Jet Sharing: shared private jet flights in Europe

Jet Sharing means buying one or several seats on a private flight instead of chartering the whole aircraft. The operator charges the same amount for the flight whether two or eight people are on board, so the cost is split between the passengers who travel on the same route, day and departure time. Each of them still checks in at the business aviation terminal, boards a few minutes before take-off and flies direct.

The catch is that a shared flight needs other people who want exactly the same trip. In Europe that happens mainly on seasonal routes: to the Alps in winter, to the Mediterranean islands in summer and to a few large events. European Private Jets is a charter broker, not an airline: we do not sell tickets from a timetable. For each request we look for seats on a flight that is already planned or for other clients going the same way, and at the same time we check the Empty Legs on that route, which are often the more realistic option.

How a shared flight comes about

The aircraft, the crew and the operator are the same as on any private charter. What differs is who books the seats. In practice a shared flight appears in one of four ways:

What Jet Sharing is not

Websites that match passengers with private pilots also call their service flight sharing. Under EU air operations rules a private pilot may share the direct costs of a flight with passengers in a small non-complex aircraft, with no more than six people sharing the costs, the pilot included. Such flights follow the lighter rules for non-commercial flying, not the crew and maintenance requirements of commercial air transport. When we speak of Jet Sharing, the flight is always operated by an AOC holder with a professional crew.

Jet Sharing is not part ownership of an aircraft either. Fractional ownership means buying a share of an aircraft, and a jet card means paying in advance for a block of flight hours.

A shared seat is a single purchase for a single flight, with no membership and no annual fees.

Where and when shared flights work in Europe

A group forms when many people travel in the same direction on the same days. That is predictable: the same seasons and events bring the same demand every year.

Price per seat on European routes

A seat costs the price of the whole aircraft divided by the number of passengers. The table shows a one-way flight on routes and in seasons where groups form most easily: the price of the whole aircraft, the price per seat when every seat is sold and the price per person when only four people fly.

Seat prices are rounded and indicative, for a one-way flight. The same arithmetic works with smaller groups: six people in a Citation CJ3 from London to Nice pay about EUR 1,900 each. With fewer passengers than planned, the price per seat rises, which is why every offer states the number of people it is calculated for. Prices of the whole aircraft on other routes are on the prices page.

If you already have some travelling companions, the calculator gives the price of the whole aircraft; divide it by the number of people on board:

Jet Sharing or an Empty Leg

An Empty Leg is a flight the operator has to make without passengers, for example to collect a client in another city. It is sold at 30-60% below a normal charter, and the passengers who book it have the whole aircraft to themselves. Here is the comparison for Munich - Palma in a Challenger 350 with 10 seats, where the whole aircraft costs EUR 19,500 and an Empty Leg on the same aircraft costs EUR 7,800-13,650.

Alone or as a couple, a shared seat is clearly cheaper, provided such a flight exists. With four passengers an Empty Leg at the top of the discount range costs about the same per head, and from eight it is cheaper at any discount in the range. Price is only part of the choice, and here an Empty Leg has clear advantages:

• An Empty Leg exists already, because the aircraft has to fly anyway. A shared flight exists only once the group has formed.
• Empty Legs appear across Europe every day, on many more routes than shared flights, which cluster on a few routes and dates.
• An Empty Leg can be booked as soon as you accept it, while a shared seat waits for the minimum number of passengers.
• On an Empty Leg the cabin is yours: no strangers on board, more room for luggage, and only the operator has to approve a dog.

Jet Sharing, Empty Leg, full charter and business class

Four ways to fly the same route, side by side:

On busy routes with several airline flights a day, a business class ticket usually costs less than a shared seat. The shared jet pays off where airlines need a change of plane or do not fly at all, such as Samedan or Cannes-Mandelieu, and where a direct flight saves half a day.

