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I have been researching private aviation for years, and the number of people asking how to fly private has only increased.

Whether you are flying for business, planning a luxury getaway, or simply done with crowded commercial terminals, understanding which private jet charter companies are worth your money is where I come in.

Private jet travel is no longer reserved for the ultra-wealthy.

Membership programs, jet cards, empty-leg flights, and semi-private carriers have expanded access in ways that would have been unimaginable a decade ago.

And with private jet flight hours hitting record highs in 2025, the options have never been better or more competitive.

That said, not every company is created equal.

Some have gone out of business. Some have rebranded. And some have quietly become the best options in the market while legacy names coast on reputation alone.

I have done the research so you do not have to.

This guide covers the best private jet charter companies operating in 2026, how their pricing and membership models work, what it actually costs to charter a private jet, and how to find empty leg deals that can save you up to 75% on your flight.

The links in this post may be affiliate links.  That means that if you click them and make a purchase, this site makes a commission.  It will have no impact on the price you pay or the experience of your purchase.

I have also verified that every company on this list is actively operating because your money deserves that level of due diligence.

How to Choose the Right Private Jet Company for You

Not every company on this list is right for every traveler. Before you scroll through ten private and semi-private jet companies, start here first.

You are flying private for the first time

You want to experience what private aviation actually feels like without a deposit, a membership, or a three-year commitment.

Your priority is low risk and low friction.

Start with JSX if you are on a domestic route. They serve to book a seat for $99 and show up 20 minutes before your flight.

If JSX does not cover your route, call Stratos Jets for an on-demand charter with no upfront commitment and a charter agent who will walk you through every detail.

Both options let you fly private once and decide how you feel about it before spending real money on a program.

You are a frequent domestic business traveler

You fly 25 to 50 hours a year, mostly within the US, and you are tired of the unpredictability of booking trip by trip.

You need guaranteed availability, fixed pricing, and a company that will actually be there when you call.

Look at flyExclusive for the strongest value in jet card programs with owned fleet consistency, or Jet Linx if you value a local team that knows your preferences and you are based near one of their 20-plus base cities.

Wheels Up is worth a look if you are a Delta frequent flyer and the hybrid private and commercial booking model appeals to how you actually travel.

You are an international luxury traveler

You cross oceans regularly. You care about consistency, service quality, and getting to destinations that commercial airlines underserve.

VistaJet was built specifically for this profile.

Its Program and VJ25 memberships give you guaranteed access to the same branded fleet across 187 countries, with no repositioning fees. I

f you want fractional ownership with serious European infrastructure including owner terminals and helicopter connections in Italy and the French Riviera, Flexjet is the conversation to have.

For flexible international access without a multi-year commitment, XO gives you global charter booking through an app with access to the Vista Members fleet including ultra-long-range aircraft.

You are traveling as a group

You have six, eight, or ten people moving together on a family trip, a corporate retreat, a girls’ trip, or a destination event.

The per-person math on a private charter changes completely at group size and often comes within range of commercial business class on the same route.

Vida Jets is built for exactly this with a dedicated Jet Specialist who handles every detail of the trip including ground transportation and catering, not just the flight.

Stratos Jets is excellent for groups with complex multi-city itineraries because, as a broker, they match aircraft to your exact headcount and route rather than defaulting to whatever they own.

For a group doing a semi-private trip on a popular corridor like New York to Miami or Dallas to Las Vegas, JSX lets everyone book seats individually and still arrive together from a private terminal.

The Best Private Jet Charter Companies in 2026

1. JSX — Best Semi-Private Option for Domestic Routes

JSX is not a traditional private jet company and that is actually the point.

You are booking a seat on a 30-passenger aircraft that departs from a private terminal, which means you skip TSA, skip the gate crowds, and show up just 20 minutes before your flight.

That is it. No membership. No long-term commitment. Just book a seat and go.

I want you to think about the last time you flew somewhere like Dallas to Las Vegas or Los Angeles to Phoenix and sat in a commercial terminal for two hours. JSX eliminates that entire experience.

Travel and Leisure readers named it the best domestic airline two years in a row, and when you factor in the private terminal departure, the free cocktails, and the business class legroom on every single seat, that makes a lot of sense.

Where Does JSX Fly?

If you are in Texas, JSX is absolutely something you need to know about.

From Dallas Love Field you can fly direct to Houston, Las Vegas, and seasonally to Destin, Santa Fe, and Crested Butte.

Houston travelers have the same connection back to Dallas. The Texas to Las Vegas corridor on JSX is genuinely one of the best travel deals in private aviation right now.

California is the other market. If you are in the Los Angeles area, JSX gives you multiple departure points, including Burbank, Orange County, Oakland, Carlsbad, and Santa Monica.

From those cities you can connect to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and starting April 2026, Napa Valley.

I know wine country sounds like a small route, but that Santa Monica to Napa flight is going to be a go-to for a certain kind of traveler, and I think you know exactly who I mean.

On the East Coast, JSX flies out of Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, which is the private terminal that serves the New York metro area.

From Teterboro you have year-round service to Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale Executive.

If you are in the New York area and you spend any time in South Florida, this is the route that will change how you travel. Showing up to Teterboro versus LaGuardia is a completely different life.

Colorado travelers fly out of Denver Centennial with service to Las Vegas and Scottsdale, plus seasonal ski routes to Crested Butte and Santa Fe in winter.

Routes expand and change regularly, so check jsx.com for the most current map before you plan anything.

Is JSX Expensive?

On the right routes, JSX is not expensive at all. Dallas to Houston and Burbank to Las Vegas run around $199 to $219 with advance booking, which is honestly in the same neighborhood as Southwest on those same routes.

The difference is that your $199 on JSX comes with free checked bags, free cocktails, business class legroom, and a private terminal departure. Southwest cannot say that.

Now the New York to Miami route starts around $615 one way, and that is a real number, but you are flying out of a private terminal into a private terminal with none of the South Florida airport chaos on either end.

For a lot of people that math works out just fine.

Peak travel dates will push prices up the same way they do on any airline so if you are flying around a holiday or a major event like CES in Las Vegas, book early.

The Texas and California routes are where JSX consistently gives you the most value, and those are also the routes where availability can disappear fast.

