While its easy than ever to fly private, even if you don’t actually own an aircraft yourself, choosing how to fly can be almost as complicated as choosing where to go.
VistaJet is one of the biggest names in the business, with a fleet of more than 200 aircraft and access to almost anywhere around the world. But with everything from on-demand charter to annual memberships on offer, working out what it actually costs to fly with VistaJet is less straightforward.
What Is VistaJet?
Founded in 2004, VistaJet is a global private aviation operator specializing in private jet charter and membership. The company offers on-demand flights alongside longer-term programs for frequent travelers, with access to a fleet of more than 200 aircraft.
Who Owns VistaJet?
VistaJet is part of Vista, the private aviation group founded by Swiss entrepreneur Thomas Flohr. The group brings together VistaJet’s membership and charter business with XO, its on-demand aviation platform.
How much does VistaJet cost to charter?
VistaJet’s on-demand private jet charter prices start at $11,000 per hour and are subject to the market rate. That said, there is no universal hourly price, with the amount you pay for a particular flight depending on factors including the aircraft required and the details of the journey. VistaJet asks prospective customers to submit their itinerary before providing a tailored quotation.
The starting price should therefore not be interpreted as a typical price for every VistaJet flight. Larger, longer-range aircraft will generally command higher rates than smaller jets, while demand and the particular route can also affect an on-demand charter quotation.
Which aircraft are in VistaJet’s fleet?
VistaJet says its fleet includes more than 200 private jets and serves 186 countries, covering 96% of the globe.
Spanning super-midsize, long-range, and super-long-range aircraft, the fleet includes aircraft such as the Bombardier Global 8000, Global 7500, Global 6000, and Global 5000, alongside the Challenger family and aircraft from Gulfstream, Embraer, Cessna, and Dassault.
Should I charter or buy a membership?
The choice essentially comes down to how often you fly and how much certainty you want over availability and pricing. For occasional private flyers, on-demand charter avoids an annual commitment. For those flying more regularly, VistaJet offers two personal membership options: VJ25 for 25 to 49 hours a year, and the VistaJet Program for 50 hours or more.
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What does a VistaJet membership include?
The attraction of VistaJet’s membership model isn’t simply the aircraft itself. Both VJ25 and Program members receive access to VistaJet’s global fleet, alongside a range of onboard and concierge services including a dedicated 24/7 team, Cabin Hosts, private dining and access to VistaJet’s Private World network of experiences and partners.
Rather than being tied to a single aircraft, members can request different aircraft according to the requirements of each trip, from super-midsize jets for shorter journeys to ultra-long-range aircraft for intercontinental travel.
Program and Corporate members also do not pay positioning fees or intracontinental flight fees when flying within VistaJet’s global service area, subject to the terms of their agreement.
What are the different VistaJet membership options?
VistaJet VJ25
VJ25 is designed for travelers flying between 25 and 49 hours per year, making it the lower-commitment of VistaJet’s two personal memberships. It offers access to VistaJet’s service and fleet without the 50-hour annual commitment of the full Program.
VJ25 members have guaranteed flight availability on all non-peak and most peak days. Members can also request to roll over up to 20% of their unused flying hours into the following year.
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VistaJet Program
For more frequent flyers, the VistaJet Program is designed for 50 or more flying hours per year. It is intended as an alternative to aircraft ownership, offering a fixed hourly rate and guaranteed aircraft availability every day of the year, with as little as 24 hours’ notice.
The model allows clients to fly without purchasing an aircraft or taking on its depreciation and asset risk, while VistaJet handles aircraft operation and fleet management.
How much does a VistaJet membership cost?
VistaJet does not publish a standard price for either of its personal memberships. Instead, costs are tailored to each customer’s flying requirements, with prospective members receiving a personalized proposal from the company.
In other words, there is no reliable figure for VistaJet membership in the same way there is for its on-demand charter. The more important distinction is how much you expect to fly: VJ25 is designed for 25 to 49 hours a year, while the VistaJet Program is intended for 50 hours or more.
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Is VistaJet cheaper than owning a private jet?
That depends on how frequently you fly, but VistaJet’s Program is designed as an alternative to aircraft ownership rather than simply another form of one-off charter.
Owning a private jet means paying for the aircraft itself as well as its ongoing operation, including maintenance, crew, insurance, hangarage, and depreciation. VistaJet’s membership model instead allows clients to fly without taking on those ownership costs or the associated asset risk. The Program also provides a fixed hourly rate and guaranteed availability, making annual flying costs more predictable than with purely on-demand charter.
VistaJet provides a cost calculator to compare Program membership with aircraft ownership based on an individual’s flying pattern. For those who fly relatively infrequently, however, one-off charter may make more sense, as it avoids an annual flying commitment.
