trip, the size and type of

the aircraft, the number of staff on board and whether you are flying semi-private or fully private. Taking all into consideration, flying private will set you back anywhere between £1,200 and £12,000 per hour. 

How to charter a private jet

The process of chartering a private jet is surprisingly simple! There are many different agencies and platforms available for that purpose. The majority of them allow you to simply type in your desired locations and dates, after which it will present you with a number of different choices for various types of aircrafts, for a variety of price ranges. Once you are ready to book, they will get in touch with you to confirm. Given the high flexibility of private flying, you should be able to charter a private jet on a fairly short notice. 

Final word

To conclude, private flying is much more accessible than many people think. Of course, it remains to be the luxury that only travellers with higher budgets can afford. However, the booking process is as easy as with any other flight and the costs can be lowered based on a number of factors. But, the comfort, privacy, convenience and flexibility that it brings seems to be worth the high price tag to many.