What You Get on Every Single JSX Flight

Free checked bags are included on every fare, two bags on the Hop-On fare and three on All In.

You get complimentary cocktails, snacks, and coffee on every flight. The cabin seats 30 passengers with business class legroom throughout and no overhead bins, which makes boarding faster and the whole experience feel more relaxed.

Starlink Wi-Fi is live on the full Embraer jet fleet right now. Pets fly free with a seat purchase for larger dogs.

And every departure is from a private FBO terminal so you genuinely never touch a commercial airport on a JSX flight.

Your Fare Options

JSX gives you two choices. Hop-On is the lower price point with two checked bags, nonrefundable, and change fees apply if your plans shift.

All In is fully refundable with no change fees and three checked bags. If your schedule never moves, Hop-On saves you money.

If you travel for work and your calendar can change overnight, All In is the right call.

Either way, sign up for Club JSX before you book anything. It is completely free and you earn rebates on every flight plus early access to new routes and deals before they open to the public.

How to Book

Go to jsx.com or download the JSX app on iOS or Android. Search your route, pick your fare, and you are done.

No membership, no enrollment, nothing to sign up for ahead of time unless you want the Club JSX perks which again, are free.

If you want to charter the full 30-seat aircraft for a group trip or corporate event, email charter@jsx.com and they will put together a quote for you directly.

2. NetJets — Best for Fractional Ownership

NetJets invented fractional jet ownership.

I am not saying that to be impressive, I am saying it because it matters when you are deciding who to trust with a multi-year commitment and real money.

Richard Santulli created the concept in 1986, Warren Buffett liked it so much he bought the entire company in 1998 and it has been part of Berkshire Hathaway ever since.

That ownership alone should tell you something about the financial stability behind this operation. As of March 2026, NetJets is flying 845 aircraft and has around 12,500 owners and cardholders.

Nobody else in private aviation is doing numbers like that.

The reason people choose NetJets over everyone else is the guarantee.

If your aircraft is not available when you need it, NetJets moves you into a comparable or better aircraft at no extra charge.

They never downgrade you. That is a promise that matters when you are trying to get from Atlanta to New York for a 9 am meeting and you need things to go exactly right.

Where Does NetJets Fly?

This is where NetJets separates itself from every other name on this list.

You are not limited to specific routes or city pairs. NetJets gives you access to over 575 airports in 70 countries, and through their affiliated operators that number extends to around 400,000 airports worldwide.

If you are flying domestically, think of any city you regularly travel to for business or pleasure and NetJets can get you there. New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, the Hamptons, Aspen, Palm Beach, Scottsdale, Napa Valley.

Internationally, it covers Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, and Asia.

NetJets has been investing heavily in dedicated facilities for its owners.

They have exclusive member terminals at Teterboro in New Jersey for the New York metro area, Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, Westchester County Airport in White Plains, Palm Beach International in Florida, Bozeman in Montana, near Vail in Colorado, and private hangars in San Jose for West Coast travelers.

These are not shared FBO spaces. These are NetJets only facilities with private lounges, VIP conference rooms, covered parking, and ramp access so your car pulls right up to the aircraft.

When you are at that level of the program, the airport experience feels completely different from anything commercial.

Is NetJets Expensive?

Yes, and let me be real with you about that.

The entry point for a jet card on a Phenom 300 light jet is around $215,000 for 25 hours, which works out to about $8,600 per hour.

If you buy into fractional ownership at the 1/16 share level for 50 hours a year, your first year costs are the highest because they include the share purchase, and annual costs after that run $350,000 or more even at the smallest share size.

This is not a product for someone who flies a few times a year privately.

NetJets makes sense for the person who is flying 50 or more hours annually and needs guaranteed access, consistent aircraft quality, and a company that will be there for the next decade, not just the next trip.

What you get for that money is predictable pricing, no repositioning fees through their Ferry Waiver Program, a dedicated Owner Services team, and the most diverse fleet of any single private aviation provider on the planet.

If you decide to leave the fractional program three years in, NetJets buys your share back. That buyback guarantee is something almost nobody else offers.

Your Program Options

The Jet Card is where most people start.

You buy 25 hours on a specific aircraft type, use them as you need them, and top up when you run low.

No long-term ownership, no management fees to worry about, just a predictable hourly rate and access to the full NetJets service standard.

About half of all fractional owners at NetJets started with a jet card so it is a real on-ramp to the program, not just a consolation product.

The NetJets Lease is for people who fly 50 or more hours a year but want to avoid the capital outlay of buying a fractional share. You get the same access and service as an owner without the asset on your balance sheet.

The NetJets Share is the full fractional ownership program. You buy a portion of a specific aircraft, typically starting at 1/16th which gives you about 50 hours per year, up to a half share for 400 hours.

You own an asset, you get the tax advantages that come with aircraft ownership, and you get NetJets’ guarantee that your aircraft or better will be available when you call.

How to Book

You work directly with NetJets through an Owner Services advisor who knows your preferences, your travel patterns, and your account.

There is no app-based self-service process at this level.

You call or contact your advisor, they handle everything from the aircraft to the ground transportation if needed.

Start the conversation at netjets.com or call 1-877-356-5387 to speak with someone about which program fits where you are right now.

3. VistaJet — Best for International Private Jet Travel

If you are the kind of traveler who is regularly crossing oceans, VistaJet is the name that keeps coming up and there is a real reason for that.

VistaJet was built specifically for global travel from day one and it shows.

Their passengers have flown to over 2,400 airports in 96 percent of the world’s countries. Think about that for a second.

If you can name the destination, VistaJet has almost certainly landed there.

The other thing that sets VistaJet apart is that you always know exactly what you are getting on the plane.

Every aircraft in their fleet wears the same iconic silver and red livery and the interiors are consistent across the board.

Cabin hosts are trained by the British Butler Institute, Norland College, and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

You are not rolling the dice on service quality depending on which aircraft gets assigned to you that day.

It is the same standard whether you are departing from New York, Dubai, London, or Hong Kong.

Where Does VistaJet Fly?

The short answer is basically everywhere.

In the US, VistaJet’s team is based in New York and Fort Lauderdale, and those are the two main points of contact for American members.

