Apsley Travel · Bespoke Luxury Travel
Use the interactive page to enter airports, departure and return dates, passengers, luggage and fuel-stop preferences; compare one-way, return and multi-leg occupied flying-time estimates, explore range and compare door-to-door travel with first class. A firm quotation is required.
Plan your charter| Class | Examples | Typical seats | Published class range | Indicative flying-hour band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very light | Phenom 100, Citation Mustang | 4 | 1,000–1,300 nm | £3,000–£4,500 |
| Light | Phenom 300, Citation CJ3+ | 6–7 | 1,800–2,000 nm | £4,000–£5,500 |
| Midsize | Citation XLS+, Praetor 500 | 8–9 | 2,000–3,300 nm | £5,000–£7,000 |
| Super-midsize | Challenger 350, Citation Longitude | 9–10 | 3,200–3,500 nm | £6,000–£8,500 |
| Heavy | Challenger 650, Falcon 900LX, Gulfstream G450 | 10–14 | 4,000–5,000 nm | £8,000–£12,000 |
| Ultra-long-range | Gulfstream G650ER, Global 7500, Falcon 8X | 13–19 | 6,400–7,700 nm | £12,000–£18,000 |
GBP, indicative UK-market bands. Excludes positioning, minimum billing, fees, crew waiting, catering, de-icing, taxes and duties. Class examples are not inventory or guaranteed configurations.
For a principal travelling between meetings, the priority may be an arrival close to the final address. For a family, it may be a comfortable cabin, manageable luggage and a departure that works around children. For a group attending a sporting occasion, airport slots and an onward transfer may matter more than the shortest flight. We begin with the whole journey rather than a particular aircraft.
Share your preferred departure airport, destination, dates and any flexibility. Tell us who is travelling, how much luggage you expect, whether there are pets, mobility needs or bulky items, and whether a fuel stop would be acceptable. Your assistant or family office can provide the brief on your behalf. The planning tools below help structure that conversation; they do not search live aircraft inventory or reserve a flight.
Private charter is not automatically the best answer. A scheduled premium cabin may suit a solo long-haul journey, while private aviation can become more compelling when several people travel together, an itinerary has multiple stops or commercial schedules make the day impractical. We consider the trade-offs without suggesting that charter will always be cheaper or faster.
The aircraft class, flight duration and availability form only part of a charter quotation. The hourly bands shown here come from our existing indicative UK-market planning guide. They are not supplier offers. A short flight can still attract a minimum charge, and an aircraft that must fly empty to collect your party can cost materially more than the occupied flying time suggests.
Our calculator multiplies modelled occupied flight hours by the shared class hourly band. It includes an illustrative routing allowance and taxi/climb allowance, but does not add invented airport fees or present an all-inclusive booking price. Positioning, minimum billing, handling, landing charges, crew waiting or overnight costs, parking, catering, de-icing, taxes and applicable duties are excluded. A firm quotation must identify its inclusions, exclusions and validity.
A return calculation models two occupied flights. A multi-leg calculation totals each sector you enter. Neither assumes the aircraft waits for you at no charge, nor that independently available one-way flights will be cheaper. The date helps establish your brief; this version does not change the hourly rates for school holidays, events or demand because it has no live pricing feed.
Very light and light jets are starting points for smaller parties and shorter sectors. Midsize and super-midsize classes may provide a more comfortable balance for longer European travel or additional baggage. Heavy and ultra-long-range cabins can suit larger parties and intercontinental routes. Within every class, seating arrangements, cabin dimensions, luggage space and equipment differ substantially.
The examples in the aircraft table are aircraft families to discuss, not an available fleet. A class that can accommodate your passenger number on paper does not mean every aircraft listed has that configuration. Sleeping arrangements, a fully enclosed lavatory, catering capability, connectivity and cabin accessibility should be checked against the actual aircraft offered.
Luggage deserves its own discussion. Golf bags, skis, large hard-sided cases, pushchairs and equipment may change the appropriate shortlist even when there are empty seats. The tool flags bulky or above-one-case-per-person luggage for review rather than claiming to calculate cargo capacity from bag count. Send approximate dimensions and weights when available; the operator assesses payload and loading.
Business-aviation airports such as Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Paris Le Bourget and Teterboro can offer alternatives to a major commercial hub. The right choice still depends on the final address, opening hours, customs, slots, handling, runway performance and the aircraft. A smaller airport is not automatically closer in practical travel time, and it may not accept the aircraft you prefer.
