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A field guide to jet card pricing

Jet Card Prices 2026: Published Rates From 19 Companies, and the True Cost per Hour

The hourly rate is only where the bill starts. A jet card sells you a fixed rate; what you pay depends on 19 other things, 14 that push the number up and 5 that bring it down. Compare the ways to buy, check 96 published rates from 19 companies, price your own flying, then take twelve questions to the sales call.

Israel Slodowitz· Updated October 2, 2026Disclosure: CRAFT sells the Fleet Jet Card, which appears on the rate board with the same columns as everyone else.

Federal tax
7.5%
On U.S. flights. 12 of 96 published rates include it, 43 add it, and the rest don't say.
International
10–40%
Surcharges for Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean in the published terms.
Minimums
48–120 min
Billed per leg even when the hop is shorter.
Peak days
10–20%
Surcharges on the busiest days, plus longer notice or blackout dates.

Ranges from the published terms on the rate board below. Terms change; confirm with each provider.

Ten ways to buy private flying

Each column ranks the options on one thing a buyer cares about. Tell it what matters most and how much you fly; the matrix sorts and greys out what doesn't fit. Tap a row to read how it works.

Showing all ten options, grouped

  • Poor
  • Weak
  • Mixed
  • Good
  • Strong
  • Pay per trip
  • Broker cards
  • Operator cards
  • Ownership
Ten ways to buy private flying, scored Poor, Weak, Mixed, Good or Strong on price certainty, short hops, same aircraft, size flexibility, peak days, low commitment, easy vetting. Scores are CRAFT's editorial read of typical program terms, not a rating of any provider.
Way to buy
Pay per trip
PoorMixedWeakStrongPoorStrongWeak
Broker cards
GoodWeakWeakStrongWeakGoodWeak
GoodWeakGoodMixedMixedMixedMixed
WeakMixedWeakStrongPoorGoodWeak
GoodWeakWeakGoodMixedMixedWeak
Operator cards
GoodMixedMixedGoodMixedMixedGood
GoodGoodGoodWeakMixedMixedGood
MixedStrongStrongMixedMixedWeakStrong
Ownership
MixedStrongStrongMixedGoodPoorStrong
WeakStrongStrongPoorGoodPoorMixed

Scores are CRAFT's editorial read of typical program terms, not a rating of any provider. Open any option to see how it works and which programs on the rate board use it.

What each column means
Price certainty
How well you can predict what a trip will cost before you book it.
Short hops
How fairly short flights are billed once minimums and taxi time are counted.
Same aircraft
How likely you are to get the same aircraft type, crews and standards every trip.
Size flexibility
How easily you can switch to a larger or smaller aircraft from one trip to the next.
Peak days
How well access and price hold up on the busiest travel dates.
Low commitment
How little money and time you have to commit up front.
Easy vetting
How easy it is to check who flies you and how safely.

Published jet card rates

Most jet card companies don't post their prices. These 19 do, on their own websites. Each number includes different things, so the board shows what's inside it. Tap Price it to run any card through the calculator with its terms loaded. For reviews of the biggest programs, see the best jet cards, compared.

96 published prices from 19 companies, per hour. Open a company for every rate and its terms.

Like for like: 7.5% FET added where a company adds tax or doesn't say, and a fuel surcharge of $300–$800/hr where one applies but isn't published (the grid shows the low end; open a company for the range). These are estimates, marked Est. Fuel is never added where a company doesn't say it's extra.

In the rate:Tax ✓ includedFuel ≈ added by us (Est.)Fuel ? not stated, none addedlower to higher in that cabin

23 super-midsize rates, lowest first

Rates as posted on each provider's website, checked October 2, 2026. Each cell shows the company's lowest rate for that cabin; “+2” means two more (open the company to see them). Max means a cap (trips may price lower), avg a recent average and from a starting rate. Euro rates are shown as published. List prices change and providers may discount; confirm before you buy. Disclosure: CRAFT, which publishes this guide, sells the Fleet Jet Card shown here and holds it to the same columns; its rates include fuel within the index band and FET, so nothing is added to them.