The risks of a shared flight

A lower price comes with less control. These are the points to weigh before booking a seat:

Aircraft used for shared flights

A seat becomes affordable when the cost is divided among many passengers, so shared flights use aircraft with 8 to 13 seats, chosen by distance:

The number of seats is the maximum of a typical layout; the exact cabin and the seats offered depend on the aircraft the operator provides. In a business jet the seats are single armchairs, and larger cabins also have a sofa. Seats are not numbered, cost the same and are usually chosen at boarding.

How a shared seat is booked

1. RequestSend the route, the days you can travel, the number of seats, the luggage and any pets. A window of several days improves the chance of a match. Requests are accepted and processed 24/7.
2. SearchWe look for a chartered flight with free seats or for other passengers on the same route, and at the same time check the Empty Legs.
3. OfferYou receive the seat price, the aircraft, the operator, the minimum number of passengers and the date by which the flight must be confirmed. If a suitable Empty Leg exists, it is in the offer too.
4. ReservationYou confirm your seats in writing; at this stage you pay nothing.
5. Confirmation, contract and paymentOnce the minimum number of passengers has booked, the flight is confirmed: you sign the contract remotely, pay for your seats and receive the final time, the terminal and the aircraft details. Your manager stays in touch until you land.

Contract, payment and cancellation

Each passenger or group signs a separate contract and receives an invoice for their own seats, so nobody has to collect money from strangers. Payment is by bank transfer or card, and cryptocurrency is possible, mainly USDT and USDC; details are on the payment page.

If you cancel after confirmation, the contract terms apply, and the closer the departure, the higher the charge; your cancellation does not cancel the flight for the others. The general rules are in our terms and conditions.

Who Jet Sharing suits

To ask about a shared seat on your route, send the details through the form:

Questions about Jet Sharing

• • How much does a seat on a shared private jet cost?

  • It depends on the route, the aircraft and how many people fly. With every seat sold, a seat costs about EUR 800 on a turboprop from Zurich to Samedan, about EUR 1,300-2,600 on a jet within Europe and about EUR 4,800 from Paris to Dubai. Passenger taxes and airport charges are added.

• • Do you publish a schedule of shared flights?

  • No. We are a broker, not an airline, and shared flights appear only when several clients travel the same way on the same days. Send us your route and the days you can travel, and we check what is available.

• • What happens if not enough passengers book?

  • The flight is not confirmed, and as payment is taken only after confirmation, you have paid nothing. We offer another date, a chartered flight with free seats or an Empty Leg on the same route.

• • Can the price of my seat change after booking?

  • That depends on the contract. Some fix the seat price; others divide the aircraft between the passengers who actually fly, so your share rises if someone drops out. The offer always says which rule applies and for how many people the price is calculated.

• • Can I book a shared seat for the return as well?

  • Each direction is a separate flight with its own group, and seats on the right dates in both directions are rare. For the return we also look at Empty Legs and at a charter of the whole aircraft.

• • How far ahead should I ask for a shared seat?

  • A few weeks ahead, especially for ski weekends, the summer season and big events. If you need to leave within days, an Empty Leg is more likely, as most of them appear shortly before the flight.

• • Who else will be on board?

  • Other clients going to the same place. Before the flight we tell you how many people will be on board, but for privacy we do not share their names, just as we do not share yours.

• • Can I bring my dog on a shared flight?

  • Only if the operator and the other passengers agree, so mention the animal in your request. If you often travel with a pet, an Empty Leg or a whole aircraft is simpler, because only the operator has to approve it.

• • Is a shared seat cheaper than a business class ticket?

  • On busy routes with frequent airline flights, usually not. A shared seat wins on time where airlines need a connection or do not fly at all, such as Samedan for St. Moritz, and it saves the queues of a large terminal.

• • How can I tell whether a Jet Sharing offer is reliable?

  • Ask for the name of the operator and check that it appears in the contract and holds an Air Operator Certificate. Be wary of prices far below the market, requests for payment without a contract and offers that do not state the aircraft and the minimum number of passengers.

• • Is Jet Sharing the same as owning a share of a jet?

  • No. Fractional ownership means buying a share of an aircraft, and a jet card is a block of flight hours paid in advance. With Jet Sharing you pay only for your seats on one flight, with no membership or annual fees.