Problems. Problems. When your biggest problem is figuring out what type of private jet to charter for your next trip, well, they wouldn’t understand, you do still have other problems. So if you aren’t sure which jet type is right for you, here is an overview to get you started.
While the mainstream media may group private aircraft all together, the fact is there are “huge” differences as Boeing 757 operator and Republican Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump might say. Jet Advisors, a company that advises private jet purchasers lists over 80 choices of jet spread across eight categories.
You can compare over 100 private jet card membership programs at Private Jet Card Comparisons, a website I created as part of my research for stories about these prepaid private jet charter programs. In all, I compared 65 points of difference between the offerings.
Starting from Small Compact Light Jets, sometimes referred to as VLJs, or Very Light Jets, informal classifications range up to what in industry lingo are called Bizliners, essentially the types of planes you might find being flown commercially by regional airlines and even Boeing 737s, 757s and Airbus A320 types. Of course, these ones don’t have hundreds of seats, but instead feature private bedrooms, showers, board tables, media rooms and plenty of legroom to spread out in leather lounge chairs.
The largest “private jets” are planes originally built for commercial aviation use, but either… [+]
While it may seem like being in a candy store, even for the relatively small commitment of a single charter flight, getting the right jet can impact your experience. You need to consider how many people will be on your flight, and also how much luggage. Also, are you carrying specialty luggage such as golf clubs, skis and bikes. In addition to size, there is weight.
The more people and more luggage you load on, the shorter the range. While that may not mean much if you are making a short hop, it will eliminate certain aircraft types if you want to fly nonstop. Of course, a fuel stop while flying privately often means only about 20 minutes.
Read: Private Jet Cards – Let’s Talk Guaranteed Availability And Other Important Issues
Prices vary tremendously today in private aviation, and in fact one broker, Jet Smarter, offers “free” empty-leg positioning flights to its members who pay a $3,000 initiation and $9,000 annual charge. Yes, that’s right, free. Of course, it means flying only where and when there is an open plane and there are strings.
But, supposing you are in a specific place and you want to get to a specific place at specific time, there is still a big variation beyond the gimmicks and promos that seem to proliferate charter marketing these days. Outside of jets, turbo-props like the King Air, which have a similar cabin to small jets, can range from around $3,000 an hour (“It is the most comfortable solution for short-haul flights and is significantly more economical than other comparable jets,” says Kenny Dichter, CEO of WheelsUp, which uses the type as the backbone of its fleet.) to chartering your own 737-like Boeing Business Jet at $15,000 per hour or more. Again, costs will vary based on if this is a one-way or what the industry considers a roundtrip, which generally means returning within 24 hours. If you are chartering one-way, your price may be higher because you are also paying for that jet to return to its base. Jet card programs often waive roundtrip fees, but that’s an entirely different story. The point is flying privately for a roundtrip of two hours each way can easily vary from $15,000 to over $60,000.
The Phenom 100 jet manufactured by Embraer Commercial Aviation represents jets that seat four to six… [+]
If you are a novice in the charter market I recommend asking a friend who is a regular private jet user, preferably an owner for advice. After that, there are a slew of private jet charter apps and websites that are fun to play with, many with great pictures of the jets, and detailed information on size, range, seating capacity, luggage capacity and estimated pricing. Keep in mind, the bigger the jet, the bigger the cabin, and on smaller jets you will be bending down a bit, particularly if you are tall. Also, toilet facilities on smaller planes can be quite confined, and some planes it means nothing more than a pull around curtain. While over 80 percent of private jet flights are under two hours, it’s something you may want to consider.
The best advice is to find a good charter broker. Like a financial planner, travel agent, insurance broker, yacht broker or real estate agent, having somebody you develop a rapport with and who you can build trust with is probably your best asset. Ask friends who charter for recommendations. Many folks who charter regularly have gone through several brokers and providers before finding one they stuck with. At the same time, in defense of “Do It Yourself” online brokers, most seem to understand they are in the service business and heavily promote their VIP concierge service. Like many things in life, it’s a personal preference, however, for the novice, a bit of hand holding may save some pain and suffering as you familiarize yourself with the vagaries of charting a plane.
Read: Flying Your Pet By Private Jet
Another factor when chartering is who owns the jets. The answer is there thousands of owners who have the jets in the charter pool (referred to as Part 135 of the FAA aviation requirements). Some of these jets are operated by fleet operators such as XOJet, VistaJet, TMC Jets and JetSuite, which own their jets. Most, however, are owned by private individuals or companies that charter them out via management companies that operate the planes on behalf of their owners. The agreements can vary widely, but generally include hiring flight crews, maintenance and dispatch, approving when the jet is available for the charter market versus on call for the owner. The most interesting point here is while fleet operators generally have similar configurations on their fleets, each owner can arrange their plane however they see fit, so you will see the exact same type of plane, but one with 11 seats and the other with 14 or 15. Keep in mind, filling every seat on a private jet is likely to create a somewhat cramped environment. Some people pay for a jet with a few extra seats because they want more room, others don’t. Availability of WiFi also varies. Some operators offer the service across all their planes, others don’t. Like most of your choices in private aviation it is up to personal preference. That includes whether or not you want a flight attendant, depending on size of jet and operator, is sometimes an extra charge.
