Firm quotes provided by Stratos private flight advisors are based on a specific aircraft’s availability and are considered “all-in” prices, which include all taxes and any other anticipated fees. We bill all expected flight-related costs upfront so that there are no surprises. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned and an unexpected fee may arise. The cost of these fees are then billed post-flight.
Common unexpected fees include, but are not limited to:
- Cleaning services
- In-flight catering
- Ground transportation
- Refueling
- Unscheduled itinerary changes
- In-flight phone usage
- Wi-Fi
- De-icing
- Hangar rentals
- Security services
- International charges
- Additional taxes
Whenever possible, Stratos will advise clients if there is a cost associated with Wi-Fi usage during the charter flight.
Here’s an overview of the taxes and fees included in the private jet price.
Overnight accommodations for crew
If crew members are required to be away from home overnight, a per diem between $200 and $600 per crew member will be added to the private jet charter cost. The per diem covers overnight expenses, including lodging and meals.
Short Leg fees
The greatest fuel burn of an aircraft occurs during take-off. Short leg fees help to offset the fuel burn. Additionally, every time an airplane takes-off and lands, its maintenance schedule is advanced, bringing the aircraft closer to costly maintenance checks. Aircraft owners will often charge a short leg fee to help offset those additional costs.
Aircraft Positioning Fees
At Stratos, we aim to locate aircraft that require minimal positioning to help reduce these fees. However, that’s not always possible, and aircraft positioning costs may be incurred if the aircraft needs to be repositioned for the charter flight.
Hangar Fees
Hangar fees are typically incurred during the winter season when aircraft need to be protected from ice, snow, or frost accumulation on aircraft surfaces and to avoid deicing costs. These fees can range from $500 to $1,500 each day.
Wi-Fi Charges
In many cases, your private flight advisor can arrange a charter on an aircraft that comes with free Wi-Fi access, but some aircraft operators may charge anywhere from $2 to $9 per megabyte. International charter flights may cost more.
Cleaning Fees
Sometimes aircraft need a little extra cleaning after a charter flight. These fees can cost anywhere from $250 and up, depending on the amount of cleaning required.
Deicing Fees
In colder climates snow, ice, or even frost can accumulate on aircraft surfaces, prompting the need for deicing services. Deicing costs can vary from $1,500 to $10,000 depending on the size of the aircraft.
International Fees
A trip across the border can add anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or more to your charter invoice. These fees are required based on your route and arrival country and include landing permits, overflight permits, customs, and immigration fees.
Fuel Surcharge
Because fuel prices are constantly fluctuating, a fuel surcharge is applicable when there is a surge in fuel prices in the market. The surcharge, when applicable, starts around $300 per hour.
Aircraft Daily Minimums
Aircraft operators require a certain amount of flight hours per day. Though the industry standard is 2 hours a day, smaller aircraft may only have a daily minimum of 90 minutes while a larger aircraft may have a daily minimum of 3 hours or more.
International Head Tax
International flights departing from or arriving in the United States are subject to a tax of $19.70 per person.
Alaska/Hawaii Head Tax
Charter flights are subject to a tax of $9.90 per passenger when flying to Hawaii or Alaska.
Dennis S.
The flight was great. Kyle was easy to work with and very professional. The plane was very comfortable and our pilots were terrific! Great experience all around!
Andrew S.
Stratos was prompt, professional, and competitive. They were also willing to work with me as I was having second thoughts, without being pushy. I had a very enjoyable experience and look forward to using them again.
Jim H.
Smooth and easy
John S.
Everything was above and beyond. Thank you!
William P.
Stratos helped us make an amazing memory … I flew my elderly parents (90+ years old) from SC to PA for the day to spend time with our entire family. Everything from the planning, scheduling and coordination was seamless and went off smooth and in time. The pilots were so kind and gracious with my parents and made the 1.5 hour flight enjoyable. I must say at the heart of this entire experience was Kerry Hill of Stratos, she made it her mission to make this truly special, she went above and beyond… thank you so much Kerry & Stratos! All the best … Billy
Max C.
