Here's How Much A Cross-Country Private Jet Flight Actually Costs

Taking a private jet flight is something that's on many people's bucket lists. A private jet epitomizes a luxury lifestyle, with Taylor Swift's $40 million Dassault Falcon being an excellent example of just how the rich and famous travel. You need a lot of money to own and operate a private jet, and very few of us have that sort of money lying around. However, wouldn't it be nice to dip our toes into that lifestyle and take a quick jaunt across the country in a private jet? 

This begs the question — just how much would such a trip cost? As is usual with such things, there is no one-size-fits-all bracket that answers the question. But we can establish some useful baselines by looking at what "cross-country" means in aviation terms and how private jet pricing works in practice. In the U.S., coast-to-coast flights typically refer to routes like New York to Los Angeles, which seem like two cities glamorous enough for such a trip. In this instance, the distance from New York's JFK to LAX in Los Angeles is 2,475 miles. A flight like that takes about 6 hours in a mid-sized private jet. 

The latter is important, as many private jet charter companies don't charge by the mile but by the hour and this figure can vary by company. For example, a mid-sized jet capable of carrying 8 or 9 passengers can cost between $4,000 and $9,204 per flying hour. Scaling this to a six-hour flight, there's a fairly wide range of between $24,000 and $55,204. 

Primarily, the most obvious cost is that of renting the aircraft. While the figures for midsize private jets allowed the setting of some baseline figures, a midsize jet is far from being the only option.

However, while smaller light jets might look cheaper on paper, often with lower hourly rates, these aircraft are generally ill-suited for such journeys. Their limited range usually means at least one fuel stop. This, in turn, increases the total flight time and the ensuing bill. For instance, an average light private jet will seat five passengers, have a range of up to about 2,500 nautical miles, and cost between $5,850 and $7,176 per hour. 

But let's push the boat out and give ourselves the luxury of a mid-sized jet capable of making the journey in a single flight. Basing our figures on this size gives us a private jet capable of carrying up to eight passengers and a fair average price for the flight. For a plane like this, you can expect to pay between $6,864 and $9,204 per hour for it (although this varies by company). Unfortunately, this isn't the end of the costs. Other charges to factor in include landing and handling fees (potentially another $2,000 or so), in-flight catering, de-icing if necessary, cleaning fees, and ground transportation. 

What all this does tell us is that the cost of flying coast-to-coast in a private jet is highly variable. So, let's focus on a commonly chartered jet, plug in the numbers, and see how much that flight is going to cost. 

Okay, let's book a dream flight from New York to Los Angeles. According to Stratos Jets, the ideal private jet for this is the super-midsized Challenger 300, a jet that's built by Bombardier, one of the world's best private jet manufacturers. This jet will seat eight passengers in comfort, has a range of 3,065 nautical miles (3,527 miles), and — according to the company — it can make the trip in about six hours without stopping. 

The cost to hire the jet can vary depending on several factors, including scheduling times (peak and low demand), aircraft positioning (does it have to fly to your departure destination first), and any additional services like transportation or de-icing. Depending on how these play out, you can expect to pay anywhere between $34,000 and $41,000 for the hire of the jet. Split among 8 passengers, the top price works out as $6,833 per head. 

However, this figure doesn't necessarily represent the bottom line. As Stratos Jets notes, a number of additional charges can apply on top of the base charter price. These can include landing fees, handling charges, and crew duty or overnight charges. Using the midpoint of the quoted charter prices ($37,500), and assuming a basic flight with no de-icing, average landing fees, cleaning, and of course a little catering ($100 per head), the total cost will be in the $40,000 ballpark. But don't book yet, there's still a Federal Excise Tax of 7.5% to be applied — bringing the final total to an eye-watering $43,000.