From a routing standpoint your US hubs are the major private aviation gateways you would expect: New York metro via Teterboro, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago.

From any of those cities VistaJet can put you anywhere in the world within 24 hours notice, which is genuinely the whole value proposition.

Internationally, Europe is extremely strong with heavy coverage across London, Paris, Geneva, Nice, Monaco, Rome, and the Mediterranean corridor that a lot of luxury travelers know well.

The Middle East routes including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh are major VistaJet corridors.

Africa, which is a destination a lot of private aviation companies underserve, is accessible through VistaJet in a way that most programs cannot match.

If you are planning a South Africa trip into Cape Town or Johannesburg, or heading somewhere like Nairobi or Marrakech, this is the company that actually knows how to get you there with no drama.

Asia Pacific is growing fast too, with Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur all being high traffic VistaJet routes right now.

One thing worth knowing heading into 2026 specifically is that VistaJet has been building out World Cup experiences for members.

The tournament runs through July 2026 across 16 host cities including New York, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

If attending World Cup matches across multiple cities is something on your radar, VistaJet has the infrastructure to make that kind of multi-city itinerary seamless in a way that commercial flights simply cannot.

Is VistaJet Expensive?

Yes, and you need to go in knowing that. VistaJet is not the entry-level option on this list.

Their on-demand charter rates start around $11,000 per hour and Program membership on a Challenger 350 runs around $15,000 per hour or more.

For the VJ25 membership on a Challenger 350, you are looking at roughly $375,000 to $400,000 for your first year covering 25 hours.

What you are paying for is the no-ferry-fee policy which matters enormously on international routes, the guaranteed availability on 24 hours notice anywhere in the world, and a consistent cabin experience that you simply cannot replicate booking trip by trip through a broker.

For someone flying internationally four to six times a year on longer haul routes, the math can actually work in their favor compared to piecing together one-off charters and paying positioning fees every time.

VistaJet’s own cost calculator on their website will show you the comparison if you want to run your actual travel patterns against it.

Your Membership Options

The Program is the flagship. It gives you fixed hourly rates and guaranteed availability every single day of the year including peak days.

This is for the traveler who flies 50 or more hours annually and needs to know with certainty that an aircraft will be there when they call.

The VJ25 is newer and it is a really good option for people who fly internationally but not constantly.

You commit to 25 to 49 hours per year over a three-year subscription and you get guaranteed availability on non-peak days and most peak days.

It opened up the VistaJet service level to people who previously could not meet the 50-hour minimum.

If you take two or three big international trips a year, VJ25 is probably the program that makes sense for you.

The Corporate membership is built for companies that need multiple executives moving around simultaneously with consistent service and reporting.

If you are managing travel for a team, this is the structure designed for that.

For anyone not ready to commit to a subscription, VistaJet Direct lets you book on-demand charter through their app with access to discounted empty legs and priority fleet access at dynamic pricing.

How to Book

Your US point of contact is the VistaJet team in New York and Fort Lauderdale. You can start the conversation at vistajet.com or call them directly at 1-800-683-8567.

They will put together a custom proposal based on your actual travel patterns rather than giving you a generic price sheet, which is the right way to figure out whether the Program or VJ25 makes more sense for how you actually fly.

4. XO (Formerly XoJet) — Best App-Based On-Demand Charter

XO used to be called XoJet, and if you have been researching private aviation for a while, you might still see it listed that way in older articles.

It rebranded to XO in 2019 after Vista Global acquired it and merged it with the booking platform JetSmarter.

The result is something genuinely different from the other companies on this list because XO is less of a traditional private jet operator and more of a marketplace.

You open the app, search your route, see real-time pricing across thousands of aircraft, and book. No waiting for a quote to come back, no back and forth with an advisor.

You just go.

That matters a lot if you are the kind of person who makes travel decisions quickly and does not want to get on the phone with someone every time you need a flight.

XO is also the only major private aviation platform where you can book a single seat on an existing flight, which means you can fly private without paying for the whole aircraft.

For a solo traveler on a popular route, that changes the math entirely.

Where Does XO Fly?

XO operates on 60,000 routes worldwide and gives you access to over 2,000 aircraft so the honest answer is almost anywhere you want to go.

That said, the routes where XO really shines are the high-traffic US corridors that have enough demand to support shared flights and competitive pricing.

New York to South Florida is their single busiest shared flight market, with New York to Miami, West Palm Beach, Naples, and Fort Lauderdale all running regularly.

New York to Los Angeles is the second busiest corridor and where you will find the most competitive pricing on coast-to-coast travel, with some dates coming in under $30,000 for the full aircraft.

Other strong domestic routes on XO include Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Chicago to New York, Dallas to Miami, and the seasonal routes into Aspen during ski season.

If you are in any major US city, XO can get you somewhere same day.

Internationally, XO has expanded into Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. London, Paris, Geneva, Dubai, and the Asia Pacific region including Hong Kong and Singapore are all accessible.

XO launched in Asia in 2025 alongside VistaJet and that expansion is ongoing into 2026.

The shared flight feature works best on New York to South Florida and New York to LA. On those routes specifically, you will find existing flights with open seats that you can join for a fraction of the full charter cost.

On less-traveled routes, you may need to propose a crowdfunded flight and wait to see if enough people join before it gets confirmed.

Is XO Expensive?

It depends completely on how you fly.

If you book a shared seat on an existing New York-to-Los Angeles flight, you could pay around $2,495 for a seat on a heavy jet, which is in the same range as first class on a commercial carrier but with a completely different experience.

If you charter the full aircraft on that same route, you are looking at anywhere from about $29,990 on the low end up to $65,000 or more, depending on aircraft and date.

That range is wide and the variance is real because XO uses dynamic pricing, which means the same route can be priced very differently depending on when you book and what demand looks like that day.

The on-demand charter with no membership costs more per flight than using a membership.

If you fly XO more than a few times a year a membership deposit makes sense because you start earning 4 percent back in loyalty credits on every flight, you get preferred pricing, and you get priority access to the Vista Members fleet which includes some serious aircraft including the Bombardier Global 7500.

Your Options on XO

XO Membership is the entry point at a $100,000 refundable deposit with a $995 annual fee automatically deducted from your account balance. Your funds never expire and you can withdraw them at any time minus that annual fee.

