Questions
Everything people ask before the first flight
If your question is not here, message us — a person answers, usually within 15 minutes, and no question is too basic to ask.
Booking and flying
How the process runs, what it costs and what to expect at the airport.
- How quickly can you find me a private jet?
- Initial aircraft options typically come back within 15 minutes, at any hour — that is how fast a broker can check, not a promise that an aircraft will be free. Send the route, the date and the number of passengers, and you get back the aircraft actually available, the operating company and indicative pricing. If the route needs a landing permit — Saudi Arabia and India are the common cases — availability comes back in minutes but the permit itself can take 24 to 48 hours, and we will say so in the first reply rather than after you have paid.
- Do you operate the aircraft?
- No. Fifteen Jets acts as a broker: we find a suitable aircraft for your trip and arrange the charter, and the selected operating company — named to you in writing, with its Air Operator Certificate — operates the flight and is responsible for it. We do not own or operate aircraft. Our commission is included in the price you are quoted, so there is never a second invoice from us.
- How do you make money?
- A commission on the charter, included in the price we quote. The number you see is the number you pay: no booking fee, no card surcharge, no crypto premium, no fuel surcharge added later. If a price changes because you change the trip, we show you the operator’s revised figure.
- How much does it cost to charter a private jet?
- There is no fixed price. As indicative starting points, light jets from about $3,200 per flight hour, super-midsize jets from about $6,000 per flight hour, heavy jets from about $8,000 per flight hour and ultra-long-range aircraft from about $11,500 per flight hour, plus positioning and ground handling at both ends. Each route page shows an indicative starting price for that trip. Those figures are starting prices, not quotes: the price of your flight is calculated individually and depends on aircraft availability, where the aircraft is positioned, the date, the operating company and airport charges.
- What is an empty leg flight?
- An empty leg is a repositioning flight an aircraft has to make anyway — flying empty to collect its next passengers, or home after a drop-off. Operators sell those seats at 25% to 75% below a normal charter. The trade-off is rigidity: the route, date and often the departure window are fixed by someone else’s trip, and the flight can be cancelled if the original charter changes.
- How far in advance do I need to book?
- Four to six hours is usually enough for a domestic or intra-European leg if an aircraft is already positioned nearby. Intercontinental flights need longer for crew duty time, overflight and landing permits. The genuine constraints are seasonal: Nice and Ibiza in July, Geneva in ski season, and Riyadh at any time because of permit lead times.
- How early do I need to arrive at the airport?
- Fifteen minutes before departure at a private terminal, and often less. There is no check-in desk and no security queue. On international departures passport control happens at the FBO, usually in under five minutes. At many airports your car can drive to the aircraft steps.
- How much luggage can I take?
- Baggage is limited by volume, not by piece count — around 50 cubic feet on a light jet and 115 on a heavy jet. Skis, golf bags and oversized cases are fine but must be declared when you request the quote, because they can change which aircraft works. Weight matters on long legs: a full cabin plus heavy baggage can shorten range enough to add a fuel stop.
- Can I fly with my pet?
- Usually, and in the cabin with you — but it depends on the aircraft and the operator. Many charter operators accept dogs and cats in the cabin without a crate; some limit size, species or number, and a few do not carry animals at all. The destination country’s import rules apply regardless of aircraft: the UK, for example, requires an approved route and documentation. Tell us the species, size and destination when you send the request, and we only offer operators who accept them.
- Am I talking to a person or a bot?
- A person. One broker handles your request from the first message to wheels-up, in Telegram, by email or through the request form, and you keep the same contact for the next trip. There is no call-centre queue, no automated sequence and no account manager handover.
- Who sees my itinerary?
- Your broker, and the operator flying you — that is all. We do not sell or share passenger data, we do not add you to marketing sequences, and we do not publish or resell itineraries. Operators receive only the passenger details aviation authorities require them to hold.
- Can you move a large group — a team, a crew, a wedding party?
- Yes. Above roughly 16 passengers the aircraft moves from a business jet to a VIP airliner such as an ACJ319 or a BBJ, which carry 18 to 50 people in a private configuration. For a sports team or a film crew the deciding factor is usually baggage and equipment volume rather than seat count, so send the equipment list with the request.
