Semi-private and private charter
Shared seats on private-terminal flights, or an aircraft that is yours alone. We set out the trade-offs plainly, and quote private charter from FAA Part 135 operators.
Private charter quote
No sign-upA charter advisor will email you private charter options with an all-in price, and will tell you if a semi-private seat would suit the trip better.
Shared seat, whole jet or airline, with no carrier names and no spin.
Every charter we arrange is flown by a certificated carrier.
Federal excise tax and fees are built into the price.
No membership, deposit or account before you get a quote.
Side by side
Semi-private sells seats on a private-terminal flight. Charter gives you the whole aircraft. The airline sells a seat on its own schedule. This is how they differ.
| Semi-privateA seat on a shared flight | Private charterThe whole aircraft | AirlineA seat in a full cabin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per seat | Per aircraft, split however you like | Per seat |
| Schedule | Set by the operator | You choose the time | The airline’s timetable |
| Terminal | Private terminal or a separate area | Private terminal (FBO) | Main terminal and security lines |
| On board | Other travellers share the cabin | Only your group | A full cabin |
| Airports | Set routes, mostly busy city pairs | Any field the aircraft can use, including small ones | Commercial airports |
| Luggage | An allowance per seat; oversize items limited | Whatever fits the hold | Airline allowance and fees |
| Pets | Often small pets in carriers, with limits | Many aircraft, with operator approval | Airline pet rules |
| Changes | The seller’s fare rules | Your charter agreement | The airline’s fare rules |
General patterns; individual services differ. We name no semi-private carriers, so check each service’s own rules before you book a seat.
Who each suits
Six questions
Answer six quick questions about your group, timing, bags, pets, route and priorities, and get a recommendation with the reasons behind it.
Take the quizCharter aircraft
Typical figures for the classes we quote most often, from turboprops for short hops to large-cabin jets for big groups.
Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350
Phenom 300E, Citation CJ4, Learjet 75
Citation XLS+
Challenger 350, Citation Longitude, Praetor 600
Gulfstream G450, Challenger 650, Falcon 2000LXS
Typical figures; seating and range vary by configuration. Per-hour numbers are rough US market estimates before tax and fees.
How it works
Route, date, travellers and anything special, such as pets or skis.
If a shared seat fits better, your advisor says so. If charter fits, you get options.
Each charter option names the aircraft and operator, with tax and fees included.
Sign the agreement, arrive shortly before departure and walk out to the aircraft.
Popular corridors
Routes where travellers most often weigh a shared seat against a whole aircraft. Times are typical flight times in a jet.
Van Nuys to Las Vegas
Semi-private often makes sense for one or two; a charter wins for a group heading out for the weekend.
Quote this corridor
Teterboro to Palm Beach
Families with luggage usually charter; a solo traveller in season may find a semi-private seat.
Quote this corridor
Dallas Love to Houston Hobby
Business travellers weigh a shared seat against the airline; a charter suits a team on a same-day round trip.
Quote this corridor
Miami-Opa locka to Teterboro
Mostly a charter trip, especially northbound in spring with a season’s worth of bags.
Quote this corridor
Burbank to San Francisco
Short enough for a turboprop charter; a solo traveller may compare a shared seat.
Quote this corridor
Scottsdale to Van Nuys
Golf and weekend traffic: a light jet charter for a foursome, a seat for one.
Quote this corridor
Safety and standards
US private charter is flown by operators certificated under FAA Part 135, which keep operational control of each flight. Most semi-private services sell seats as public charters under DOT rules (14 CFR Part 380) or as scheduled flights, with a certificated carrier flying the aircraft.
The certificate behind on-demand charter: maintenance, training, and crew duty and rest.
The DOT framework many seat sellers use, with a certificated carrier operating each flight.
Third-party audits; the higher ARGUS ratings and Wyvern Wingman involve on-site reviews.
A global safety standard for business aviation, adopted in three stages as an operator’s systems mature.
A flight on a smaller aircraft where seats are sold one at a time, leaving from a private terminal or a separate area on a timetable the operator sets. You share the cabin with other travellers.
No. An empty leg is a whole aircraft repositioning at a discount, on a time and route that can change. A semi-private seat is one place on a scheduled flight.
An FAA-certificated carrier flies the aircraft. Many services sell seats as public charters under DOT rules, so the company selling the seat and the carrier flying it can be different businesses; the booking terms identify both.
No. We arrange private charter, where the aircraft is yours. We explain semi-private flying so you can compare, and if a seat on a shared service would suit your trip better, your advisor will tell you.
Usually from about four travellers, because charter is priced per aircraft rather than per seat. Counting bags, timing and the drive to each airport, a light jet shared by six can stack up well against six separate seats.
On a private charter, many operators accept dogs with approval, including larger dogs in the cabin. Shared services write their own pet rules, which often cap the size and number of animals on each flight.
On a charter, whatever fits safely in the hold, and your advisor checks your list against the aircraft. Shared and airline seats come with a per-passenger allowance and limits on oversize items.
The aircraft, crew, repositioning, landing and handling fees and taxes, including the 7.5% federal excise tax and segment fees on US domestic flights.
Stations
How shared private flights work, who flies them, and how they differ from a full charter.
Group size, timing, luggage and route decide whether a seat or a whole aircraft makes sense.
The rules that catch travellers out on shared flights, and how they compare with charter.
Request a quote
Send the route and your group. If a whole aircraft is the better fit, you get charter options with an all-in price. If a shared seat makes more sense, we say so.
Your trip
Takes about a minuteA charter advisor will email you private charter options with an all-in price, and will tell you if a semi-private seat would suit the trip better.