Your Guide to Flying Private: From Budget-Friendly to Ultra-Luxury Options
In this chapter, we’ll explore:
How Does Flying on a Private Jet Work? Private aviation centers around your schedule and preferences, from booking and boarding through to in-flight experience, with concierge-level support and customization.
Compare the Cheapest, Best, & Most Upscale Ways to Fly Private: Options range from budget-friendly turboprops and empty legs to lavish VIP heavy jets with bespoke amenities—each suited to different goals and budgets.
How to Match Your Private Flight to Your Purpose: Whether flying for business efficiency, family comfort during vacation travel, pet transport, or group travel, private flights can be tailored to ensure a seamless, purpose-driven experience.
Why Choose Paramount Business Jets? Paramount stands apart with its rigorous safety standards, full pricing transparency, and client-first philosophy, earning trust through exceptional service and ethical practices.
Flying private isn’t just for A-listers and billionaire CEOs. It’s increasingly accessible and versatile. But it’s also still so much more than a run-of-the-mill commercial flight, and provides almost unlimited room for personalization and individualization.
How should you fly private? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but we can help you discover some of your options!
Whether you are on the hunt for the most cost-effective means your corporation can fly discreetly while protecting your C-Suite, or you’d like to plus up your personal travels and spare no expense while taking the family dog, you’ve got choices. At Paramount Business Jets, we believe that private air travel can – and should – be matched to your specific goals and needs.
If you're looking to understand private aviation business models like chartering and how id differs from buying a jet card subscription or buying a plane outright, we recommend reading our Practical Guide to Private Aviation Options. This chapter focuses on comparing booking options and flight styles depending on your trip type, preferences, and priorities.
How Does Flying on a Private Jet Work? From Booking to Boarding
Before we launch into our comparison of the various ways to fly private, it’s crucial to understand exactly how private jet travel works. Unlike commercial flights, private flights are centered around your preferences entirely, from the departure time to the type of aircraft you fly in, right down to the temperature of the cabin.
In other words, regardless of the method you use to gain access to a private flight, whether it be through a one-time charter or buying a plane outright, you are in control.
Book Your Way
Instead of choosing from a rigid list of scheduled flights to select airports, when you fly private, you choose where you fly to and when you travel.
Some – but not all – private jet companies will assign you a dedicated aviation advisor who can work with you or your assistant to help ensure every detail is covered. For instance, at Paramount Business Jets, we offer full-service charter with assigned aviation advisors.
Your advisor will gather information about your needs and preferences, including your origin, destination, travel dates, number of passengers, and any special considerations (i.e., catering, allergies, accessible travel, etc). Then, based on that information, you’ll get matched with some itinerary options and be provided with additional information for your review before booking (i.e., safety records, crew information, and so forth).
Relax Before Your Flight
The hustle and bustle of commercial airports is something no one should have to experience if they can help it. And when you fly private, you don’t have to! You’ll typically depart from a private terminal, operated by a fixed base operator (FBO). When you go to an FBO, you drive right up to your aircraft. Check-in takes minutes rather than hours. And you’ll have access to just about anything you want or need, from complimentary drinks to concierge services.
Did You Know? When you fly private, you can usually get to the airport around 15-30 minutes before your flight instead of the 2-3+ hours it takes when flying commercially.
Fly Like the VIP That You Are
The in-flight experience when flying private will vary slightly based on what type of aircraft you choose, the duration of your flight, whether or not you are assigned a crew with flight attendants, and so on. But generally speaking, you will enjoy amenities such as:
Deluxe reclining seats, often upholstered in premium leather
Satellite phones for keeping in touch with those important to you
Pre-arranged custom meals and snacks
Your choice of a dedicated entertainment area, workspace, or both
If you opt for the cheapest way to fly private, for instance, getting the smallest plane possible, you likely won’t have a flight attendant or be offered a full hot meal. But if you spring for the “best” way to fly private instead with no expenses spared, nothing is off the table.
In short, your experience will be largely dependent upon 1) your preferences/needs, 2) your budget, and 3) the type of plane you choose.
Note: Many private jet companies, such as Paramount, give you the option to book last-minute charter flights, but when prioritizing speed, other factors may be deprioritized. For the best and most individualized experience, booking a few weeks to a few months ahead of time is recommended.
Compare the Cheapest, Best, & Most Upscale Ways to Fly Private
Every traveler’s priorities are different. You might want to save money. You might want to make an impression on your fellow travelers. You might, alternatively, need to move your team across the country quickly and discreetly.
Below, let’s compare some common flight priorities so you can compare your options and choose the best charter flight for your specific needs.
The Cheapest Way to Fly Private
What is the least expensive way to fly private? If cost is concern # 1, your best bet is to consider:
Group Charters or Empty Leg Flights – Splitting the cost of private jet travel with others can greatly decrease costs. So can flying an empty leg, which is the leg of a trip on an already-planned private flight that is “empty” because the original travelers had a one-way flight.
