Private Jet VS Commercial Airline

Businesses choose to fly private jet for one major reason: time. Le Temps, il tempo, die Zeit, la hora, chronos, tempus…. Name it how you like, it has the same meaning and importance all over the world. Business jets are commonly called “the ultimate time machine”, reasons beign the ability to conduct work efficiently and shorten the trips to and from business meetings which grants extra time to the travelers, 360 degrees of privacy, flexibility and much more. Furthermore, expedite check in, security checks, passport controls, customs and luggage claim.

Whether it's a business trip or a vacation, a chartered jet allows you to maximize your time at your destination and decrease the number of hours you spend traveling. On the other hand, first class is also a luxurious way to travel, even if it means you have to cope with a crowdy airport, endless security lines and other discomforts of commercial flights.

Which brings us back to the main issue. Which factors determine whether it's better for you to fly first class or to charter a private jet?

Let’s deal with the financial elephant in the room and get it out of the way….

Price? It depends.

A private jet is more expensive than a first-class seat. Fair enough, but there’s more to talk about, related to the pricing story. On a commercial aircraft, you rent a seat. If you want to bring somebody with you, you rent two seats and pay double the cost. If you want to bring seven other people on your trip to Dubai (Emirates Airline, pure first-class ticket Paris to Dubai costs around 4.000 per person), you pay EUR 32,000.

With private jets, you rent the whole plane. Whether you have one person or eight, the cost is still the same. You and your seven companions get five hours of private jet experience before it becomes more expensive than the first-class commercial flight. And let’s assume that you get an empty leg on a private jet (a flight performed without passenger on board, to position the aircraft and the crew into a specific airport for the following flight): this means you can get a Paris to London flight for a small fraction of the price.

PRIVATE JETS ARE TIME-SAVING

Activity comparison between a private jet and a commercial airline: