Charter Cost Calculator
Estimate an all-in Part 135 charter price — with the federal excise tax and segment fees computed and cited. Runs in your browser; nothing is stored.
Estimate only — your real rates, minimums, and fees vary. FET and segment fees apply to domestic transportation; international trips use the head tax instead. Not tax advice.
How private jet charter pricing works
A Part 135 charter quote is built from a few moving parts. The base is flight time × the aircraft's hourly rate, where flight time usually includes a small taxi pad per leg. Most operators apply a daily minimum (commonly 2 hours) so short hops still cover fixed costs. On top of that you may see positioning (ferry) time when the aircraft isn't already where the trip starts, plus overnight fees for multi-day trips and pass-throughs like de-icing or international handling.
Federal excise tax & segment fees
Domestic charter is subject to a 7.5% federal excise tax (FET) on the amount paid for air transportation (IRC §4261(a)), plus a flat per-passenger, per-segment fee (§4261(b)) — $5.20 per domestic segment for 2026. A “segment” is one takeoff and one landing. International trips are taxed differently (a head tax rather than the 7.5%), so this calculator covers domestic transportation. None of this is tax advice — confirm treatment with your accountant.
This is the same plain arithmetic Clearspar uses to build a real quote — no AI touches a dollar figure, and every line shows the formula that produced it so your client (and the IRS) can verify the total.
Clearspar builds this quote against live crew legality
Inside Clearspar the same math runs on your real fleet and rates — but the quote only sends if the assigned crew clears 14 CFR 135.267 duty/rest and currency. Illegal trips surface as UNABLE before anything reaches the client.