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Flying on a private jet is a world away from flying on a commercial airline. You skip the TSA line and don’t have to fight the crowds for overhead space. However, the price of flying private is out of reach for all but the truly wealthy—or is it? Flying on a semi-private airline can give you all the perks of a private jet but can sometimes be cheaper than a coach seat on a commercial airline.
What is a Semi-Private Flight?
Semi-private airlines allow passengers to split the cost of flying on a private jet. These small airlines can fit up to about 30 people on each flight, and provide a much smoother and more relaxing experience than flying commercial. Some semi-private airlines allow you to buy tickets like you would a standard flight, whereas others operate on a subscription model, where you must pay a membership in order to fly with them.
How Much Does it Cost to Fly Semi-Private?
Flying on a semi-private airline can be surprisingly affordable.
| Airline | Fares as Low as | Destinations |
| Aero | $975 | Dallas, Aspen, Sun Valley, Los Cabos, Los Angeles |
| Blade | $1,775 | New York City, Newark, Vancouver, Victoria, Nice, Monaco |
| Boutique Air | $39 | Albuquerque, NM; Boston, MA; Carlsbad, NM; Dallas,TX; Massena, NY; Pendleton, OR; Portland, OR; |
| JSX | $119 | Reno-Tahoe, NV; Concord/Napa, CA; Oakland, CA; Monterey, CA; Burbank, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Orange County, CA; Carlsbad, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Denver/Boulder, CO; Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO; Taos, NM; Odessa/Midland, TX; Lajitas, TX; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Nashville, TN; Destin Executive, FL |
| Set Jet | $750 + $99 monthly fee | Aspen, CO; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Orange County, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Diego, CA; Scottsdale, AZ |
| Surf Air | $199 (per month) + $500 per flying hour | San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Lake Tahoe, CA; Santa Barbara, CA |
| Tradewind Aviation | $200 | Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Nantucket, MA; Newport, RI;White Plains, NY; New York, NY; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas; Virgin Gorda; Anguilla; St. Barths; Antigua |
| XO | $1,500 | Farmingdale, NY; White Plains, NY; Teterboro, NY; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Palm Beach, FL; Opa-Locka, FL |
The Best Semi-Private Airlines
There are eight semi-private airlines operating in the United States, giving flyers lots of options for destinations across the world.
Aero
European semi-private airline Aero made the move into the U.S. in 2021, where it operates flights to popular ski and sun destinations. Aero passengers can enjoy private terminals, attentive service, and premium amenities. Pets are allowed onboard.
Aero recommends that flyers arrive just 20 minutes before departure. Guests will be greeted curbside by an Aero host who will check them in and take care of luggage while they wait in a private lounge.
Prices Start at: $975 each way.
Destinations:
- Dallas (DAL)
- Aspen (ASE)
- Sun Valley (SUN)
- Los Cabos (SJD & CSL)
- Los Angeles (VNY)
Blade
Blade is famous for its airport helicopter service, but it also offers a semi-private jet option available in the United States and Europe. With Blade, you can charter a jet all to yourself or use the company’s crowdsource feature, which allows you to sell unused seats on your flight in the Blade app.
Or, book a flight on BladeOne, the airline’s scheduled semi-private jet service. Use the search feature on the site to find available seats.
Prices Start at: $1,775 each way.
Destinations:
- New York City (JFK)
- Newark (EWR)
- Vancouver (YVR)
- Victoria (YYJ)
- Nice (NCE)
- Monaco (MUC)
Boutique Air
Boutique Air’s motto is “Fly private for the cost of commercial,” and the semi-private airline lives up to it with tickets as low as $39. The aircraft are turboprop planes rather than jets, but are still comfortable with less than ten seats per flight.
Prices Start at: $39 each way.
Destinations:
- Albuquerque, NM (ABQ)
- Boston, MA (BOS)
- Carlsbad, NM (CNM)
- Dallas, TX (DFW)
- Massena, NY (MSS)
- Pendleton, OR (PDT)
- Portland, OR (PDX)
JSX
JSX is one of the biggest and most affordable semi-private airlines in the United States. The low-cost fares include two checked bags, snacks, drinks, and in-flight Wi-Fi.
