Have you ever thought, what is the impact of fuel price onto the charter price? Of course, you should have noticed that fuel prices are over the top nowadays. However, what big of an impact does fuel have on the overall cost of a private flight?
Fuel it up!
We have to say - the biggest. Yes, fuel cost is directly related to the price of private travel, and the more the fuel costs, the higher the flight price will be. Even though private travelling includes other aspects that are paid for by the flyer, fuel does the most significant influence on the cost overall.
The fuel price fluctuates between $4-$6 per gallon and, if you can imagine, some aircraft need 600 or more gallons of fuel to be filled up entirely. So, yes, fuel is expensive nowadays, and it truly has a very big impact on the cost of a private flight.
Aircraft Size
Since we have already discussed the relations between fuel price and overall flight cost, it's time to combine the hourly fuel burn of different private aircraft sizes. We decided to add this section because it might give you a closer look at the fuel price.
No wonder the weight of the private aircraft matters and makes a significant impact on the hourly fuel burn. The larger the plane, the higher the cost. However, talking about average numbers, the cost of fuel per one hour can fluctuate anywhere between $500 and $3000 (sometimes even more).
In most cases, large-sized private aircraft burns around 200-600 gallons of fuel per hour which costs $1000-$3000 whereas the price for a light-sized private plane would be approximately $600-$1000 per hour. Talking about private aircraft that are medium in size, it goes in between the large and light planes regarding the hourly fuel burn cost.
Ways to reduce
You can save more by reducing the overall private flight cost in one way or another. These methods are very simple but are very helpful to know for every private flyer.
Flying with others.
If you are booking a private flight, you might find some friends, family members or just other people that would like to share the plane with you. This way the cost will be split by the exact number of passengers flying.
Fractional ownership.
Owning a private plane is not cheap, so you might see fractional aircraft ownership to reduce costs. When there are two or more owners of a specific private plane, all the prices are split by the number of the owners, so you don't have to pay alone.
Quality research on flight companies.
Yes, this is also very important while talking about the price of a private flight as different companies offer different conditions for a different cost. So, do your research, go for reliable companies that are willing to give some discounts or suggest a beneficial membership program.
The end of an era?
Well, no. The demand for private jets is surging. And here's why:
Virus concerns and busy terminals
Yes, this is one of the main reasons private flights are and still will be in demand no matter the high cost. Mostly, we are talking about health safety, and this has become a very big concern since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the entire planet.
Another reason is the overcrowded terminals. Because of a lack of personell and employees made redundant out of economic concerns during the COVID-pandemic, airports are struggling to get employees to deal with the summer demand. Waiting lines of up to four hours are no exemption. Amsterdam Schiphol is a perfect example of this.
There will always be a demand for comfort.
Here we are talking about the services that are related to private flights. There will always be people who seek maximum comfort and consider it a priority. Regarding this fact, the overall cost of a private flight won't make a big difference for such flyers.
Private flights are comfortable because they almost always take you anywhere you want. This is because of the bigger number of airports that private jets can land on. Furthermore, you don't have to wait in big lines or go through time-consuming security checks.
Also, you can have the luxury of flying on your one or only with your closest family members and friends. Finally, you can access different services such as ordering dinner and special drinks. This is especially useful when celebrating a special occasion while flying.
Wrap Up
As we have already discovered, the fuel cost plays the most significant role when talking about the price of private flying. Since fuel prices are getting even higher nowadays, some people might have concerns about the private flight market. Will there still be a demand?
We told our readers that there will always be a demand for private flights no matter the cost because some people are all about safety and comfort. If you are up for it, why not make your flight as comfortable and as safe as you can?