Jet card economics

Jet card cost: deposits, hourly rates and what sits beyond the rate

A 25-hour jet card costs from about $183,000 for a light jet to more than $340,000 for a large cabin based on published prices. The upfront payment does not always cover the full cost of flying: some cards add taxes, fuel surcharges and other charges.

Sentient Jet lists $183,100 for its 25-hour light-jet card before fuel surcharge and federal excise tax. Programs also differ in how they bill trips and treat unused balances, so no card is cheapest for every traveler.

We compare jet card proposals against the client’s travel needs, including the financial commitment and the access each card provides.

Published figures

Published jet card prices and rate inclusions

Sentient Jet lists its 25-hour SJ25 light-jet card at $183,100, or $7,324 an hour, with midsize at $9,434, super-midsize at $11,529 and large cabin at $13,640 an hour. Its SJ25+ card for mid to large cabins starts at $235,850. Sentient states that a fuel surcharge and federal excise tax apply on top of those rates.

NetJets lists its Card from $215,000 for 25 hours, with 275 days of annual access, at one set price that includes the standard fees. flyExclusive's Jet Club starts at a $100,000 deposit and Jet Club Plus at $200,000. flyExclusive states that its current Jet Club quotes are all-in. Federal excise tax is included, there is no fuel surcharge and rates are locked for 24 months from the time of deposit.

Wheels Up's Signature Membership starts at a $200,000 fund for 12 months of access, and its Fixed Access Plan lists $9,295 an hour on the Phenom 300 and $13,495 on the Challenger 300 at that fund level. These published figures do not include every cost or restriction. The agreement determines the charges for a particular trip.

Published comparison

Published jet card prices compared

U.S. dollar figures retain the October 8, 2026 source review; flyExclusive structure was rechecked October 14, 2026. Prepaid packages, flight deposits and membership fees are different commitments and are not directly comparable annual costs. Each column identifies its aircraft or tier and the stated inclusions. FET refers here to the 7.5 percent federal transportation tax generally applied to taxable domestic flights; exemptions and international treatment can differ. The card agreement governs minimums, peak terms, expiration and refunds, none of which these figures show.

Published jet card prices compared
Published term	Sentient SJ25 and SJ25+	NetJets Card	flyExclusive Jet Club	Wheels Up Signature
Entry	$183,100 for 25 light-jet hours; larger cabins cost more	From $215,000 for 25 hours	$100,000 flight deposit; Plus $200,000	$200,000 flight fund for 12 months, plus a separately quoted monthly membership fee
Hourly rate	$7,324 light to $13,640 large cabin	Not published separately; package price depends on aircraft and access tier	Daily and hourly rates not published; aircraft and tier quoted	$9,295 Phenom 300; $13,495 Challenger 300 at the $200,000 Fixed Access tier
Taxes, fuel and pricing basis	Base rates; FET and fuel surcharge added	Standard fees and fuel up to the contract limit included	FET included; no fuel surcharge	FET excluded; fuel treatment requires the current rate sheet

Prepaid hours

How prepaid hours work

A prepaid block commits your capital until you fly or receive a permitted refund. We compare that carrying cost and expiry risk against deposit cards on your expected year of flying. Sentient’s 25-hour light-jet card at $183,100 is bought this way. The rate-lock period and the life of the hours can differ: Sentient publishes a 12-month rate lock and no expiration of purchased hours. Other cards may set an expiry date.

Deposit accounts

How jet card deposits work

A deposit account funds a balance that is drawn down as flights are flown, at fixed or dynamic rates depending on the plan. flyExclusive's Jet Club starts at a $100,000 deposit and Jet Club Plus at $200,000, and Wheels Up's Signature Membership starts at a $200,000 fund for 12 months.

Flights paid from the deposit reduce that balance; they are not an additional cost on top of it. Unused funds remain tied up, and additional deposits may be needed sooner than the client expected.

Initiation fees

Initiation fees and trip charges

An initiation-fee model charges for access and then prices each trip, typically at market. With fewer flights, that fixed fee accounts for a larger share of the cost per trip.

Committed memberships

Multi-year membership commitments

A buyer who cannot confidently forecast three years of travel carries real risk in a three-year commitment. Our comparison models a lower-use year alongside the expected travel before commitment. Annual price increases are set out in the agreement. The commitment may extend beyond the period for which the client can reliably forecast travel.

Unused hours, remaining balances and future commitments receive different treatment when a program ends. Similar flight service can therefore carry very different capital exposure.

We compare jet cards using the trips you expect to take, including the effect of minimums, additional charges and access terms. The review also considers the treatment of prepaid funds and the flexibility you need.

