Daily minimum
A daily minimum is the smallest number of flight hours an operator will bill for each day an aircraft is committed to you, typically two hours for jets and 1.5 for turboprops. If you fly a 45-minute hop from London to Paris and keep the aircraft overnight, you will usually pay for two hours that day and two the next, even if the return is also short. Minimums exist because crew, aircraft and slots are tied up regardless of distance. They make short flights disproportionately expensive per mile and make multi-day trips with idle days cost more than newcomers expect; on longer stays it can be cheaper to release the aircraft and rebook.