Without taking a deep dive into safety, you may want to also ask your broker about Wyvern and ARGUS ratings. Both are privately held companies that provide ratings of private aviation operators, including on-site audits. You will often find charter companies and operators promoting these ratings on their websites.
Read: The Real Story Behind Private Jet Catering
Perhaps, the best advice for those of you who expect to be flying regularly privately is to play the market to start. Try a different type of plane for each flight. Like car owners, jet owners will tell you all the reasons they like their particular type of jet. Your reasons may vary, so charter (before you buy) is a great way see first hand what’s out there.
To help you out we spoke to a number of industry insiders, including charter brokers, fleet operators, jet card providers, pilots and FBO private jet terminal executives to ask them for their specific favorite jets in categories. In some cases the ones we spoke to operate the jets they are recommending. Of course, considering they’ve spent tens of millions to buy these jets, their rationale on why they like a particular plane, while obviously self-serving is backed by a big financial commitment. The breakout of categories below comes from Jet Advisors.
Compact Light Jets
Citation Mustang | Eclipse EA500 | Honda Jet | Phenom 100
In the Compact Light Jets category, “The Phenom 100s, which seat four people, feature a huge cabin for a light jet, offer tremendous comfort and reliability, and cruise at 450 miles per hour at up to 40,000 feet, making them ideal for one to three hour hops,” says Alex Wilcox, CEO of JetSuite, which operates the type.
Beechjet 400A | Hawker 400XP | CitationJet | Citation CJ1 | Citation CJ1+ | Citation CJ2 | Citation CJ2+ | Citation CJ3 | Citation Bravo | Citation Ultra | Citation Encore | Citation Encore+ | Learjet 31A | Premier I| Premier IA | Nextant 400XTi Phenom 300
Roger Woolsey, CEO of Millionair, which operates 30 FBOs, says, “I love the smell of jet-fuel in the morning, so I’m admittedly fond of all jets. But I must say the Citation CJ3 is a particular favorite! It leads the pack in her low operating costs, flies at 400-knots per hour, has excellent range which allows my team to fly to any (of our) FBOs nonstop from the corporate headquarters in Houston, and it has enough luggage space for every passenger to bring their “real” luggage! The CJ-3 fills so many boxes without sacrifice…speed, range, comfort, price, and luggage space.”
For Andrew Collins, CEO of Sentient, “The Phenom 300 is more of a super light jet than a traditional Light Preferred…I really like that it’s the largest cabin in the light jet category with great performance in the air and on the ground (short runways). The Phenom 300 has a range of 1,971 nm, which is New York to Aspen non-stop with enough fuel for an alternate at its maximum speed of 453 knots. Typical seating configuration is six passengers and, for its size, it has great luggage capacity.”
However, Collins also likes the Nextant 400XTi, a plane that can also fly nonstop on the important New York to Aspen route. “This is a favorite of mine in the Light Preferred category at Sentient for its spacious cabin and ample luggage capacity,” Collins says, adding, “It cruises between a maximum speed of 460 knots and Long Range speed of 406 knots. The 400XTi can come in a number of configurations, one seating five passengers and others up to 7 passengers. Kudos to Nextant for challenging and re-thinking the light jet.”
Astra SP | Astra SPX | Citation Excel | Citation XLS | Citation XLS+ | Gulfstream G-100 | Learjet 40 | Learjet 40XR | Learjet 45 | Learjet 45XR
Adam Twidell, founder of PrivateFly and also a general aviation pilot selects the Citation XLS, noting, “Maybe I’m a little biased, as I fly one of these myself. But millions of other private jet customers can’t be wrong! Despite a challenging time in the midsize segment over the past few years, the $14 million Citation XLS (and its forerunner and descendant the XL and XLS+) remains the world’s bestselling private jet.” Twidell says the reason for its populatrity is “versatility, space and reliability. With a range of 1,800 nautical miles, the eight-seater XLS can fly nonstop for three to four hours, opening up more routes than a small jet, but it comes in at the most cost-effective end of the midsize category. It costs $7,700 to charter for a day return from New York to Washington – less than many smaller aircraft. It also feels noticeably more spacious than a small jet, both in the cabin and in the 700 lbs. baggage hold – which can fit up to eight sets of golf clubs.”
Citation VII | Citation Latitude| Gulfstream G-150 | Hawker 750 | Hawker 800A | Hawker 800XP | Hawker 850XP |Hawker 900XP | Learjet 60 | Learjet 60XR
In the Midsize category, the Citation Latitude is creating excitement. Pat Gallagher, EVP Global Sales & Marketing at NetJets says,“We don’t have it in service just yet, but I am so excited to have the Citation Latitude in our fleet. I’ve been on the demonstrator and just love it. No other aircraft in its class can boast the same cabin and it has all the great performance characteristics that you would expect from a Citation. At the price point and operating costs of a mid-size jet, you get a super-mid cabin with a flat floor and great baggage capacity. This aircraft is going to be a huge hit for Cessna and NetJets.”