Programs that don't post an hourly rateYou get the rate sheet after you talk to sales. Here's what 35 of them publish about how you buy in.
Compare the top jet cards side by sideNetJets, Flexjet, VistaJet, Sentient, Wheels Up and CRAFT: price, minimums, callout and peak days.What these rates come to on your routePick two cities: every published rate times the flight time, charter by jet size and our own card.

What a jet card really costs per hour

Enter the advertised rate and how you actually fly. The calculator adds taxi time, minimums, surcharges and tax, then divides by the hours you spend in the air.

Try a way of flying

Twenty trips of about an hour and a quarter, a few on peak days and a couple abroad.

Your flying
%
%
Program terms
$
$
Surcharges
$

Zero if fuel is in the rate.

%
%
$
$

Zero if the program includes it.

Discounts
%

Round-trip, hub, long-flight and advance-booking discounts. They usually don't apply on peak days.

%

The 19 things on a jet card invoice

Fourteen raise what you pay and five lower it. Tell us how you fly and the ones that hit you light up. Open any line for the math and the question to ask.

How do you fly?

Pick any that fit. The costs they make bigger are marked and move to the top.

Tax and fuel touch almost every trip; the rest depend on how you fly.

Adds cost14 items

  • Federal excise tax7.5%
    What it is
    A federal tax on domestic private flights, charged as a share of the flight cost. Some cards include it in the hourly rate; many add it to every invoice.
    The math
    On a $10,000-an-hour card, 7.5% adds $750 an hour, or $18,750 over 25 hours.
    Ask
    “Is the 7.5% federal excise tax included in the hourly rate, or added on top?”
  • International surcharges10–40%
    What it is
    Many cards charge more for legs to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, then pass through handling fees and foreign taxes. Some also charge more outside their home region, such as on the West Coast.
    The math
    A 3-hour leg to Cancún at $10,000 an hour is $30,000; a 10% surcharge adds $3,000 before handling fees and taxes.
    Ask
    “What do legs to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean cost on top of the rate, and which fees and taxes are passed through?”
  • Busy-airport feesBy airport
    What it is
    Some programs add a fee for the busiest airports, and private terminals at big-city airports charge more for handling, parking and overnight stays. Not every card passes these on.
    The math
    These fees are charged per visit, not per hour, so the same fee is a bigger share of a 1-hour, $10,000 hop than of a 4-hour, $40,000 leg.
    Ask
    “Which airports carry an extra fee, and are terminal handling and parking fees billed to me?”
  • Fuel surchargesPer hour, varies
    What it is
    Some cards quote a base rate and add a fuel surcharge that moves with fuel prices. Others include fuel within a price band and adjust only if fuel moves outside it.
    The math
    Every $500 an hour of fuel surcharge adds $12,500 to 25 hours on a $10,000-an-hour card.
    Ask
    “Is fuel included? If there is a surcharge, what is it today, how often does it change, and what moves it?”
  • Taxi time6–12 min a leg
    What it is
    Many cards bill a fixed number of minutes for taxiing on every leg, on top of time in the air, however long you actually taxi. Others bill only time in the air.
    The math
    At $10,000 an hour, 12 minutes of taxi adds $2,000 a leg, or $40,000 over 20 legs.
    Ask
    “How many taxi minutes do you add to each leg, and do they count toward the leg minimum?”
  • Rate locks and inflation escalators12–36 months
    What it is
    A rate lock holds your hourly rate for a set time. When it ends, or every year on some cards, the rate can rise with an inflation index or a set escalator.