Everything worked out great. Working with Stratos was seamless. When the Trump TFR foiled our plans on both the outbound and inbound legs, Stratos was proactive in finding the best solution for us and minimized the disruption to the timing of our itinerary while also remaining flexible to our schedule as well. Joel could not have been easier to work with, finding us the best options at the best prices.
Søren Bisgaard
As the operator, this client showed great brokerskills. Precise emails and everything was provided shortly after requested. Would love to work with StratosJets again soon.
Peter G.
My representative Simon did a really good job explaining my options and arranging our charter. Disappointed our charter Was 30 minutes late due to routine maintenance. Since it was routine, obviously it should have been scheduled to not interfere with our flight schedule. One of the big reason for the charter was to avoid sitting around a lounge in the Covid era. Due to the delay, that’s exactly what we did. Small issues, but water wasn’t working in lavatory, cabin temperature was a bit erratic, and air vent dripped water. Crew was courteous and flight was fine.
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President and CEO
Michael F.
Amazing customer service and overall experience from my first contact with Kimberly. Stratos truly delivers what they promise!
Rich C.
The crew of Citation very good Cordial and effective Trip punctual all good Thanks
Ahmed A.
Stratos Jets provided excellent customer service! One of the most reliable private jet charters. Glenn was incredibly helpful and professional he made the booking process very easy and kept me updated with trip details daily. Highly recommend Stratos Jet Charters.
Tom C.
Anthony made the booking easy and kept us fully informed. Flight itself was definitely 5 start. Good plane, good crew, good weather. What more can one ask?
Rose C.
Kerry was absolutely amazing!! She made the entire process very seamless and so easy for me. Made me look very good to my boss. She kept me informed of the entire trip, from the plane arriving at the airport to wheels down at the final destination. I have nothing but extreme praise for Kerry and her customer service.
John F.
Anthony was terrific, good clear quote information, helpful options and overall a very pleasant experience.
Eric Sanchez
Always great to work with you guys.
Nancy D.
The flight was smooth and comfortable The crew was professional and courteous. The agent's support was extremely professional--assisting above and beyond expectations with car shuttling service in Albany. We will highly recommend these services to others.
Sam Weisenburger
Great communication, easy to work with
Stephen K.
Anthony, couldn't have been better. Elegant and effortless. Delightful crew and immaculate plane. Thanks for helping us with this and I am sure you will hear from us in the future.
All the best,
Steve
Scott B.
Great
Christina H.
Kevin is great to work with. I'll call him again. the aircraft crew were great. Thank you for making this trip so easy for us.
Susan C.
Everything was perfect. Kyle was extremely helpful. Answered all questions quickly and was very professional without a “hard sell” style. Everyone I dealt with was perfect. The flight itself was fast, quiet, comfortable. The plane was very clean, and well maintained. Both crew were helpful and pleasant. It is very likely that we will travel like this again and Stratos will be our provider. Thanks again. Susan
Samantha D.
Joel was a great help in getting my family out of South Florida last minute during hurricane Irma. I look forward to booking with Stratos again in the very near future.
Kim V. N.
Always a great experience. Amazing communication and expert service
David L.
Professional in every way… and, fully enjoyed the experience… especially the flight…great plane and pilots were 1st class in every way.
David D.
I travel regularly for business and have booked charter flights through a number of different private jet companies. At the beginning of the year, I was referred to Joel at Stratos. Since then, I have booked a number of flights through Stratos. His team does a great job ensuring we have a seamless travel experience. I would definitely recommend Stratos to others.
Joel M.
Since it was my first charter I have no comparisons
Valerie W.