You get limited access to the Vista Members fleet, earned loyalty credits, and no blackout dates.

XO Reserve bumps the deposit to $250,000 and gives you priority access to the Vista Members fleet, the same loyalty credits, no blackout dates, and guaranteed same-price mechanical recovery on peak days.

That last part matters if you have ever been stranded because an aircraft had a maintenance issue and you had to scramble for a replacement.

XO Corporate requires a $500,000 deposit and is built for companies sending multiple people in different directions at once. It includes multi-user accounts so your whole team can book under the same membership.

XO Shared Membership is for the person who primarily wants to book individual seats on existing shared flights.

It is the most accessible entry point to flying private on XO and the one that gets you the closest to commercial first class pricing on popular routes.

Elite Access is XO’s fixed-rate jet card option for travelers who want predictable hourly pricing without the dynamic pricing variability.

Light jets run $6,850 per hour, midsize jets $7,950, and super midsize jets $8,500 with a 72-hour booking window outside peak days.

And if you just want to book a single flight without a membership, you can do that too through the app or website.

You will pay a higher rate per flight, but there is zero commitment required.

How to Book

Download the XO app on iOS or Android or go directly to flyxo.com. You can search flights, see real-time pricing, and book instantly without talking to anyone.

If you want to book a shared seat specifically, look for the shared flights option in the app and filter by route.

For corporate memberships or anything that needs a more customized setup, XO aviation advisors are available 24 hours a day.

The app is genuinely the fastest way to get a private jet flight confirmed of anything on this list.

A note on the Vista Global fleet

When you book through XO you are getting access to the full Vista Global aircraft network, which includes aircraft formerly operated under the Jet Edge brand.

Vista Global consolidated its US operations under the Vista America banner, and those aircraft, including Challenger 300 and 350 jets that previously flew as Jet Edge, are now part of the fleet that XO members can access directly.

If you were specifically researching Jet Edge for its safety certifications and corporate track record, that reputation and those aircraft are now part of what XO delivers through the Vista Members fleet.

5. Wheels Up — Best for Delta Frequent Flyers

Wheels Up went through a rough patch, and the company nearly went under in 2023.

Delta Air Lines stepped in with a $500 million rescue package and now owns 95 percent of the company.

The past two years have been about rebuilding the product from the ground up. The reason I am telling you this is because the Wheels Up you are looking at in 2026 is genuinely different from the one people were complaining about in 2022 and 2023.

If you wrote them off during that period it is worth a second look.

They started 2026 with a record 14 consecutive days without a single flight cancellation, which is not a small thing for a company that was once struggling with reliability.

Completion rates are running at 99 percent. The legacy King Air and Citation fleet is being retired and replaced with Embraer Phenom 300 light jets and Bombardier Challenger 300 super-midsize jets.

The turnaround is real and the Delta backing means there is financial stability behind it that was not there before.

What makes Wheels Up interesting in 2026 specifically is the Delta integration, which has gotten deep enough to be genuinely useful rather than just a marketing talking point.

As of January 2026 you can book Delta commercial flights directly inside the Wheels Up portal and pay for them out of your Wheels Up fund balance.

You can mix a Wheels Up private flight from a smaller regional airport into a Delta hub, connect to Delta One for the long international leg, and manage the whole thing through one account. Nobody else in private aviation offers that.

Where Does Wheels Up Fly?

The Signature Membership gives you guaranteed nationwide access across the continental US plus 225 miles beyond the coastlines, which covers the Bahamas and extends to Los Cabos in Mexico.

The guaranteed service area is meaningful because Wheels Up had pulled back from parts of the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and West Texas during their 2023 restructuring.

The Signature program restores full national coverage for members who choose that tier.

In terms of where the fleet actually operates from, Wheels Up has consolidated key operations around Atlanta, which makes sense given the Delta relationship.

Atlanta is already one of the busiest private aviation markets in the Southeast and the proximity to Delta’s main hub creates real operational synergies.

From Atlanta, you can reach anywhere in the East Coast corridor, the Southeast, and the Gulf Coast quickly.

The fleet also positions heavily in Florida, New York, and the major California markets.

For anything outside the US, Wheels Up members access global charter through Air Partner, the UK-based aviation company that Wheels Up acquired.

That gives you access to thousands of safety-vetted aircraft worldwide for international legs that the owned Phenom and Challenger fleet does not cover directly.

The Delta integration means you can also use your Wheels Up funds to book Delta One flights from major hubs to international destinations, then have a Wheels Up flight waiting when you land.

Is Wheels Up Expensive?

The Signature Membership entry point is a $200,000 minimum deposit plus a monthly membership fee, which is actually lower than several other programs at this level of guaranteed access.

Deposit levels go higher with better terms attached.

The fixed rate pricing on the Signature plan locks in your hourly rates for up to five years with only an annual CPI adjustment, which means you know exactly what you are paying and you do not get surprised when fuel prices spike.

The dynamic pricing option is there for flexible flyers who want to take advantage of off-peak pricing on high-traffic routes.

One thing worth knowing is that Wheels Up tends to be most competitive on efficient routes in the Northeast and Southeast where they have the densest fleet concentration.

They have discounted fixed pricing on specific airports in those regions that makes the Phenom 300 product genuinely attractive compared to other jet card programs at similar deposit levels.

Your Options with Wheels Up

The Signature Membership is the current flagship product.

It comes in two versions. The Dynamic Plan uses market-driven pricing based on seasonality, day of week, and destination, with a $200,000 minimum deposit.

This is for people who are flexible in their travel patterns and want to fly at the best available rate.

The Fixed Plan locks in guaranteed hourly rates on both the Phenom 300 and Challenger 300 nationwide, also starting at $200,000.

If predictability matters more to you than chasing the best daily rate, the Fixed Plan is the right call.

Beyond the Signature program, on-demand charter with no membership is available through the Wheels Up app or website if you want to book a single flight without committing to anything.

You can also still access the legacy Core membership if that structure worked for you previously, though it is no longer prominently featured on their site.

As a Signature member you get Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion status based on qualifying Wheels Up flight spend, up to 20 percent off on certain Delta fares, and same-day round trip discounts on private flights.

