Jet card hourly rates saw a 2.8% increase year-over-year by the close of Q4 2024, as reported by Private Jet Card Comparisons. The growth puts the average hourly rate for fixed/capped rate jet cards with guaranteed availability at 31.8% above Q4 2020 levels and 23.8% higher than pre-Covid Q4 2019 pricing. Pricing for 2020 benefitted from the waiving of the 7.5% Federal Excise Tax due to the CARES Act.

Factors influencing customer usage and payment, including daily minimums, peak days and callouts, experienced minimal changes compared to the previous quarter. Private Jet Card Comparisons facilitates the comparison of over 80 providers and 500 jet card, membership and fractional programmes. Subscribers can review more than 65 factors affecting their selection. This quarterly analysis focuses on providers with fixed/capped rate guaranteed availability programmes.

"While general economy and airline pricing data for financial year 2024 is not yet available to compare, the increase in jet card pricing is largely in line with overall air travel, which between 2019 and 2023 increased by 25.3%, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation," says Doug Gollan, editor-in-chief and president of Private Jet Card Comparisons. "Despite the price increases, flight providers are not necessarily increasing profits. They face higher pilot salaries, maintenance technician salaries, training costs, supply chain price increases and shortages of parts and maintenance availability that keep airplanes on the ground longer, meaning less revenue per unit."

The average hourly rate for jet cards reached $11,052 at the end of 2024, reflecting a $50 decrease from Q3. While rates were up 2.8% year-over-year, they represented a 5.9% decline compared to two years prior. Rates include the 7.5% Federal Excise Tax when applicable. Fuel surcharges are also applied similarly.

Daily minimums saw an increase, with the minimum flying time rising from 86.1 minutes to 86.7 minutes. However, this figure returned to 2019 levels, where the average stood at 86.2 minutes. Peak days dropped by 1.6 days to an average of 44.6, still higher than the 22.8 peak days recorded in Q4 2019. Year-over-year averages decreased from 47.5 to 44.6 days, reflecting a 3.5% sequential drop and a significant decline of 19.9% since late 2022.

The average non-peak callout increased slightly by 1.1 hours to 66.2 hours, oscillating between 64.7 and 59.2 hours since 2022. Nonetheless, this remains far above the pre-Covid average of 23.2 hours from 2019. Year-over-year non-peak callouts declined by 4.5%.