Kyle immediately answered the phone when I called, after normal work hours, needing a plane the next morning. He worked with me for hours to find the right plane. I flew out the next morning at 9am. Kyle followed along with both that flight as well as the return the next day to make sure everything was fine. I feel comfortable knowing that Stratos carefully chooses their planes with the highest safety ratings. Thank you to Kyle and his team for their attention to detail and care that their customers have an excellent and safe travel experience. I highly recommend Stratos Jet Charters
Paige Verville
Stratos Jets has always been a great company to work with, very friendly staff.
Caron P.
From start to finish, our experience with Stratos was totally professional, made very simple and the ultimate in how charter travel should be booked/enjoyed! We know it takes an entire team behind the scenes but all credit to Joel for his 'personal' touch and for making our return trip to New York a very memorable one indeed!!! We have used several charter companies worldwide over the years but Joel and his team beat them all!!!
Beverly B.
We prefer to finalize our itinerary, plane and crew at least a week in advance. We did not get things completely final until the day of the actual flight. Secondly, we prefer to pay post-flight rather than pre-flight. You were able to make an exception in our case which was appreciated. Lastly, the quality of the catering service from STT was atrocious. It was inedible.
Nicole M.
There are not enough words to express how incredible Stratos is. From start to finish, my experiences with them are the highest quality of service and performance.
Shaundra G.
Great experience overall. Communication is always great and solving any unforeseen issues has always been a breeze.
Valerie W.
Stratos continues to exceed my expectations!
Richard B.
Robert B.
I was helped at every step along the way. Any question was quickly answered.
Scott D.
We had a great experience, particularly with Steve and the booking process, as well as with flight, which was fantastic. We would highly recommend Stratos. Thanks again!
Diane H.
Simon was Great. There is nothing that cold have been better.
Isabella R.
We love Joel!
Andy S.
I have already recommended your firm to a friend and will continue to do so assuming, of course, my future travels with you remain consistent with my inaugural experience
Rick H.
As a repeat customer of Stratos we have always been treated with care and understanding of the circumstances surrounding our travel needs. When Joel was unavailable Zach jumped right in without missing a beat.
Carol C.
It was a treat to fly private again. Everyone at Stratos and Flying Labz were a joy! If I need to fly private again Stratos is the only company I'd reach out to.
Steve R.
The experience from start to finish was excellent. I would highly recommend Stratos.
Andy S.
I have highly recommended Stratosjets to friends and will continue to do so. The planning team (Kyle Jones being my lead - world class individual) continues to do a superb job tending to each detail and communicating same timely and in an understandable fashion.
Samuel J.
Excellent
Jamie Thies
Thank you for using Business Jet Access, we appreciate your business and it was a pleasure working with the Stratos team. Information was provided in a timely manner and communication was clear. Thanks again and we look forward to future trips.
Emily E.
I was frantically looking last minute for a private jet to transport myself and a family member with early onset memory loss from Minneapolis, MN to Keene, NH. I found Stratos Jet Charters online and they caught my eye. From the first phone call to Eric Bold, the broker, to the landing in Keene, NH, I was completely amazed at how easy it was to book the flight and get the details in order. Eric was super sharp and made the entire booking simple and fast in a very professional way. He was also totally available by phone immediately when I needed to talk with him. Sarah, also, helped us with catering and the passenger manifesto and she was just as competent. The pilots, Jeff and Deanna, made us feel very secure and confident about the flight and our comfort. I feel so fortunate to have found this company and will reach out to them for all of my future private jet needs. Thank you, each of you, and thank you, Stratos!!
Karen B.
Our experience was magnificent. Everyone at Stratos was on point and helpful with any and all questions we had for our trip. Glenn Walters was exceptional attentive. Your services are highly recommended.
Bill P.
Stratus extremely professional company.
John G.
I couldn't be happier with level of service provided to me by Frank and his team! Everything was so easy and just a click away. I really appreciated Franks attentiveness to my trips. Stratos Jet will definitely have my business in the future. Thank you Frank & team, you are awesome!!!
Thomas W.
Stratos was great and we for sure will recommend our broker to our friends