    The math
    If your funds outlast a 12-month lock and the rate steps up 5%, a $10,000 hour becomes a $10,500 hour.
    Ask
    “How long is my rate locked, what happens to unused funds when the lock ends, and is there a yearly escalator?”
  • Segment minimums1–2 hr a leg
    What it is
    The least time billed for each leg, whatever the actual flight time. Minimums often rise with cabin size.
    The math
    With a 90-minute minimum at $10,000 an hour, a 40-minute hop costs $15,000 instead of about $6,700.
    Ask
    “What is the minimum billed time per leg for my cabin size, and does taxi time count toward it?”
  • Daily minimums1–2 hr a day
    What it is
    The least time billed for any day you fly, however many legs you take. It matters most on days with one short flight.
    The math
    With a 2-hour daily minimum at $10,000 an hour, a day with one 45-minute flight is billed $20,000, not $7,500.
    Ask
    “Is there a daily minimum, and how does it combine with the leg minimum on a same-day round trip?”
  • De-icingPer departure
    What it is
    Spraying the aircraft before a cold-weather departure. Some cards include it; others pass the bill through, and it varies with the aircraft, the airport and the weather.
    The math
    It is billed per departure, not per hour, so it never shows in a $10,000 hourly rate; ask for a recent invoice from your home airport.
    Ask
    “Is de-icing included? If not, how is it billed, and can I see a recent example?”
  • CateringPer trip
    What it is
    Food and drinks beyond basic snacks. Some cards include a standard selection; others bill catering at cost, sometimes with a handling markup.
    The math
    None of it is in a $10,000 hourly rate, so a catered trip for a full cabin adds its own line to the invoice.
    Ask
    “What catering is included, and is anything beyond it billed at cost or with a markup?”
  • Wi-FiPer flight or data
    What it is
    Not every card guarantees Wi-Fi, and some bill usage per flight or by the data you use. On a substitute aircraft it may be slower or missing.
    The math
    Usage fees sit outside a $10,000 hourly rate, so they arrive as a separate charge on each trip.
    Ask
    “Is Wi-Fi guaranteed on every flight, including substitute aircraft, and is usage billed separately?”
  • Initiation fees and dues$995–$16,500
    What it is
    Some programs charge to join, charge a yearly membership, or both, on top of what you spend on flying. Others charge neither.
    The math
    A $14,500 yearly membership adds $580 an hour across 25 hours on a $10,000 card, and $1,450 an hour across 10.
    Ask
    “Are there initiation fees, annual dues or renewal fees, and what does each one cover?”
  • Peak-day surcharges10–20%
    What it is
    Many cards charge more, need more notice, or limit access on the busiest travel dates, such as Thanksgiving week and the winter holidays. Programs set roughly 20 to 36 such days a year, and some have none.
    The math
    A 3-hour holiday leg at $10,000 an hour costs $30,000; a 15% peak surcharge adds $4,500.
    Ask
    “Which dates are peak days this year, what is the surcharge or restriction, and how much notice do you need?”
  • Interchange feesUp or down a size
    What it is
    The cost of flying a larger or smaller aircraft than your card covers. Some cards convert hours at a set ratio, others bill the other cabin's rate, and some restrict it on peak days.
    The math
    On several cards on the rate board the next cabin up costs about $2,000 more an hour, so a 2-hour trip one size up uses about $4,000 more of a $10,000-an-hour card.
    Ask
    “Can I move up or down a size on any trip, how is it priced, and does that change on peak days?”