The Wheels Down events program gives members access to exclusive gatherings, sporting events, and lifestyle experiences throughout the year.

How to Book

Download the Wheels Up app on iOS or Android or go to wheelsup.com. You can search, book, and manage flights entirely through the app, which is one of the more polished booking experiences in private aviation.

Aviation advisors are available 24 hours a day if you prefer to work through someone directly.

If the Signature Membership is what interests you, starting a conversation with an advisor rather than self-serving through the app will give you a clearer picture of which deposit level and pricing structure actually fits how you fly.

6. Vida Jets — Best for Full Concierge Charter Service

Vida Jets is the company on this list that is going to feel the most personal from the moment you reach out.

They are headquartered at Boca Raton Airport in South Florida, which puts them right in the heart of one of the busiest private aviation markets in the country.

Location matters because it means fast access to Miami, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale without the operational headaches of working out of a major commercial hub.

What makes Vida Jets genuinely different from a lot of other options is that they are not trying to be everything to everyone.

They do not have a membership app, a jet card program, or a self-service booking portal.

What they have is a dedicated Jet Specialist assigned directly to you from your very first inquiry, and that person is available to you 24 hours a day for everything from finding the right aircraft for your route to arranging ground transportation, gourmet catering, and whatever else you need before and after you land.

If you have ever dealt with a broker where you felt like a ticket number rather than a client, Vida Jets is the opposite of that experience.

Where Does Vida Jets Fly?

Vida Jets is a broker with global reach, meaning they can arrange flights anywhere in the world rather than being limited to specific routes or regions.

From their Boca Raton base, the most natural corridors are South Florida outbound to New York, Palm Beach to the Bahamas, and Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean, with connections into Central and South America.

Those are routes they do constantly and know extremely well.

Beyond South Florida, Vida Jets handles bookings across the continental US, international leisure destinations in the Caribbean, Europe, and South America, and corporate routes between major business cities.

If you are planning something like a trip from Miami to Turks and Caicos, or New York to London, or a multi-stop itinerary through multiple cities on one trip, their Jet Specialists are built to handle that level of trip planning in a way that pure booking platforms are not.

They also access empty leg flights when available, which can bring costs down significantly on one-way routes if your timing has flexibility.

The fleet they work with covers everything from light jets for short regional hops to midsize options like the Challenger 350 for longer domestic routes, up to ultra-long-range aircraft like the Gulfstream G650 and Global 7500 for transatlantic or transpacific missions.

Your Jet Specialist recommends the right aircraft for your specific route and group size rather than defaulting to whatever is easiest for them to source.

Is Vida Jets Expensive?

Vida Jets does not publish set pricing because every quote is built around your specific route, aircraft, group size, and any additional services you want included.

As a broker they source pricing from the charter market, which means you are getting a competitive rate on the aircraft itself.

The value they add is on the service side, meaning the concierge coordination, the catering arrangements, the ground transportation, and the 24/7 availability of your Jet Specialist are what you are really paying for on top of the flight itself.

The empty leg access is worth asking about specifically if you have flexible timing.

Vida Jets actively reroutes empty leg flights to create savings for their clients, and they say that can bring costs down by up to 75 percent on qualifying one-way routes.

If you are flying South Florida to New York or any high-traffic corridor and your departure window is flexible by a few hours, ask your Jet Specialist about available empty legs before accepting a standard charter quote.

How to Book

There is no app and no self-service process here, which is very intentional.

You reach out to Vida Jets at vidajets.com or by calling them directly at (561) 288-8558, and a Jet Specialist responds to start building your itinerary.

You can also email them at sales@vidajets.com. Because the whole model is built around personal service, the quicker you get them your details: route, dates, number of passengers, any special requests the faster they can come back with options.

Vida Jets says they can get an aircraft ready within 4 hours for urgent departures, which is good to know if you ever need to move fast.

7. flyExclusive — Best for No-Commitment Jet Card Access

flyExclusive is probably the most underrated name on this entire list, and I think that is partly because they are headquartered in Kinston, North Carolina, which is not exactly the first city that comes to mind when you think about private aviation.

But do not let that fool you.

This is the fifth largest private jet charter and fractional operator in all of North America by flight hours, they own and operate their own fleet of roughly 90 aircraft, and they were a World Travel Awards finalist for Leading Private Jet Charter in North America in 2025.

They are the real deal.

What makes flyExclusive genuinely different from a lot of other companies on this list is that they own their planes.

They are not a broker sourcing aircraft from a network of third-party operators and hoping for the best. When you book with flyExclusive, you are flying on a flyExclusive aircraft with flyExclusive pilots who trained at CAE Simuflite and FlightSafety International facilities.

The company says over 98 percent of flights are fulfilled on their own fleet.

That level of consistency is genuinely hard to find in private aviation and it is a big deal for anyone who has had the experience of booking with one company and showing up to a completely different aircraft and crew than expected.

They hold both ARG/US Platinum and Wyvern Wingman safety certifications, which puts them in the top five percent of all private jet operators in the country.

For anyone reading this who travels for business and has safety and reliability as non-negotiables, those two certifications are exactly what you want to see.

Where does flyExclusive fly?

flyExclusive is a North America-focused operation with strong coverage across the continental US, the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, and Central America and Northern South America through their guaranteed international rate program.

That international reach through a jet card is actually rare and worth noting if you regularly take trips into those regions.

Their home base in Kinston gives them a natural strength in the Southeast, and you will find them particularly active out of cities like Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, and the Florida markets.

But because they own and position aircraft nationally, you are not limited to Southeast departures.

The Jet Club operates coast to coast with no geographic restrictions, so whether you are in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, or anywhere in between, flyExclusive can get to you.

Their pricing examples show routes like Chicago to Teterboro to Naples in a single day, or Teterboro to Palm Beach, or Boston to Napa Valley, which tells you exactly the kind of multi-city business travel and leisure itineraries their Jet Club members are actually using the program for.

The fleet covers light jets through super-midsize, with Citation CJ3 and Citation XLS types making up the bulk of the fleet and the Challenger 300 and 350 added as a premium super-midsize tier for members who need the extra range and cabin space.

Is flyExclusive Expensive?