Flights are easy to book on JSX’s website, and all routes utilize private terminals, so passengers can skip the crowds.
Prices Start at: $119 each way.
Destinations:
- Reno-Tahoe (RNO)
- Concord/Napa (CCR)
- Oakland (OAK)
- Monterey (MRY)
- Burbank (BUR)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Orange County (SNA)
- Carlsbad (CLD)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- Denver/Boulder (BJC)
- Gunnison/Crested Butte (GUC)
- Taos (TSM)
- Odessa/Midland (ODT)
- Lajitas (T89)
- Austin (AUS)
- Dallas (DAL)
- Houston (HOU)
- Nashville (BNA)
- Destin Executive (DSI)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Boca Raton (BCT)
- Opa-Locka (OPF)
- Marsh Harbour (MHH)
- Morristown (MMU)
- Westchester County (HPN)
- Cabo San Lucas (CSL)
Set Jet
To fly on one of Set Jet’s semi-private flights, you’ll need to pay a one-time $99.95 security check fee and then a $99.95 monthly membership fee. Members can then book seats on private jet flights starting at around $750 each way.
Flights are mostly available to West Coast destinations, but routes are based on member demand, so you can request new routes once you join.
Prices Start at: $750 each way plus a $99.95 monthly membership fee.
Destinations:
- Aspen (ASE)
- Cabo San Lucas (CSL)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Orange County (SNA)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- San Diego (SAN)
- Scottsdale (SCF)
Surf Air
Frequent fliers should consider Surf Air’s All-You-Can-Fly Freedom membership, which costs $2,499 for unlimited flights. If you fly less often, you can get a Pay-As-You-Fly Access membership for $199, and then pay per flight.
Private flights can be booked on-demand to anywhere in the world, or there are regular scheduled flights. Surf Air flyers can travel in and out of convenient local airports in California. Our most popular California destinations include the San Francisco Bay Area (via San Carlos Airport – SQL), Los Angeles (via Hawthorne Airport – HHR), Lake Tahoe (via Truckee Airport – TRK), and Santa Barbara (via Santa Barbara Airport – SBA).
Prices Start at: On-Demand flights start at $500 per hour plus the $199 membership fee.
Destinations:
- San Francisco Bay Area (SQL)
- Los Angeles (HHR)
- Lake Tahoe (TRK)
- Santa Barbara (SBA)
Tradewind Aviation
Want to arrive at your beach vacation in style? Tradewind Aviation operates seasonal flights to summer hotspots including Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as a number of Caribbean destinations. Planning an island-hopping trip? The semi-private airline will give you a discount if you buy tickets in bulk.
Prices Start at: $200 each way.
Destinations:
- Martha’s Vineyard, MA
- Nantucket, MA
- Newport, RI
- White Plains, NY
- New York, NY
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- St. Thomas
- Virgin Gorda
- Anguilla
- St. Barths
- Antigua
XO
XO offers private jet memberships as well as scheduled semi-private jet service. The scheduled flights operate between New York and South Florida. XO can make your journey seamless by arranging for ground transportation to and from the private airport terminals.
Prices Start at: $1,500 each way.
Destinations:
- Farmingdale
- White Plains
- Teterboro
- Fort Lauderdale
- Palm Beach
- Opa-Locka
FAQ: How to Fly Semi-Private
How much does it cost to fly semi-private? Semi-private flights are surprisingly affordable, with rates as low as $39 on some airlines.
What is the cheapest semi-private airline? Boutique Air offers flights for as low as $39, making it the cheapest semi-private airline in the United States.
How do I find cheap private flights? You’ll need to search each airline individually, as semi-private flights are not generally listed on search engines.
Can you bring a pet on a private plane? Yes, most semi-private flights allow dogs and cats to fly in the cabin with you.
How much luggage can you bring on a private plane? The amount of luggage you can bring varies by airline and is generally measured by weight rather than number of bags.
