Holiday Travel by Private Jet: A Practical Planning Guide
Holiday Travel by Private Jet: A Practical Planning Guide
The simplest way to fly private over the holidays is to skip the crowded terminal on a full charter or, if your dates have some give, to fly an empty leg at a fraction of the usual rate. Full charter prices run into the thousands per flight hour, and the days around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year are when everyone wants the same aircraft. Flexibility is the lever that changes the math. This guide explains what a private holiday trip really costs, how empty legs fit in, what to check before you book, and how a membership like ours is built for travelers who decide late.
TL;DR
- Charter pricing in the U.S. is quoted per flight hour, and published estimates run from roughly $5,000 to $15,000 per hour depending on aircraft size.
- Empty legs are repositioning flights that are often discounted by half or more, but they are usually one-way and depend on another client’s booking.
- Federal excise tax and a per-segment fee apply to U.S. air transportation, so budget for them on top of the base price.
- Holiday trips reward flexible travelers: shift a day or two either side and your options widen.
- Bluebird members get unlimited access to empty legs on our own Learjet 60 fleet for a flat annual fee, starting at $3,995 per year.
Table of Contents
- What private holiday travel actually looks like
- What a private jet holiday flight costs in the U.S.
- Why the holidays are the hardest time to book
- How empty legs fit into a holiday trip
- Check the operator before you book anything
- Bags, pets and international holidays
- Fitting the rest of the holiday around the flight
- Do you need a certain net worth to fly private?
- Perspective: why we built Bluebird around empty legs
- How Bluebird membership works for holiday travel
- Ready to fly this holiday season?
- A simple holiday planning checklist
- FAQ
- Sources
What private holiday travel actually looks like
Most people picture one of two things: a full-service charter with a dedicated broker, or a packaged vacation that happens to include a jet. Both exist. Luxury travel firms can arrange exclusive charters that bundle lodging and experiences, mostly for larger groups. For a family or a few friends heading to a ski town, a beach house or a relative’s home, the more common route is to arrange the flight and the stay separately.
That split is usually better for the holidays. Flights are the part with the tightest supply, so you lock the aircraft first and then fit the rest of the trip around it. Hotels, rental cars and restaurant reservations are easier to rebook than a seat on the right day.
A private holiday flight gives you a few concrete things:
- A departure from a smaller airport or private terminal, usually closer to where you actually are.
- Minimal time between arriving at the airport and boarding.
- A cabin that is only your group, which matters when you travel with children, older relatives or gifts you do not want to check.
- More choice of destination, since many private-friendly airports sit near resort towns that airlines serve poorly.
What a private jet holiday flight costs in the U.S.
Charter pricing is built on hourly rates that rise with the size of the aircraft. AFAR reported in September 2024 approximate hourly prices of $5,000 to $7,000 for a turboprop, $6,000 to $8,000 for a light jet, $7,500 to $9,000 for a midsize jet, $7,000 to $11,000 for a super-midsize jet and $12,000 to $15,000 for a large-cabin jet. A National Aircraft Finance Association article gives a wider range, from about $1,200 to $12,000 per hour or more, depending on the aircraft selected. The spread tells you something: the number you are quoted depends heavily on the plane, the route and the date.
To see how that plays out, take a three-hour domestic flight. At the AFAR light-jet range, flight time alone lands somewhere around $18,000 to $24,000 before taxes and fees, and a round trip multiplies it. That is why many people who like the idea of private travel never pull the trigger on a standard charter.
Taxes and fees that sit on top
For air transportation in the U.S., the IRS Instructions for Form 720 list a domestic segment tax of $5.30 per segment for the 2026 calendar year, plus a 7.5% excise tax on the total amount paid. For chartered aircraft, the segment tax is multiplied by the number of passengers on each segment. On a large charter bill the 7.5% is the number that matters. If you want the details of how this lands on an empty leg trip, we broke it down in our guide to private jet taxes in the U.S..
Other line items worth asking about before you commit:
- Airport landing and handling fees, which can differ widely from one airport to another.
- Catering requests beyond the standard offering.
- Ground transportation to and from the aircraft.
- Cancellation and change terms, which matter more over the holidays when weather and demand shift plans.
Why the holidays are the hardest time to book
Private aircraft are not unlimited, and holiday demand is concentrated in a few days. Everyone wants to leave on the same Wednesday and return on the same Sunday. When a lot of travelers chase the same dates, operators have little reason to discount, and the aircraft you want may already be committed.