Here is where flyExclusive gets interesting.

Their Jet Club uses a daily rate plus hourly rate pricing structure which is different from most jet card programs that charge a single all-in hourly rate.

The way this works is you pay a daily access fee when you use the aircraft for the day, and then a separate lower hourly rate for the actual flight time.

The longer you fly in a single day, the more favorable the math becomes.

If you are doing a quick one hour hop that is one thing, but if you are doing a longer flight or multiple legs on the same day you are going to see real savings compared to programs that charge a flat high hourly rate for everything.

A five-hour domestic super-midsize flight comes in around $46,588, including taxes, with the Jet Club at the $150,000 deposit level.

There are no repositioning fees for domestic flights which is a meaningful cost difference compared to brokers who charge you for the empty ferry leg every single time.

There are only 35 high-demand days per year with premium pricing, which is considerably less than many competitors and those premiums are capped and disclosed upfront.

Your Options with flyExclusive

The Jet Club starts with a $100,000 non-refundable deposit used over 24 months with a $1,000 monthly membership fee. Depositing more than $100,000 earns you bonus flight credits.

Your funds never expire as long as you have money on account and there is no limit on hours flown per year. You pick your aircraft category trip by trip from light to midsize to super-midsize depending on what you need that day.

The Platinum Jet Club is a newer tier limited to 100 members with deposits of either $250,000 or $500,000.

It eliminates peak day surcharges entirely, eliminates the monthly membership fee, and locks in your hourly rates for 12 months regardless of fuel movement.

If you are flying regularly and the unpredictability of peak day pricing bothers you, Platinum is how flyExclusive addresses that.

The fractional ownership program launched in 2022 on Citation CJ3+ light jets with Citation XLS and Longitude aircraft added since.

If you are flying 200 or more hours a year and want the ownership structure, the fractional program uses the same daily and hourly pricing as the Jet Club rather than a traditional monthly management fee, which keeps it simpler than most fractional programs.

On demand charter with no membership is also available if you want to try one flight before committing to anything.

How to Book

Go to flyexclusive.com to request a quote on charter or to explore Jet Club membership.

The membership process starts with a brief intake about your flying needs, then a simple agreement, then you fund your account and start booking.

For Platinum Jet Club inquiries the availability is limited to 100 members total so if that tier interests you it is worth asking about sooner rather than later.

 8. Stratos Jet Charters — Best Broker for On-Demand Flexibility

Stratos Jets is based in Orlando, Florida and has been operating since 2007.

They are not an airline. They do not own any aircraft.

What they are is a broker, and they are one of the best in the business at it. That distinction matters more than it might seem, and here is why.

Because Stratos does not own a fleet, they have zero incentive to put you on a particular aircraft because it benefits their bottom line.

Every time you book with them, they go out to the charter market, access thousands of vetted operators, and find the safest and most appropriately priced aircraft for your specific route, group size, and timeline.

They work for you, not for the aircraft owner.

That model tends to produce better pricing and better aircraft matching than booking through a company that owns a specific fleet they need to keep flying.

They hold both ARGUS Certified Broker and Wyvern Approved Broker status, the two highest safety certifications available to brokers in the industry.

They also carry an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, which you do not see often in private aviation.

If you are booking private for the first time and the safety question is keeping you up at night, Stratos is the company that obsesses over that question right alongside you.

Where Does Stratos Fly?

Because Stratos is a broker with access to thousands of aircraft across the global charter network, the honest answer is anywhere you want to go.

Domestically, they cover every major US city and region.

The routes their clients use most frequently are coast-to-coast trips like New York to Los Angeles, short business hops like Atlanta to Charlotte or Chicago to Nashville, and regional leisure routes to places like the Hamptons, the Florida coast, Aspen, and the Caribbean.

If you are in the South and planning a trip to Nashville, New Orleans, Miami, or the Bahamas, Stratos can get you there from practically any regional airport within a few hours of your call.

If you are planning something more complex like a multi-city business trip hitting four cities in two days, that is actually where a broker like Stratos shines because they can mix aircraft types and operators across legs to get you the most efficient routing at the best price rather than being constrained to one fleet.

Internationally, Stratos handles flights to Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, and beyond.

They have spent years building relationships with carriers in these regions which is where operator relationships really matter for getting things right. International private aviation involves permits, customs, handling arrangements, and ground coordination that an experienced broker handles far more smoothly than trying to piece it together yourself.

Is Stratos Expensive?

Stratos charges per hour, not per passenger, which is one of the most important things to understand about how private charter pricing works.

That means if you are traveling with a group of four to eight people, you are splitting the hourly rate across everyone on the plane and the per-person cost starts to look very different from what most people assume.

A midsize jet running four to six hours for a group of six passengers can actually be in the range of commercial first class per person on some routes, with a dramatically better experience on both ends.

For a New York to Los Angeles flight on a super-midsize Challenger 300 seating eight passengers, Stratos puts the total cost in the roughly $37,500 to $42,000 range before additional fees like catering and landing costs.

Break that across eight passengers and you are talking around $5,000 per seat for a nonstop private flight with no airport security, no connection, and departure from a private terminal.

That number changes with group size, aircraft category, and timing, but it reframes the cost conversation significantly for groups.

They also track empty leg availability through their proprietary positioning software, which means if you have any flexibility in your schedule they can often find you discounted options on routes where an aircraft needs to reposition anyway.

Empty legs through Stratos can save you meaningfully on one-way routes if your timing is not rigid.

How to Book

No membership, no pre-fly deposit, no long-term commitment of any kind.

You call or reach out, a charter agent gets on the phone with you within hours, and they start finding options.

As of 2026 their booking platform called Flightdeck gives you real-time pricing visibility across close to 1,000 aircraft, so you can actually see what is available rather than waiting for a quote to come back.

You can reach Stratos 24 hours a day at 1-888-593-9066 or start a quote online at stratosjets.com.

If you need to get moving quickly, they can have a flight arranged in as little as four hours.

9. Jet Linx — Best for Personalized Local Service

Jet Linx started in Omaha, Nebraska in 1999 with one aircraft and one very clear philosophy that private aviation should feel personal, not transactional.

