The commonest mistake is not charging too little. It is charging the same for things that are not worth the same.
The floor, and why almost nobody has calculated it
Before talking about rate you need one number: variables per hour plus fixed cost per flown hour.
Below that, a flight destroys value however reasonable the invoice looks. Above it, it contributes — even if only a little.
Most small operators know the first term and not the second. Without both there is no pricing decision: there is instinct.
What does justify charging more
Three things, and none of them is distance:
Runway restriction. A sector to Drake Bay and one to Palmar Sur are at similar distances from San José — 83.5 and 76.3 nautical miles — but one is concrete and the other asphalt. Almost anyone can fly the second; not the first. The price should reflect scarcity of supply, not kilometres. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Urgency. A request with three weeks' notice can be planned and chained. One for tomorrow forces the schedule to move. They are not the same product.
And the critical window. A flight the client needs at a specific hour — because an international flight is waiting, or a park quota — is worth more than one with an open date, because what they are buying is different.
What does not justify charging less
That the sector is short. San José–Quepos is 33.4 nautical miles and the price per mile is high: fixed costs spread over less distance. Discounting it "because it is close" is not understanding your own cost structure. 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 the client is shopping around. Competing downwards against someone with more hours flown per year is competing against a lower fixed cost per hour. That one is lost.
And that it is low season, if the problem is coverage rather than demand.
The discount that does work
Only one: the one applied to a sector that was going to exist anyway.
A repositioning leg sold at half rate is not a discount on your rate: it is a sunk cost partly recovered. They are different things, and it is worth keeping them different in the conversation with the client too.
The practical difference: that price must not appear as your normal rate, or within two seasons it will be the only one the market accepts.
A day-to-day criterion
When a request comes in, ask in this order:
- Does it cover the floor? If not, there is no conversation.
- Does it displace another flight? If so, compare against that one, not against zero.
- Can I chain it? If so, part of the cost was already there.
- What is the client buying? If it is a critical window, it is not a cheap flight.
Four questions before quoting a number. Most badly set rates are set before the second one. Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price floor?
Variables per hour plus fixed cost per flown hour. Below that a flight destroys value.
What justifies charging more?
Runway restriction, urgency and the client's critical window. Not distance.
Why is a short sector not cheap?
Because fixed costs spread over less distance. San José–Quepos is 33.4 nautical miles with a high per-mile price.
Should you compete downwards?
Not against someone flying more hours a year: their fixed cost per hour is lower and that war is lost.
Which discount works?
Only the one applied to a sector that was going to exist anyway. And it must not be presented as your normal rate.
What to ask on each request?
Whether it covers the floor, whether it displaces another flight, whether it can be chained, and what the client is buying.
Let's talk
Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.