Three things shape availability:
- Your dates. The peak days are the tightest. Leaving a day earlier or returning a day later often opens options.
- Your airports. Flexibility on departure and arrival airports matters as much as flexibility on days. A secondary airport 40 minutes farther away can be the difference between a flight and no flight.
- Your group size. A larger party narrows the aircraft that can carry you comfortably with bags.
There is no formula for how early to book that works for every route, and the right lead time depends on your dates and destination. As a rule of thumb, start the conversation as soon as your holiday plans are firm and treat any open day on either side of your target as a bonus option, not an afterthought.
How empty legs fit into a holiday trip
An empty leg is the flight a private aircraft makes without passengers because it has to reach its next base or pickup. According to Condé Nast Traveler, these repositioning legs are available at steep discounts, typically 50% or less of normal rates, because the plane would otherwise fly empty. The same article is clear about the trade-offs: empty legs are often one-way, depend on another client’s primary booking, and can be canceled or modified if that booking changes.
For holiday travel this has practical consequences:
- The route is not yours to choose. You pick from the flights that exist. That works well when you are flexible on the destination region, and less well when you must reach one specific small airport on one specific day.
- One-way is normal. Many travelers book the outbound on an empty leg and arrange the return separately, or watch for a leg going the other direction.
- Changes can happen. Build a cushion into the trip. Do not plan a once-a-year family dinner on a tight timeline that depends on a single flight.
If you want to understand why the pricing is lower, our post on why empty legs are cheaper walks through the logic, and how operators recover costs through empty legs covers the operator side. For the difference between the two products, see empty leg vs. charter.
Who it suits
Empty legs reward people whose calendars bend. If you can leave a day earlier, if your holiday plans are “somewhere warm” or “somewhere with snow” rather than one fixed address, or if you are the one who decides late, the model fits. We wrote more on this in why empty legs suit flexible schedules.
If your plans are fixed to the hour and the airport, a dedicated charter is the more predictable product, and you should expect to pay for that certainty.
Check the operator before you book anything
Whoever flies you matters more than the cabin. The FAA states that Part 135 air charter requires higher levels of pilot training and certification, maintenance procedures and safety rules, with more frequent FAA inspections and regular pilot proficiency checks. The same page warns that illegal charter operations pose serious safety hazards and urges passengers to make sure the company they hire is legitimate.
The FAA also explains that private pilots cannot act as pilot-in-command for compensation or hire; only pilots employed by or acting for a Part 135 certificate holder, or someone holding a Part 119 certificate, can legally operate commercial charters. The agency additionally cautions that a sham dry lease can disguise an illegal charter if the lessee does not keep true operational control.
Before you pay for a holiday flight, ask directly:
- Which company holds the operating certificate for this flight, and can I see it?
- Who owns and operates the aircraft?
- What happens if the flight is canceled or changed?
- What is the total price, with taxes and fees itemized?
We cover this from the membership angle in private jet reliability and how to vet an empty leg membership.
Bags, pets and international holidays
Holiday trips mean extra luggage, gifts and sometimes the dog. Ask the operator about baggage capacity for the specific aircraft before you pack, since cabins differ and a ski bag or a stroller may change what fits.
Pets are a common reason people choose private travel. If you are staying in the U.S., ask about the operator’s pet policy. If you are leaving the country, the State Department notes that pets do not need a U.S. passport, but many countries have strict rules or bans and may require formal documentation. The department also reminds travelers that local laws govern what you can bring into or take out of a country, including money, medications and wildlife products, and that violations can lead to detention or fines. Check both before you fly, not at the departure gate. For the membership side of pet travel, see our post on private jet pet travel.
Fitting the rest of the holiday around the flight
Once the flight is set, build the trip around it. Book the hotel with flexible cancellation, because empty legs can move. Reserve ground transport for the arrival airport, which may be a smaller field than the commercial one. Add the activities last.
If you are landing in Los Angeles for a few days, Los Angeles sightseeing tours can fill an open afternoon after you arrive without needing weeks of planning. Small-group and private options make it easy to slot something in once you know your actual landing time.
Do you need a certain net worth to fly private?
There is no official net-worth threshold. What decides it is how much you are willing to spend and how often you travel. Truist notes that chartering offers private travel without a large financial commitment, while ownership requires a significant investment, and that the right choice depends on your lifestyle, travel schedule and long-term financial goals.
That is the gap a membership fills. You are not buying an aircraft or a block of hours. You pay a flat annual fee and fly published empty legs.