Over 25 years later, they have grown into one of the top ten North American private jet operators by flight hours, with more than 100 aircraft, 20 private base locations across the country, and around 2,000 jet card members.

The company has never abandoned the model that started it and that is actually the most interesting thing about them.

Every other major private aviation company on this list operates from a centralized national infrastructure where you call a number and get routed to whoever is available.

Jet Linx does the opposite.

When you join at a particular base location, you get a local team of people who know your name, know your preferred aircraft, know that you like a specific snack or a particular brand of sparkling water, and have your preferences on file before you show up.

Your pilots are local. Your terminal is local. The people managing your account are local.

That sounds like a small thing until you have had enough bad experiences with faceless national operators and you realize how much it actually matters.

They also hold every major third-party safety certification in private aviation.

ARGUS Platinum Elite, WYVERN Wingman PRO, and IS-BAO Stage 3 from the International Business Aviation Council.

That combination puts them in the top one percent of private jet operators globally, and it is not a coincidence; it is the direct result of a company that takes safety seriously enough to ground their entire fleet once a year to hold a company-wide Safety Summit.

Where Does Jet Linx Fly?

Jet Linx has private base locations in more than 20 cities and through those bases gives you access to over 5,000 airports in more than 180 countries worldwide.

Their US base locations include Omaha, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Denver, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Washington DC, New York, Minneapolis, and more.

You can find the full current list at jetlinx.com/locations because they continue to add markets.

If you live near one of their base cities, your local team handles your regular travel patterns whether that is weekly business travel between Dallas and New York, seasonal trips to Aspen or the Florida coast, or corporate routes hitting multiple cities in a single day.

For anything beyond the continental US including Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and international destinations, Jet Linx extends service through their broader network.

The member portal and app give you booking access across the full fleet regardless of which base you are flying from.

The one-way pricing structure is something worth knowing about specifically if you travel frequently between two cities.

Jet Linx charges you for occupied flight time only on one-way trips. There is no additional charge for the empty leg after they drop you off or for repositioning the aircraft to get back home.

That pricing structure is genuinely unusual in the industry and on routes you fly regularly it adds up to meaningful savings compared to brokers who pass those repositioning costs directly to you.

Is Jet Linx Expensive?

Jet Linx is competitive but not the cheapest option on this list.

What you are paying for beyond the flight itself is consistency, personal service, zero peak day surcharges, no repositioning fees, and the safety overhead of a company that certifies at the highest level across three separate auditing organizations.

Hourly rates run roughly $500 to $8,250 depending on aircraft category, from light jets for short regional hops all the way up to heavy jets for longer domestic and international missions.

The round-trip pricing is one of the strongest value propositions in their program.

When you book a round trip, Jet Linx charges you based on occupied flight time only, which they say is often half of what fractional ownership or other jet card programs charge for the same round trip because those programs bake repositioning costs into both legs.

If you do a lot of there-and-back travel, that pricing model is worth running the numbers on directly with a local advisor.

Your Options with Jet Linx

The Executive Jet Card is a full-featured membership with guaranteed aircraft availability 365 days a year across light, midsize, super-midsize, and heavy jets with no blackout days, fixed hourly rates, no repositioning fees, and the ability to book two aircraft simultaneously.

This is for frequent flyers who need guaranteed access and want the full Jet Linx experience.

The Club Jet Card is the standard entry point with the same guaranteed availability and fixed pricing structure, slightly lower deposit level, and access to the same local service model.

Good for travelers who fly regularly but do not necessarily need the simultaneous booking capability.

The 90-Day Access Card is a newer product designed specifically for people who want to try Jet Linx before committing to a full membership.

Low initiation fee, no long-term obligation, and access to all the same benefits including the Elevated Lifestyle program, complimentary WiFi on super-midsize and heavy jets, and the full private terminal experience.

If you are on the fence about jet card membership and want to see what it actually feels like, this is the entry point.

The MemberSeat Exchange launched in January 2026 and is a flight-sharing feature exclusive to Jet Linx members.

Through the app you can view empty seats on other members’ scheduled flights, request a seat, or offer your own empty seats to offset your trip cost.

It keeps everything within the Jet Linx community so the privacy and quality standard does not change, but it gives you a flexible way to reduce costs on routes where another member is already headed the same direction.

How to Book

Go to jetlinx.com/locations and find your nearest base location to connect with your local team directly.

This is genuinely the right way to start with Jet Linx because the whole value of the program is in that local relationship.

You can also book through the Jet Linx mobile app once you are a member.

If you want to talk through which membership tier fits your travel patterns, call your nearest base and have a real conversation; they won’t push you into something that doesn’t make sense for how you actually fly.

10. Flexjet — Best for Ultra-Luxury Fractional Ownership

If NetJets invented fractional jet ownership, Flexjet perfected the luxury version of it.

These two companies represent the top two positions in the fractional ownership market and have held them for years, but they are not the same product, and the distinction matters when you are deciding where to put serious money.

Flexjet has been intentionally repositioning itself as a luxury brand, on the same level as Hermès and Dior, not just a private jet company.

That strategy shows up in everything from the bespoke LXi Cabin Collection interiors to the Riva Volare collaboration with Italian yacht maker Ferretti Group.

When the most powerful luxury house in the world puts money into your company, your aircraft interiors start looking like something from a couture collection.

The other thing worth knowing is that Flexjet averages 41 transatlantic flights per week right now.

They are not a domestic-only operation.

If you are the kind of traveler who does New York to Paris regularly, or flies into the South of France for summer, or wants to be in the Tuscan hills for a week without negotiating with a broker, Flexjet is built for that travel profile in a way most companies on this list are not.

Where Does Flexjet Fly?

Flexjet operates primarily across North America and Europe with dedicated infrastructure in both markets.

In the US, they have owner-exclusive private terminals in Teterboro for the New York metro, Westchester County Airport in White Plains, Dallas Love Field, Miami, Naples, Florida, Van Nuys for Los Angeles, and additional locations in development, including West Palm Beach, Scottsdale, and Bozeman.

By the end of 2025, they had reached ten US airport locations with more coming. These are not shared FBO spaces; they are Flexjet-only terminals with owner lounges, meeting rooms, and ramp-side access.

