Questions, answered plainly

It depends on the aircraft and the hours. Typical US hourly ranges before tax and fees run from $1,800 to $3,200 for a turboprop and $3,500 to $5,500 for a light jet. A one-hour hop in a turboprop can come to a few thousand dollars; a two-and-a-half-hour light jet trip is often around $9,000 to $15,000 for the flight time. Your quote will be exact and all-in.

The aircraft, crew, fuel, the 7.5% federal excise tax on domestic flights, segment fees and the operator's standard charges. Variable items, such as de-icing in winter, special catering or international fees, are listed before you book.

Because the aircraft often has to fly home empty, or fly empty to reach you, and those repositioning hours are usually billed. Same-day or next-day round trips avoid much of that.

Many operators bill a daily minimum, often one to two hours a day, whatever the flight time. It matters most on short hops and on multi-day trips where the aircraft waits for you.

A one-way flight an aircraft has to make anyway, usually to reposition after another charter. They are often sold at 25 to 75 percent off. The route and time are fixed, and the leg can be cancelled if the original booking changes.

On some routes, seats on shared flights are available individually, on fixed schedules. We tell you when one fits your dates. Otherwise the best price per seat comes from filling a chartered aircraft with your own group.

Send a quote request with your route and how flexible you are. We check empty legs as part of every request, and you can tick the box on the form to receive occasional offers by email.

None of the three. Asking us for prices is free and puts you under no obligation; payment is due only after you sign the charter agreement for a particular flight.

On a good share of aircraft, yes, provided the operator signs off first. Give us the count and size of your animals and we will leave out any aircraft that cannot take them.

It depends on the aircraft. Light jets suit soft bags; midsize and larger jets take golf bags and skis more easily. List your bags in the request so the options fit them.

Most travellers arrive at the private terminal, the FBO, 15 to 30 minutes before departure. There is no airline-style security queue, but international trips need passports checked, so allow a little more time.

A direct air carrier certificated under FAA Part 135, or the foreign equivalent abroad, which holds operational control of the aircraft. Cheap Private Jet Flights is a broker: we arrange the flight and the operator flies it. The operator is named in your quote.

Third-party safety audit programmes. ARGUS rates operators Gold, Gold+ or Platinum; Wyvern awards Wingman status; IS-BAO registers operators at stages 1 to 3. Not every good operator holds every rating, and we tell you which ones apply.