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Every empty leg and every charter quote starts with the right size of aircraft. Here is how the main categories compare on seats, range, cabin and typical US hourly cost.
| Category | Typical aircraft | Seats | Typical range | Cabin height | Est. hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop | Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350 | 6–9 | ~1,800 nm | — | $1,800–3,200 |
| Very light jet | HondaJet, Citation M2 | 4–5 | 1,400–1,550 nm | — | $2,800–4,200 |
| Light jet | Phenom 300E, Citation CJ4, Learjet 75 | 6–8 | 2,000–2,150 nm | ~4.8–4.9 ft | $3,500–5,500 |
| Midsize | Citation XLS+ | 7–9 | ~2,100 nm | ~5.7 ft | $4,500–7,000 |
| Super-midsize | Challenger 350, Citation Longitude, Praetor 600 | 8–10 | 3,200–4,000 nm | ~6.0 ft | $6,500–9,500 |
| Large cabin | Gulfstream G450, Challenger 650, Falcon 2000LXS | 10–16 | 4,000–4,300 nm | 6.0–6.2 ft | $8,500–13,000 |
| Ultra long range | Gulfstream G650ER, Global 7500 | 13–19 | 7,500–7,700 nm | 6.2 ft and up | $12,000–20,000+ |
Hourly rates are before the 7.5% federal excise tax, segment fees and trip costs. Empty legs are priced as individual one-way fares and usually sit well below these figures.
Turboprop
Pressurised, efficient and comfortable on trips of up to about two hours. Turboprops such as the Pilatus PC-12 and King Air 350 can use shorter runways than most jets, which opens up island and mountain airfields.
Empty-leg angle: turboprops reposition over short distances, so their legs tend to be regional, such as a Hamptons drop-off flying back to the New York area.
Light jet
The usual choice for two to six people on trips of up to about three hours. The cabin is about 4.8 to 4.9 feet tall, so you sit rather than stand, and most have a small lavatory and space for soft bags.
Empty-leg angle: light jets fly more charter trips than any other category, so they produce the most empty legs, especially along the East Coast and in Florida.
Midsize
A taller cabin of about 5.7 feet, more legroom and a proper lavatory. Range of around 2,100 nautical miles covers New York to Florida or the Caribbean nonstop with a full load.
Empty-leg angle: common on Northeast to Florida routes, so watch for them at the start and end of the winter season.
Super-midsize
A six-foot cabin with a flat floor and range of 3,200 to 4,000 nautical miles. The Challenger 350 and Praetor 600 handle transcontinental trips and high, hot or snowy airports with room to spare.
Empty-leg angle: long one-way trips leave long repositioning legs, which means fewer listings but larger savings when the timing works.
Large cabin
Separate seating areas, a full galley, cabin crew on many trips and seats that make up into beds. Range of 4,000 to 4,300 nautical miles covers most transatlantic city pairs.
Empty-leg angle: the rarest legs and often the best value per seat, usually on long positioning flights between the US and Europe or across the country.
Beyond the hourly rate
Every quote we send is all-in, so these appear as lines in your price rather than surprises afterwards.
7.5% on domestic US charter, plus a per-passenger segment fee of about $5 per leg, indexed each year.
If the aircraft is not based where you start, its flight to reach you is usually part of the price. Empty legs are the exception.
Many operators bill one to two flight hours a day, even if you fly less, when the aircraft waits with you.
Hotel and meal costs for the crew on multi-day trips.
Landing, parking and FBO handling fees, which vary widely between airports.
De-icing in winter, catering, Wi-Fi and international fees where they apply.
Tell us the route and group. We will suggest the right category and look for empty legs on it.