They also have a London headquarters in Mayfair, a maintenance facility in Milan, and a European Tactical Control Centre coordinating flights across the continent.

The European fleet runs Praetor 600 super-midsize jets and Gulfstream G650s with helicopter access in Italy and the French Riviera for last-mile connections.

If you are flying into Europe for leisure, Italy is the most popular destination among Flexjet’s North American owners.

Naples for the Amalfi Coast, the Italian Lakes, Tuscany, and the airports serving the Cote d’Azur in France are all high-traffic Flexjet routes.

For owners attending major cultural events, Flexjet curates owner access to things like Royal Ascot, the Palio di Siena, and Snow Polo in St. Moritz.

These are not add-on concierge services; they are built into what the ownership experience looks like.

Is Flexjet Expensive?

Yes, and here is a straightforward breakdown so you know what you are walking into.

The jet card entry point is $198,425 for 25 hours on a Phenom 300 light jet. That is fixed pricing with guaranteed availability and no long-term ownership commitment.

For fractional ownership, a 1/16 share of a light jet, which gives you 50 hours per year, starts around $500,000 to $600,000 in acquisition cost plus monthly management fees of roughly $7,000 to $9,000.

A 1/16 share in a super-midsize jet runs $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 in acquisition with monthly management fees of $20,000 to $25,000.

These are multi-year commitments typically running 30 to 60 months.

Compared to NetJets, Flexjet tends to come in meaningfully lower across share purchase price, monthly fees, and hourly rates.

The tradeoff is that NetJets has a larger fleet and broader global footprint. If your travel is primarily domestic and transatlantic with European leisure priorities, Flexjet’s pricing advantage over NetJets is real and worth the comparison.

The lease program is worth knowing about for anyone who wants fractional-level access and service without the asset on their balance sheet.

Lease terms run 30 to 60 months from a 1/16 share, no capital outlay for the aircraft itself, same closed fleet access as ownership.

What Makes Flexjet Different

Aircraft in the Red Label program are no more than five years old. Your interiors are customized from the LXi Cabin Collection.

If you have had enough inconsistency in service across the industry, a dedicated crew who knows you and your aircraft preferences is genuinely different.

Versatility Plus is a Flexjet-exclusive that lets you sell up to 25 percent of your unused hours to other owners in the program if you fly less than expected.

That flexibility to offset costs in lower-travel years is uncommon in fractional contracts and worth asking about specifically when you compare programs.

Flexjet is also the exclusive fractional home of the Gulfstream G700 — Gulfstream’s largest and fastest business jet currently in production.

They began delivering G700s into the fractional program in September 2025 and expect 12 in service by the end of 2026.

If ultra-long-range flying is part of your travel life and you want to own a fraction of that specific aircraft through a structured program rather than booking it ad hoc, Flexjet is the only company where that option exists.

Starlink Wi-Fi is installed across the full Gulfstream large cabin fleet and rolling out through the Challenger 350 and Praetor 600 fleet through early 2026.

How to Book

Flexjet is not a book-it-yourself company. You start with a conversation. Call 1-866-309-2214 or go to flexjet.com and request a consultation.

An aviation advisor will walk through your actual travel patterns, the right aircraft category for how you fly, and which program structure makes financial sense for your situation.

For anyone who has been flying private occasionally and is thinking about whether a fractional share makes sense, that conversation is worth having, even if you are not ready to commit. Flexjet advisors will not push you into a program that does not fit.

If the jet card is your entry point before considering ownership, the 25-hour Phenom 300 card at $198,425 is a real way to experience the Flexjet service standard before making a larger commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Private Jet Charter

How much does it cost to charter a private jet?

It depends on aircraft size, route, and how you access it. A light jet runs $3,500 to $6,000 per hour. A midsize jet runs $6,000 to $10,000 per hour. A super-midsize jet for coast-to-coast travel runs $35,000 to $45,000 one way. Empty leg flights can reduce costs by up to 75 percent on qualifying one-way routes.

What is the difference between a jet card and fractional ownership?

A jet card is a prepaid block of flight hours, typically 25, at a fixed hourly rate with no long-term ownership commitment. You use the hours, top up when you run low, and can walk away at the end. Fractional ownership means you buy a share of a specific aircraft, typically starting at 1/16th for 50 hours per year. You own an asset, get tax advantages, and have a dedicated aircraft available to you. Jet cards are for people flying 25 to 50 hours a year.

Is flying private safe?

Yes, when you book with certified operators. The certifications to look for are ARGUS Platinum, Wyvern Wingman, and IS-BAO Stage 3. These are independent third-party safety audits that evaluate pilot qualifications, aircraft maintenance, and operational standards. ARGUS Platinum and Wyvern Wingman are the highest ratings each organization awards.

Can you fly private without a membership?

Yes. On-demand charter through companies like Stratos Jets, Vida Jets, and XO requires no membership and no upfront deposit. You book a flight, pay for that flight, and you are done. JSX goes even further — you book a single seat on an existing flight with no commitment at all.

What is an empty leg flight?

An empty leg is a repositioning flight — when a private jet needs to fly from Point A to Point B without passengers, either to pick up a client or return to its home base. Operators sell these flights at steep discounts, sometimes up to 75 percent off standard charter pricing, rather than fly empty. The tradeoff is schedule flexibility.

What is the difference between a private jet charter broker and an operator?

An operator owns and flies the aircraft. A broker like Stratos Jets or Vida Jets arranges flights through operators on your behalf. Brokers access thousands of aircraft across the market and find the best match for your route, budget, and timeline. Because they do not own a fleet, they have no incentive to push you toward a specific aircraft that benefits their bottom line.

Is private jet travel worth it for solo travelers?

Absolutely, especially on popular corridors. JSX lets a solo traveler book a single seat from $99 on routes like Dallas to Las Vegas or Burbank to Los Angeles. XO shared flights on the New York to Los Angeles corridor put solo travelers in a heavy jet for around $2,495 a seat.

How far in advance do you need to book a private jet?

For most on-demand charter, four hours is the minimum with most companies. For guaranteed availability through a jet card or membership program, 24 to 96 hours depending on the tier and the company. NetJets and Jet Linx guarantee aircraft within hours for owners at certain membership levels.

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