How to quote a private jet charter

• Flight time or block hours for live legs, plus positioning/ferry to reach the client airport.
• Daily minimum flight hours — common on light jets for short days.
• Fuel surcharge or variable fuel adjustment tied to an index or cap.
• Crew overnight and per diem when the trip keeps crew away from base.
• Landing, parking, handling, and FBO fees at each airport.
• Catering, Wi-Fi, pet fees, and cleaning surcharges when applicable.
• Taxes referenced generically or not at all — see the taxes section.

Ask for the quote in writing with tail or category, departure window, and passenger count assumed. Verbal "about $X" is not bankable for a contract.

Note whether the operator quoted block time or flight time. The difference affects long legs and billing disputes. Industry practice varies by operator and region.

Save the original PDF with timestamp. Operators sometimes revise fuel surcharges when index prices move between RFQ and contract.

Typical gaps include de-icing and hangar costs in winter, international permit and handling bundles, Wi-Fi usage above a cap, extra ground time beyond a stated allowance, and currency conversion on non-USD invoices.

Use direct questions: "Is de-icing included or billed at cost?" "What daily minimum applies if we finish in 1.2 hours?" "Which taxes are included in your total?" Operators respect brokers who read carefully.

Record answers in the trip file. They become exclusions on the client quote and protect you in disputes.

Ask about international handling bundles when the trip crosses borders. A low hourly rate with high handling minimums can exceed a higher hourly all-in from another operator.

Catering defaults vary. Clarify standard stock versus branded menus and whether alcohol requires separate approval.

An all-in quote commits to a total for defined inclusions within validity. A conditional quote includes a base plus listed variables (fuel, taxes, fees) that may move. An indicative quote is a budget estimate, not a hold.

Read the full comparison in all-in vs conditional quotes before you promise "fixed price" to a client.

If you compare several operator replies in a spreadsheet, tag each column with the quote type. Jet Intelligence keeps conditional cost lines visible when you compare structured offers side by side, but you can replicate the same columns manually.

Client language matters: "estimate," "proposal," and "firm quote" mean different things in disputes. Mirror the operator label even if you add margin afterward.

Follow private jet charter taxes for 2026 FET at 7.5%, domestic segment fee at $5.30 per passenger per segment, and international head tax rates from IRS Publication 510. Recompute when the itinerary changes segment count.

European VAT belongs on its own line with adviser-confirmed rates. Never copy US tax lines onto a Paris–Geneva quote without operator guidance.

• Note operator validity (often 24–72 hours) on your client proposal.
• "Subject to availability" means no option hold — say so plainly to the client.
• If you need a hold, ask the operator for an option window and any deposit to secure the tail.
• When validity lapses, re-run positioning and fuel — do not auto-renew old numbers.

1. Start from operator net plus confirmed conditional items.
2. Add broker compensation (commission or markup) and card fees if applicable.
3. Add tax lines with the taxable base shown.
4. State inclusions/exclusions mirroring the operator, in plain language.
5. Attach or embed disclosures: operating carrier, capacity, insurance per Part 295.
6. Set payment schedule: deposit, balance due date, and wire instructions with fraud controls.
7. Match cancellation tiers to the operator back-to-back — see contracts guide.

See charter contracts and payments for back-to-back alignment and refund timing under Part 295.26.

• Same airports and local times — a nearby alternate airport changes fees and positioning.
• Same passenger and bag count for weight-sensitive legs.
• Same quote date for fuel index alignment.
• Same category vs guaranteed tail — category quotes carry substitution risk.
• Vetting status noted — a cheap uncertificated offer is not comparable.

• Quoting operator net to the client without taxes, fees, or your fee disclosed appropriately.
• Calling a conditional operator quote "all-in" in client email.
• Ignoring positioning on return-only or multi-leg trips.
• Omitting daily minimums on short ski-day or meeting hops.
• Promising a tail before the operator confirms and vetted paperwork is on file.
• Copying last year's tax rates — check IRS Publication 510 annually.

Build a pre-send checklist: validity date, quote type, tax lines, exclusions, disclosures, and payment terms. Two minutes of review prevents most first-year chargebacks.

Lead with route, date window, aircraft category or tail, and total with taxes broken out. Follow with a short exclusions list copied from operator confirmations.

When you act as agent, disclose your service fee model if that is your policy. When you mark up net, be ready to provide total cost and relationship disclosures on request under Part 295.

Number revisions on the client document. Clients forward old versions to assistants; version numbers prevent someone paying an expired total.

When only passengers change, still recheck payload and FET segment counts. When only catering changes, confirm whether the operator bills at cost or includes a cap.

Keep the operator informed of client-side changes before you lock the client contract. A signed client agreement against an unconfirmed operator revision creates back-to-back risk.

If the client asks for two options, present them with the same quote type and the same tax treatment so the comparison is honest.

Example — not a real quote: Route and local times. Aircraft category or tail. Quote type (all-in / conditional / indicative). Live hours and positioning hours. Daily minimum if triggered. Named tax lines. Exclusions (de-icing, extra handling). Validity datetime. Operating carrier legal name. Broker capacity. Insurance disclosure. Payment schedule.

Copy this skeleton into your template. Remove lines that do not apply rather than leaving "TBD" on a client PDF.

When you send the quote by email, repeat validity and subject-to-availability in the first paragraph so the PDF is not the only place those words appear.

If the client forwards the quote to a family office, assume they will compare only the total. Keep the total and the quote type on the first page.