Short-Haul Turboprops or Very Light Jets – They have a lower cost to fly per hour than other types of aircraft
Considering Options Beyond On-Demand Flights – If you fly frequently enough, getting a jet card, flying on subscription, or even considering fractional jet ownership might be more cost-effective than chartering flights on a case-by-case basis.
The Most Upscale Way to Fly Private
Looking to indulge in a luxury air travel experience? Luxury private jet travel is for you. Here are some ways to make your trip as exclusive and decadent as possible:
Fly in a VIP Heavy Jet – From the Gulfstream G650 to the Global 7500, these types of jets are the epitome of long-range luxury, offering everything from private bedroom suites to lavatories with showers.
Pamper Yourself – Hire a private chef or request a sommelier-curated wine list. Spring for an onboard spa treatment if you so choose. Your options are as limitless as your budget.
Choose an Ultra-Luxury Itinerary – Sometimes it’s the plan, not just the plane, that makes a trip truly special. Whether taking a multi-city European tour or a discreet flight to Davos, we can make it happen.
The Best Way to Fly Private for Most Travelers
For the vast majority of travelers, who fall somewhere between pure indulgence and strict frugality, the best way to fly private the best way to fly private is to balance value with convenience and customization. This is easy when chartering through Paramount Business Jets, which gives you access to:
No Long-Term Contracts – Just book when you need to.
Preferences Tailored to Every Trip – Need a turboprop one day and a VIP airliner the next? No problem.
Complete Transparency – you see your operator pricing, markups, safety details, and more, all upfront.
Full Support – From booking to landing, a dedicated aviation advisor and 24/7 support team manage everything so you don’t have to lift a finger.
Did You Know?: Paramount’s reputation for recovering client funds during cancellations, ensuring aircraft substitution during mechanicals, and offering white-glove service has made it the trusted charter service for thousands of discerning clients.
How to Match Your Private Flight to Your Purpose
Most people fly for either business or pleasure. Many of those who travel for pleasure also choose to fly privately, not just for themselves, but also for their pets. Here’s how to match your private flight to your reason for flying.
Business Travel: Distraction-Free Efficiency
Private jets help busy executives make it to team offsites, investor meetings, and more with zero time waste. Fly to multiple cities in one day, avoid overnight stays, and take meetings in the air. Hot coffee optional.
Family Travel: Peace-of-Mind & Something for Everyone
Flying private with your family means no delays, missed connections, or navigating crowded terminals. This can be especially convenient for families with little ones. You choose the schedule that works best for you. Everyone can pack what they want. And everyone stays together – no splitting up seats. No checked baggage. No stress.
Need a crib? Help clearing you and your family through customs? We arrange it all, turning the potentially nightmarish logistics of flying with family into a seamless, easy, and enjoyable experience.
Pet Travel: Comfort for All
From taking the family dog along with you on vacation to transporting exotic animals, we’ve done it all. With the proper documentation and cabin setups, anything is possible.
Group Travel: All in it Together
Sports teams, bands, and wedding parties traveling together for destination weddings…group charters ensure that no matter your scenario, your whole group can arrive together, on time, and in sync.
Why Choose Paramount Business Jets?
With over two decades of experience matching individuals and groups with the perfect private jet experience for their unique needs, at Paramount Business Jets, we have a reputation for making the impossible possible and providing top-notch service.
We Don’t Just Talk About Safe Flights. We Provide Proof.
Every flight you book through us includes a third-party safety audit. We only work with operators who either meet or exceed FAA, Wyvern, and ARGUS standards. You get a safety report before every flight confirming this.
Concerned about safety? Here’s a helpful resource on how to vet a private jet company for safety.
We Offer Unmatched Transparency
Fly with us and you’ll get unmatched insight into not just our fees, but also operator invoices, aircraft specifications, safety credentials, crew member information, and more. No inflated costs or misleading quotes. No hidden markups. Just transparent pricing and all the information you could hope for to ensure a fair, safe, and enjoyable journey. In other words, peace-of-mind comes standard.
We’re Here for You, Always
We are here for you before, during, and after your journey. While we do everything in our power to ensure that your journey goes smoothly, we are also there when it doesn’t. We have successfully negotiated refunds on non-refundable flights and assisted with complex medical transport. We are here to act in your best interest from the time you begin researching flights to long after you’ve stepped off the tarmac on your return trip and everything in between.
How Will You Choose to Fly, & How Can We Help?
There’s no one “best” way to fly private; what’s best for you might not be what’s best for someone else. But thankfully, due to the individualized and highly customizable nature of private jet travel, that’s kind of the point! It’s your way or the highway (and we wouldn’t have it any other way).
Here’s a quick recap of how you might best enjoy travelling based on your priorities:
To save more, consider group charters or smaller aircraft.
For a more luxurious experience, spare no expense, from massages to custom catering and more.
Looking to balance value, convenience, and comfort? One of our dedicated aviation advisors can assist you in evaluating different options and figuring out where to spend and where to splurge.
First time chartering a jet? Check out our next comprehensive guide chapter on that very topic!