Perspective: why we built Bluebird around empty legs
We run our own Learjet 60 aircraft, and that shapes how we think about holiday travel. When we own and operate the planes, we see the same pattern every season: aircraft have to move, and when they move empty, that space should not go to waste.
Most people who fly private around the holidays are paying for flexibility they never use. They book a charter at peak rates for a trip that could have left a day earlier. Our view is simple: if you are a spontaneous traveler, you should be paid back for that. A flat membership does that. You watch live inventory, you pick the flight that suits you, and you go.
We publish live empty leg inventory with no broker markups, we run a transparent queue so you can see where you stand, and our team works with you personally when plans change. Members can bring up to six guests per flight, which covers most families and friend groups. For holiday trips, that means one membership can cover the whole party.
Our advice is to treat the holidays as a window, not a date. Watch the routes early, say yes when a flight fits, and keep your ground plans flexible. That approach is what the membership is designed for.
Nick
How Bluebird membership works for holiday travel
Our annual membership gives you unlimited access to empty leg flights on our operator-owned Learjet 60 fleet. Inventory is live and routes are updated daily, so you can check what is flying before you make plans. Members get free last-minute private jet flights and can bring up to six guests on each flight.
Two plans are published on our membership page:
| Plan | Price | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Base | $3,995 per year | Unlimited empty leg access with queue and priority booking features |
| Plus | $9,995 per year | Higher priority for members who want to be near the front of the line |
If you want to jump ahead on a specific flight, the optional Skip-The-Line add-on is $2,000 one-off. Custom charter requests are available separately and quoted on request, for trips that do not match a published route.
Holidays are exactly when queue position matters. Understanding how it works before the season starts is worth ten minutes. Our guides on empty leg booking best practices and empty leg cancellation rules cover how to book well and what to expect if a flight changes. If you want to see what real trips look like, read our empty leg travel examples.
Ready to fly this holiday season?
Browse what is flying on our live flights page, or compare the Base and Plus plans on the membership page. If your holiday plans are loose and your calendar is flexible, a membership turns that flexibility into private flights at a flat annual cost.
Pick your plan, check the inventory daily as your dates firm up, and decide quickly when a flight matches your plans. Start at bluebirdjets.com.
A simple holiday planning checklist
Use this order when you plan a private holiday trip:
- Set your window, not a date. Write down the earliest you could leave and the latest you could return.
- List acceptable airports. Include every field within a reasonable drive of home and destination.
- Decide on your group. Count people, bags and any pets, and confirm the aircraft can carry them.
- Verify the operator. Confirm the certificate holder and who operates the aircraft.
- Ask for the full price. Get taxes and fees itemized, including the 7.5% federal excise tax and the per-segment amount.
- Build in flexibility on the ground. Book refundable hotels and flexible ground transport.
- Have a backup. Keep a commercial option in reserve for the most important day of the trip.
FAQ
How much does a private jet holiday flight cost?
Full charter is priced per flight hour. AFAR’s 2024 breakdown puts it at roughly $5,000 to $15,000 per hour depending on aircraft size, before taxes. Empty legs are typically discounted to half or less of normal rates. Our Base membership is $3,995 per year for unlimited empty leg access.
Can I choose my exact date and route?
With a charter, yes, at a higher price. With an empty leg, you choose from the flights that are published, so it works best when your dates and airports have some give. On our platform, live inventory is updated daily so you can see what is available.
Are taxes included in a private jet price?
Not automatically. U.S. air transportation carries a 7.5% federal excise tax and a $5.30 domestic segment tax for 2026, according to the IRS. Ask any provider for an itemized total. Our tax guide explains how this works for empty leg flyers.
What happens if an empty leg changes?
Because an empty leg depends on another client’s booking, it can be modified or canceled if that booking changes. Keep your hotel and ground plans flexible and read our cancellation rules guide before you book.
Sources
- Can You Book A Package Holiday With A Private Jet Included?
- How Much Does It Cost to Book a Private Jet? (AFAR)
- AINsight: Best Five Options to Fly Privately (NAFA)
- Instructions for Form 720 (IRS)
- How to Fly Private Like Your Really Rich Friend (Condé Nast Traveler)
- Safe Air Charter (FAA)
- Pilots, Owners, and Operators (FAA)
- Pets (U.S. Department of State)
- Laws Abroad (U.S. Department of State)
- Flying Private: Exploring the Options (Truist)
- Los Angeles sightseeing tours