Challenger 300/350 | Citation Latitude| Citation Sovereign | Citation X | Falcon 50 | Falcon 50EX | Gulfstream G-200 | Hawker 1000 | Hawker 4000
In the Super Midsize Cabin category, Sentient’s Collins says, “The Challenger 300 is the most requested specific aircraft at Sentient. I love it for its spacious cabin, outstanding performance and quite ride…my favorite aircraft to fly in for sure.” He adds, “The CL300 has coast to coast capabilities (and) even New York to London. The standard CL300 seats eight but I have seen them with up to nine passengers.”
VistaJet Chief Commercial Officer Ian Moore picks the Challenger 350 saying, “With a flying time of just over seven hours, this aircraft is perfect for taking up to eight passengers from San Francisco to New York City, Los Angeles to Miami, New York City to Nassau, or Dallas to Chicago.”
Another popular choice in this category is the Citation Sovereign. Mike Ryan, Commercial and Operators Director at Victor says, “The Citation Sovereign is a popular choice for our skiing European members. Its combination of short-field performance, range and luggage capacity makes it the ‘go to’ aircraft for many of the popular ski resorts such as Sion or Altenrhein, which have small runways – restricting the aircraft that can operate there. With eight comfortable passenger seats, the Sovereign also has an impressive 100 cubic ft. luggage hold, capable of swallowing all of your bulky winter sports luggage.”
Large Cabin Jets
Challenger 604 | Challenger 605 | Falcon 2000 | Falcon 2000DX | Falcon 2000EX EASy | Falcon 2000 LX | Falcon 900 | Falcon 900B | Falcon 900C | Falcon 900DX | Falcon 900EX EASy | Embraer Legacy 600 | Embraer Legacy Shuttle
Among large cabin jets, PrivateFly’s Twidell says he likes the Embraer Legacy 600, calling it, “another very popular choice for charter, along with the rest of the Legacy family, the 450, 650 and the new Legacy 500.” He says among the benefits, “It is widely available and the most cost-effective aircraft in the long range. Based on Brazilian manufacturer’s Embraer’s ERJ 135 airframe, the Legacy 600 feels very spacious and can’t be beaten on price for flights of around five hours, with its range of 3,400 nautical miles. (It) can hold up to 14 passengers, but without any compromise on cabin or hold space so, it’s a great choice for larger groups, or for those with lots of luggage.”
Global 5000 | Global Express | Global Express XRS | Gulfstream G-350 | Gulfstream G-450 |Gulfstream G-500 | Gulfstream G-550 | Gulfstream G-IV | Gulfstream G-IVSP | Gulfstream G-V | Falcon 7X
Gulfstream is the sexy name in the private jet industry and Victor’s Ryan says, the “GIV-SP is a very popular trans-Atlantic jet. Typically seating between 12 and 16 passengers, these aircraft make regular trips between New York and London.” For those of you looking for a deal, he says this popular plane is “often being available for excellent value ’empty leg’ flights. The aircraft has a smart ‘airy’ cabin thanks to the unique, large oval windows and many of the leather seats in the cabin can be converted into beds, making sure that you arrived rested and refreshed for your important meetings and engagements.”
While it may not have the same name brand recognition as the Savannah-based jetmaker, Bombardier is a favorite choice for long-haul flying with its Global series. VistaJet’s Moore, which owns the Global 5000, says, “With a flying time of eleven hours and up to 13 passengers, or seven sleeping, this aircraft is perfect for trips between New York City and Paris, Los Angeles and Hawaii, Boston and San Jose, or Houston and London.” He says, “Bombardier Global aircraft are key to VistaJet executing its strategy of connecting the majority of the world’s city pairs non-stop with one-way pricing.”
NetJets’ Gallagher is also a fan of the Canadian manufacturer. “I absolutely love the Global 6000,” he told ForbesLife.com, adding, “It’s got the range to accomplish any mission you can dream up. The cabin is so spacious, luxurious and whisper quiet, but perhaps the most impressive feature of the aircraft is that it can do things that no other large cabin can. We just flew the Global 6000 from Aspen to London City, then on to Lugano, back to London City and finally home to White Plains. You could spend a lot more for a competing jet and get nowhere near that kind of performance.”
Airbus A318 | Airbus A319 | Boeing BBJ | Boeing BBJ2 | Boeing BBJ3 | Embraer Lineage 1000
In this category, experts say the offerings are just too diverse to play favorite. Each of these planes, which were mainly designed for commercial aviation use, are configured so differently there are big variations. Some have bedrooms and showers, others have business class style seats. Some have private sleeping compartments, others do not. Others have extra fuel tanks to add additional range over the exact same type of jet. In this category it really comes down to looking at the specific planes that are available when and where you want to go.