Saves money5 items

  • Round-trip discounts10–25% off
    What it is
    Some cards bill a round trip for less than two one-way legs, usually when you return the same day or to the same airport. What qualifies varies by program.
    The math
    Two 2-hour legs at $10,000 an hour cost $40,000; a 15% round-trip discount saves $6,000.
    Ask
    “What counts as a qualifying round trip, and how much does it save on my usual routes?”
  • Long-flight discounts10–20% off
    What it is
    Some programs lower the rate on long legs or long flying days, sometimes together with round-trip savings. Others price by the day, so the hourly cost falls the longer you fly.
    The math
    A 10% long-leg discount on a 5-hour flight at $10,000 an hour saves $5,000.
    Ask
    “Is there a discount for long legs or long flying days, and what length qualifies?”
  • Hub discountsVaries
    What it is
    Some operators charge less, or waive positioning fees, for trips that start or end at their bases, because the aircraft doesn't have to fly empty to reach you.
    The math
    If a trip from a base avoids a 1-hour positioning flight, a $10,000-an-hour card saves $10,000 on that trip.
    Ask
    “Where are your aircraft based, and do trips from those airports cost less or skip positioning fees?”
  • Advance-booking discountsUp to 30%
    What it is
    Many cards set the base rate for trips booked several days ahead and charge more for shorter notice. Booking early is how you get the lower price.
    The math
    If booking inside 72 hours adds 20%, a 2-hour leg on a $10,000 card costs $24,000 instead of $20,000.
    Ask
    “How much notice gets the base rate, and what does booking inside that window cost?”
  • Partner perksVaries
    What it is
    Some programs add credits or discounts with partners such as hotels, airlines or car services. They can be worth having, but they don't change what your flying costs.
    The math
    A perk saves money only if you would have paid for it anyway; it never lowers the $10,000 hourly rate.
    Ask
    “Which partner perks come with the card, and do any need a minimum spend or expire?”

Twelve questions for the sales call

Check them off as you go. Your progress stays in this browser.

0 of 12 asked

Your flying
The price
The contract
The company

Jet card terms, defined

The words that decide what you pay, as they appear in the contract.

ARGUS broker levels
ARGUS also reviews charter brokers, looking at business practices such as how they choose operators. A broker's standing says nothing about the safety of a given flight, which rests with the operator.
ARGUS operator ratings
Safety ratings for charter operators from ARGUS, an aviation audit firm. The levels are Gold, Gold Plus and Platinum; the higher two add an on-site audit.
Escrow
An account held by a third party, such as a bank, that pays your deposit out to the provider as you fly or under set conditions. It can protect the money if the provider gets into trouble.
FBO
Fixed-base operator: the private terminal at an airport where you board, and where the aircraft is parked, fueled and handled.
Fixed one-way rate
An hourly rate that stays the same for every trip in the service area, with no charge for the aircraft to fly empty to reach you or return to base.
Fuel index or band
A fuel price range built into the hourly rate. If the fuel price moves outside the band, the rate is adjusted by a published formula.
Guaranteed availability
A promise that an aircraft will be there if you book with at least the required notice, outside restricted dates. Inside that notice window, trips are often as available.
Guaranteed upgrade or downgrade
What a program promises when your cabin size isn't available: a larger aircraft at your rate, or a smaller one with the difference credited back. Terms and approval rules vary.
Inflation escalator (CPI)
A clause that raises the rate over time, in line with an inflation measure such as the Consumer Price Index or by a set percentage.
Interchange
Flying a different cabin size than your card covers, with hours or funds converted at a set ratio or at the other cabin's rate.
IS-BAO
The International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations, a safety management code from the International Business Aviation Council. Operators are audited and registered at stage 1, 2 or 3 as their safety system matures.
Multiple same-time access
Whether one card can fly two or more aircraft at the same time, for example to send family and colleagues in different directions on the same day.
Off-fleet
A trip flown by another operator on an aircraft the card's company doesn't own or manage. It usually happens when the fleet is busy.
Part 91
The FAA's general operating rules, used when owners fly their own aircraft for themselves. Subpart K adds rules for fractional ownership programs, which fly under Part 91 with extra requirements on top.
Part 135
The FAA rules for commercial on-demand flights, such as charter and many jet card trips. The certificate holder answers for the flight, under stricter rules on pilot rest, training and maintenance than private flying.
Peak and blackout days
Peak days are busy dates when a card charges more or needs more notice. Blackout days are dates when the card doesn't guarantee service at all.
Primary service area
The region where a card's fixed rates apply. Trips outside it may be priced separately, cost more or need extra notice.
Rate lock
How long a program holds your hourly rate. Flying after it ends may be billed at the rate in force at the time.
Recovery
What a program does when a trip can't go as planned, for example after a mechanical problem: how fast it finds another aircraft, and who pays for it.
Refund and refill policy
The rules for getting unused money back, and for adding funds later, including whether a top-up keeps your original rate.
Segment and daily minimums
The least flight time billed for each leg (segment) and for each day you fly, whatever the actual time in the air.
Taxi time
Time spent moving on the ground between the terminal and the runway. Many cards add a fixed number of minutes for it to each leg.
Wyvern
An aviation safety auditor. Operators that pass its on-site audit can be listed as Wyvern Wingman operators, and its trip reports check the crew and aircraft for a given flight.

