Cost
Could you afford to fly private?
The honest answer, by the numbers. Enter what you earn and what you have — nothing is stored — and see which rung of the ladder is realistic, from a one-off empty leg to your own Gulfstream.
The ladder, from bottom to top
| Rung | What it costs | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|
| Empty leg or shared seat | $1,500–$6,000 per trip | A treat: under 2% of annual income |
| On-demand charter, occasional | $25,000–$150,000 a year for 5–15 hours | Comfortable at $1M+ income or $5M+ liquid |
| Jet card (25–50 hours) | $200,000–$700,000 a year | $3M+ income or $15M+ liquid |
| Fractional share (50–100 hours) | $700,000–$2M a year all-in | $30M+ net worth |
| Whole aircraft | $1M–$5M+ a year plus the purchase | $100M+ net worth, or a company that flies 300+ hours |
Wealth managers commonly cap discretionary aviation at 1–3% of liquid net worth per year. Companies think differently: a jet that saves executive hours can pay for itself at 300+ hours.