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Rate inclusions

Taxes, fuel and other rate inclusions

Taxes, fuel and billable time affect the invoice beyond the hourly rate. Programs differ in fuel adjustments, repositioning and ferry charges, taxi allowances and daily minimums by aircraft category. Taxes also depend on the itinerary and applicable exemptions.

Sentient’s published rates exclude a fuel surcharge and federal excise tax, and the amount of the surcharge is not published. flyExclusive’s current Jet Club quotes are all-in, with federal excise tax included and no fuel surcharge. The same headline rate can therefore produce different invoices.

Taxable domestic card transportation generally carries the 7.5 percent federal transportation tax and a per-passenger segment tax. Qualifying fractional program flights instead carry a federal fuel surtax and an exemption from air transportation taxes. International itineraries and other exemptions can change the result; treatment in a particular case is a question for the client’s tax advisor.

Peak exposure

Peak-day travel can change both price and access

Card programs differ in how they define and treat high-demand dates. Surcharge level, required notice, permitted departure window, blackout treatment, aircraft substitution rights and recovery when an aircraft goes out of service all vary.

For a card used principally for Thanksgiving, spring break and the December holidays, peak-day pricing and access have particular weight. A standard-day rate may describe little of that traveler’s actual flying.

Fund risk

Where your jet card deposit is held

A provider operating account makes funds available to the business, subject to any contractual restrictions. A separate client account keeps client money apart from operating funds. Escrow adds a third party that holds funds under agreed release conditions. The account label alone does not establish when you can withdraw money or what protection applies if the provider stops operating.

Refund rights vary. PJS describes its Azurite Card deposits as refundable and held in escrow. Wheels Up’s June 2026 filing describes its Membership Funds as generally not refundable. The current agreement determines notice, refund timing, deductions and expiry. Hours that never expire still tie up capital; expired or forfeited credit can become a loss.

We assess how much the client commits and how those terms affect the cost of leaving a program. The client’s counsel advises on ownership of the funds and legal protections. The cost of tying up capital remains distinct from losing the balance itself.

Travel pattern

Who a jet card suits

Cards suit recurring private travelers who want more certainty than the open charter market provides without investing in an aircraft share and depending on its future resale value. They also work as supplemental lift alongside a fractional share or a whole aircraft, covering the trips the primary aircraft serves less well.

For an occasional traveler, fixed charges are spread across fewer flights, while a large deposit may leave money unused. For clients who regularly use several cabin categories, interchange terms determine the cost of moving between them and can matter more than the headline rate.

What we do

Independent advice on the cost and access a card provides

We assess jet card proposals for the client’s recurring travel, including the cost of access and the treatment of prepaid funds. This includes whether a card’s commitment and flexibility fit alongside any existing aircraft or fractional share.

When prices are close, differences in availability, peak-day access and flexibility can decide which card is the better fit.

Illustrative invoice

How a base rate becomes a domestic card-flight total

In this hypothetical 2026 domestic flight, two billed hours at $8,000 an hour cost $16,000. An assumed $1,000 fuel surcharge brings taxable transportation charges to $17,000. The 7.5 percent federal transportation tax adds $1,275, and four passengers on one taxable domestic segment add $21.20 at $5.30 each. The listed invoice total is $18,296.20.

These are illustrative flight and fuel assumptions, not an operator quote. The example assumes no exemption, no additional charges and that the fuel surcharge is part of taxable transportation. Minimums, further legs, applicable exemptions and international treatment can change the result. The tax rates are from the June 2026 IRS Instructions for Form 720, checked October 14, 2026.

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Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Refundability depends on the agreement and applicable law. Unused flight credit may remain available for travel without being refundable in cash. The agreement sets out notice, payment timing, deductions and any expiry conditions. A refund promise and the provider's ability to pay are separate considerations.

No. A separate account identifies where funds are held. Escrow involves a third party holding funds under agreed release conditions. Neither description alone establishes the client's legal protection if the provider stops operating; counsel should review the actual arrangement.

The amount spent on flights and fees is distinct from the closing balance. Refundable funds, non-refundable usable credit and expired funds have different economic effects. Treating the full deposit and the flights it pays for as separate costs would count the same money twice.

Only to the extent the agreement fixes or includes each charge. A protected base rate can coexist with changing fuel additions, taxes or minimum billed time. The invoice example separates those components instead of assuming the headline rate covers them all.

A card can fund trips outside the share's usual cabin or access terms, but the share's fixed charges continue. The comparison therefore includes the additional card spend alongside the existing ownership commitment, with unused card funds shown separately.