The price per hour is set in advance, shielded from demand peaks.
02
Guaranteed availability
An aircraft guaranteed within 24-48h, even in high season.
03
Prepaid hour block
Often 25h or more, drawn down flight by flight.
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Between two worlds
Simpler than ownership, surer than spot charter.
How a jet card works
A jet card is a membership programme that means buying a block of flight hours in advance — often twenty-five hours or more — on a given aircraft category, at an hourly rate set in the contract. Each flight draws down your balance in proportion to time flown. You book with short notice, and the programme guarantees an aircraft, usually within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
The appeal comes down to two words: predictability and guarantee. The price per hour does not move, even during demand peaks when spot charter spikes; and you do not have to hunt for an available aircraft each time. In exchange, you tie up a sum in advance and commit to a volume of hours.
Who does a jet card pay off for?
The jet card targets a precise profile: someone who flies regularly but not enough to own. Below a few flights a year, on-demand charter stays more flexible and commitment-free. Above several hundred annual hours, ownership or aircraft management becomes relevant.
Between the two — typically twenty-five to a hundred hours a year — the jet card offers the best compromise: controlled rate, guaranteed availability, zero aircraft management. It is the preferred solution of executives and families who want to fly without surprises or logistics, while keeping the flexibility of not owning.
Jet card, charter or ownership?
The three formulas answer different frequencies. On-demand charter bills only real use and commits to nothing — ideal for occasional flights. The jet card locks the rate and guarantees availability against an hours commitment — ideal for regular use. Ownership, full or fractional, only makes sense beyond a high annual volume, once crew, maintenance and depreciation are accounted for.
Many combine them: a jet card for the regular base, topped up with empty legs for flexible trips. Our advisors compare all three costed scenarios against your real rhythm and steer you without pushing the heaviest commitment.
Fixed rate
hourly price locked in the contract
24-48h
guaranteed availability
ARGUS
certified operators only
24/7
multilingual concierge
Questions fréquentes
What is the difference between a jet card and standard charter?
Standard charter is booked flight by flight: you pay each mission separately, with no commitment, but the rate varies with availability and season, and nothing guarantees an aircraft will be free at the last moment. A jet card rests on a block of hours bought in advance at an hourly rate set in the contract, with availability guaranteed within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. In short, charter favours flexibility and zero commitment; the jet card favours price predictability and guaranteed availability. For a few flights a year, charter is enough; as soon as you fly regularly and want to lock your budget, the jet card becomes advantageous.
What is the minimum number of hours to buy?
Most jet-card programmes start around twenty-five flight hours, but the threshold and tiers vary by operator and aircraft category. A larger block often lowers the hourly rate, much like a volume purchase. Right-sizing depends on your forecast use: there is no point tying up capital for a hundred hours if you will only fly thirty. Our advisors estimate your real volume from your past and planned trips, then recommend the right block — enough to earn a good rate, without overpaying for hours you will not consume within the card’s validity period.
Is the rate really guaranteed, even in high season?
Yes, it is one of the two major advantages of the formula. The hourly rate is set in the contract and does not move during the card’s validity, regardless of demand peaks. In practice, during periods when spot charter spikes — holidays, major events, ski season — your flight hour stays at the same price, which protects your budget and eases planning. Availability is also guaranteed within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, where the spot market can be saturated. Read the terms carefully, though: some cards set a limited number of peak days where specific rules apply.
What happens to unused hours?
It depends on the programme terms, which you must examine before subscribing. Most jet cards set a validity period — often twelve to twenty-four months — within which the hours must be used. Some offer a refund of the unused balance, sometimes with a fee; others allow a carry-over or renewal. A few programmes apply less flexible terms. This is an essential point to clarify before purchase, alongside the hourly rate and peak-day rules. Our advisors check these clauses for you and rule out programmes whose validity or refund terms would be disadvantageous given your real use.
What happens to unused jet card hours?
It depends on the programme terms, to examine before subscribing. Most cards set a validity period — often twelve to twenty-four months — within which the hours must be used. Some refund the unused balance, sometimes with a fee; others allow a carry-over. This is an essential point to clarify, alongside the hourly rate, peak-day rules and booking lead times. We compare jet card programmes and their terms so the formula matches your real flying rhythm, with no hours lost.
Jet card or on-demand charter: which to choose?
The jet card locks a fixed hourly rate on prepaid hours and guarantees availability with short call-out times, worthwhile beyond about twenty-five flight hours a year: predictability and booking speed offset the upfront cash. Below that, on-demand charter stays more flexible and commitment-free, since you pay only for the flights flown and the price adjusts to each trip. Beyond several hundred hours, fractional ownership comes into play. The deciding factor is not prestige but your annual flight hours and your need for predictability.
How does a jet card work?
A jet card means buying a block of flight hours in advance — often twenty-five, fifty or more — at a fixed, guaranteed hourly rate, on one or more aircraft categories. In exchange for that upfront payment, you get guaranteed availability with short call-out times, even in high season, and a rate that does not swing with each flight. It is the middle formula between on-demand charter, more flexible but variable in price, and ownership, which is heavier. It suits those who fly regularly and want budget predictability and booking speed, without managing an aircraft.