How we built this guide

  • Rates come from each provider's own website, checked October 2, 2026, and every company on the board links to the page we used. We don't use licensed or third-party pricing data.
  • The tax and fuel badges say what's inside each rate, as the provider's page states it. "Not stated" means the page doesn't say. By default the board shows every rate like for like: the 7.5% FET added where a provider says tax is extra or doesn't say, and a fuel surcharge of $300 to $800 an hour where a provider adds one without publishing it (the grid shows the low end), marked Est. Fuel is never added where a provider doesn't say it's extra. Switch to "As published" for the posted figures.
  • The ranges at the top come from the same published terms. International surcharges, minimums and peak-day surcharges are read off the provider notes on the board.
  • The matrix is editorial. Its scores are our read of how each way of buying typically works, not a rating of any provider.
  • The calculator is simplified. It applies surcharges and discounts to the hourly charges and treats international legs as outside the tax zone. It's a way to compare, not a quote.
  • One press-sourced fact. NetJets doesn't publish an hourly rate; industry press reported in late July 2026 that it had limited new Jet Card sales.

Where CRAFT's card sits

CRAFT sells the Fleet Jet Card: a guaranteed Challenger 300 or 350, flown by CRAFT's own crews, at $12,950 an hour on 25 hours with fuel within the index band and the 7.5% tax included. On the board it sits in alphabetical order with the same columns as everyone else, in the super-midsize column. Compare it there, like for like: some super-midsize cards come in lower and some higher once tax and fuel are on the same basis. Run any of them through the calculator with your own flying to see where they land, or read our comparison of the six biggest programs.

If the CRAFT card fits how you fly, see what it costs for your trips →

Frequently asked questions

How much does a jet card cost per hour?

On our rate board, published rates run from about $3,400 an hour (a one-way turboprop rate) to $20,500 for an ultra-long-range jet. Most light-jet rates sit between $6,000 and $10,400 an hour, and super-midsize rates between $9,250 and $13,900. Each rate includes different things, so compare what a year of your flying costs, not the headline rate. The calculator on this page adds taxi time, minimums, surcharges and tax for you.

What isn't included in a jet card's hourly rate?

It depends on the program. The usual extras are the 7.5% federal excise tax, a fuel surcharge, taxi time, segment or daily minimums, peak-day and international surcharges, busy-airport fees, de-icing, catering, Wi-Fi and any membership dues. Discounts for round trips, long flights or booking ahead can bring the total down. Ask each provider which of these apply to your trips.

Do jet card rates include the 7.5% federal excise tax?

Some do and many don't. Of the published rates on our board, about one in eight include it, close to half add it on top, and the rest don't say. Ask whether a quote includes the tax before you compare it with another.

Which jet card companies publish their prices?

The 19 companies on our rate board post hourly rates on their own websites, including Sentient Jet, Wheels Up, Surf Air Mobility, Solairus, Fly Alliance and CRAFT. Many others, including NetJets, Flexjet, VistaJet and XO, describe how you buy in but share rates only after you talk to sales; the guide lists what 35 of them do publish.

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