How a private charter quote is put together

A private charter quote is not a per-person price or a catalogue rate. It is the cost of moving a specific aircraft between two specific points on a specific date, and it helps to know what it is made of.

First: the aircraft is quoted, not the seat

We show a "from" price per route; the final fare depends on the date, the group and the baggage, and is confirmed in writing before booking.

That means the price does not change whether three or six travel, as long as they fit the same category. It changes when the category has to go up.

So the useful question is not "how much per person?" but "which category do I need, and why?". The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.

The parts that make up the cost

Flight time. Not only the leg you fly: also the one the aircraft flies to reach you, and back to base if nothing follows.

In a network of short legs, that repositioning weighs more than it seems. A 33.4-nautical-mile flight can have two empty legs behind it that are longer than yours, and somebody pays for them.

Crew. Hours, and sometimes an overnight if the itinerary does not allow a same-day return. Crew duty limits are regulatory, not negotiable, and they shape what a single day can contain.

Field costs. Landing, parking and ground handling fees, which vary by airfield. Some small fields have no services at all, which forces a third point into the plan. Before confirming we check that the assigned aircraft accepts the destination field under that date’s forecast conditions.

And fuel, which depends on the route and on where refuelling is possible. At fields with no supply, the aircraft carries what it needs for the return, and that reduces what else it can carry.

Why two quotes for the same trip differ

It is not always that one is expensive and the other cheap. Usually they are not quoting the same thing.

Different categories. San José to Quepos is 33.4 nautical miles: it can be quoted with a small category or a large one, and the difference is substantial without either being wrong.

One way or return. A flight that waits for its passengers costs differently from one that leaves and comes back later, and differently again from one that leaves for good.

And what is included. Ground transfers are rarely inside, and whoever puts them in the price either subcontracts or charges for the coordination. Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.

What you should ask for in every quote

Four things, and they are reasonable:

1. Which aircraft category and for how many passengers.
2. Whether the price is for the whole aircraft or on some other basis.
3. What is included and what is not, particularly the transfer at destination.
4. And what happens if weather prevents flying that day.

A quote that does not answer those four is not comparable with any other.

What makes a quote provisional

Almost always a missing detail about the destination: which field to arrive at, what time the last transfer leaves, and whether the group with its baggage fits the runway.

With those three the figure comes out firm. Without them it comes with conditions, and the conditions are where the surprises live.

Frequently asked questions

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See also: Broker or operator · How many passengers fit in each category · Five questions for your accommodation · All destinations · How to book step by step · When private makes sense · Empty legs explained · Costs beyond the quote · One way or round trip