- Can I see the aircraft registration before I book?
- Yes, where it is available. The written quotation names the aircraft type and year, the operating company and its AOC, and the registration — the tail number — of the aircraft offered. You can look the registration up on the public register of the country it is registered in, without asking us. Occasionally an operator confirms the exact tail only when the charter agreement is signed, because it may substitute an identical aircraft from its own fleet; when that is the case we say so, and the substitution terms are in the contract.
- Can I charter a private jet today?
- Often, subject to availability. A same-day departure is possible when an aircraft and a rested crew are close enough to your departure airport. What limits it is crew duty time, airport opening hours and slots, customs notice on international flights, and landing permits for some countries. Send the route and the number of passengers as early as you can: the first reply, typically within 15 minutes, tells you whether today is realistic and what is available.
Paying
Methods, timing, and what happens to your money if a flight does not go.
- Can I pay for a private jet with Bitcoin or USDT?
- Yes. We accept Bitcoin and USDT on TRC-20 and ERC-20 for the full charter price, with no crypto surcharge. You receive the wallet address only after the aircraft is confirmed, so you know the operator and the tail number before any money moves. The USD amount is fixed on the invoice and held for 30 minutes against the exchange rate.
- What payment methods do you accept?
- Card, SWIFT and SEPA bank transfer, Bitcoin, USDT (TRC-20 and ERC-20), and cash on departure where local law permits it. There is no account to open and no compliance onboarding to complete before you can request a quote — identity checks happen once, on the flight you actually book.
- Do I pay before the aircraft is confirmed?
- No. Nothing is charged until the aircraft is confirmed with the operator and you have it in writing: the operating company and its AOC, the aircraft type and year, the registration where available, the operator’s safety audit status where it holds one, and the cancellation terms. You approve the quotation, payment follows, and flight documents arrive within the hour. For crypto payments we wait for one network confirmation on domestic legs and three on international ones.
- What happens to my money if the flight is cancelled?
- If the operator cancels or the aircraft goes technical, you are refunded in full through the same channel you paid, or we place you on a replacement aircraft — your choice. If you cancel, the operator’s cancellation terms apply; those terms are shown to you in writing before you pay, not buried afterwards. Crypto refunds are returned in the same asset at the original invoiced USD value.
Safety and operators
Who is responsible for the flight and how to verify them yourself.
- How to verify a private jet operator: AOC, registration, insurance
- ARGUS, Wyvern and IS-BAO safety ratings explained
- How do you check that an operator is safe?
- Every flight is operated by a company holding a valid air operator certificate in its own jurisdiction. We check that certificate and the operator’s insurance cover before offering the aircraft, and any third-party safety audit it holds — ARGUS, Wyvern or IS-BAO. Not every good operator holds one, so we never imply one that has not been verified for that operator. You receive the operator name, and any audit status, before you pay so you can verify it yourself.
- What do ARGUS, Wyvern and IS-BAO actually mean?
- They are independent audits, not regulators. ARGUS grades operators Gold, Gold Plus or Platinum based on pilot experience, accident history and, at the higher tiers, an on-site audit. Wyvern Wingman requires an on-site audit and continuous data reporting. IS-BAO is an IBAC standard focused on the operator’s safety management system, with three progressive stages. None of them replaces the national aviation authority’s certificate — they sit on top of it.
- What is the difference between ARGUS Gold and Platinum?
- ARGUS Gold is a historical review: ARGUS analyses the operator’s pilot experience, aircraft and accident records from data, without visiting. Gold Plus adds an on-site audit. Platinum is the highest tier and also requires a functioning safety management system and an emergency response plan, verified on site. Gold says the record is clean; Platinum says someone has checked how the company actually manages safety day to day.
- Is Wyvern Wingman better than an ARGUS rating?
- Neither is simply better; compare tiers, not brands. Wyvern Wingman and ARGUS Platinum both rest on an on-site audit, and are the two strongest signals in common use. Wingman additionally requires the operator to keep reporting crew and aircraft data between audits. ARGUS Gold, the entry tier, is a desk review of records and is a weaker signal than either. Corporate flight departments often specify Wyvern; ARGUS is more widespread among charter operators.