“Private jets fly above the weather, so you never get turbulence.”

Verdict: Business jets are certified to cruise at 45,000–51,000 ft, well above the 35,000–41,000 ft airliner highways and above most cloud tops. That does cut out a lot of bumpy air. But it doesn't cut out all of it: clear-air turbulence, jet streams and the tops of big thunderstorms all live up there too, and every flight has to climb through and descend into whatever weather is below.

Most modern business jets have a maximum operating altitude of 45,000 ft; the Gulfstream G650, Global 7500 and Falcon 7X/8X are certified to 51,000 ft, and the Citation X to 51,000 ft too. Airliners typically top out around 41,000–43,000 ft. Flying higher means thinner air, less traffic and, often, a smoother ride above the weather that forms in the lower atmosphere.

The catch is that the nastiest weather doesn't respect those limits. Tropical thunderstorms regularly tower past 50,000 ft, and pilots go around them, not over them. Clear-air turbulence associated with the jet stream is most common between 30,000 and 45,000 ft — exactly where business jets live. And mountain-wave turbulence can extend into the stratosphere.

There is also the simple matter of getting up there. A two-hour flight might spend 40 minutes climbing and descending through the same clouds as everyone else. Small jets, being lighter, can feel bumps that a heavy airliner would barely register.

So it's fair to say private jets often enjoy a smoother ride, and pilots have more freedom to change altitude to find one. 'Never' is doing too much work in that sentence.

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