For Monaco, Nice is an airport to discuss alongside onward road transfers; Cannes may be another option for a wider Riviera programme, subject to operational assessment. For the Alps, compare Geneva with regional alternatives such as Sion before assuming a mountain airport is suitable. Weather, terrain, seasonal restrictions and the onward road journey can alter the plan.
The explorer uses geographic distance and an intentionally conservative class-level planning envelope. It is not a flight plan. Actual range depends on the specific aircraft, load, winds, routing, reserves and operating conditions. A destination inside the envelope is a potential nonstop discussion, not a guarantee. Outside it, a fuel stop may be needed; its location and feasibility must be established by the operator.
A one-way charter suits a journey that continues by yacht, rail, scheduled flight or a different departure point. The quote needs to account for where the aircraft starts and where it goes after your flight. An empty-leg opportunity, if genuinely available, may have rigid timing and can change if the underlying flight changes; it should not be treated as dependable inventory for an essential journey.
For a return weekend, ask whether retaining the same aircraft is appropriate or whether separate flights are preferable. Waiting time, parking and crew duty arrangements can affect the answer. For a longer stay, keeping an aircraft on the ground may not make commercial sense. Aircraft availability for the return should be confirmed rather than inferred from the outbound flight.
Multi-city planning brings scheduling, baggage and ground movements together. An illustrative London–Nice–Olbia–London programme might connect a Riviera stay with time in Sardinia, but aircraft availability and each supplier arrangement are agreed separately. Enter up to four sectors in the planner, and put individual sector dates and any overnight stops in your enquiry. We refine the sequence around your preferred pace.
One coordinating partner does not mean one operator delivers every service. Apsley brings the brief and timings together while specialist suppliers deliver the flight, chauffeur journey, accommodation, security or experience under the relevant confirmed arrangements. Where separate contracts, charges or responsibilities apply, they should be clear before you approve the proposal.
A London arrival might connect an aviation provider with a licensed chauffeur operator, a hand-selected hotel, a private-shopping appointment and a dining reservation. Where appropriate, we can request close protection through suitably licensed specialist providers. Security is scoped to the brief; do not assume armed protection, unrestricted access or blanket coverage in any destination.
For a family holiday, coordination can include aircraft baggage advice, the correct child seats in ground vehicles, villa arrival arrangements and realistic check-in timing. For a yacht journey, the transfer must account for the actual embarkation point. For a sporting event, tickets and hospitality need the confirmed entitlements of official or authorised channels. Access and hotel extras are requested where available, never guaranteed.
First, we clarify your route, dates, party, cabin priorities and onward plans. Next, specialist aviation providers assess suitable aircraft and operating requirements. The resulting proposal should show the actual aircraft configuration, route, indicative schedule, price terms and any conditions that matter to your journey. You choose whether to proceed after reviewing those details.
Passenger documentation, immigration requirements, pet permissions, catering and baggage details are addressed with the relevant providers. Airport opening hours, landing permissions and crew restrictions are not overridden by chartering privately. Changes to the itinerary can affect cost or feasibility, so amendment and cancellation terms deserve the same attention as the cabin photographs.
Before travel, agreed flight details and onward connections are brought into a coherent plan. We agree how updates will be communicated and which provider handles operational decisions. Weather or technical disruption may require a revised schedule or airport; the aviation operator determines safe operation, and the associated ground and accommodation arrangements are reviewed accordingly.
Compare the complete day, not just time in the air. Include the drive to each airport, pre-departure requirements, connections, arrival formalities and the final transfer. Private aviation can reduce some waiting and offer schedule flexibility, but security, border controls and operational requirements still apply. Its value is often the fit with your itinerary rather than a universal time saving.
For four to twelve travellers, dividing a charter estimate by the party size makes the cost discussion more useful. It does not turn charter into a scheduled seat sale: the party charters an aircraft, and the actual quotation remains payable on that basis. The comparison tool lets you enter a real first-class fare per person instead of displaying an invented airline price.
Keep the basis consistent. Use a one-way fare for a one-way charter and a return fare for a return charter. For a multi-leg journey, enter the combined commercial fare per traveller and include connection time. The private figure is still an occupied-flying subtotal, not the final charter price, so a cost advantage cannot be established until both complete quotations and schedules are available.
Send your route, dates, passengers, luggage and onward requirements.
Discuss your charterCall 020 8142 6099 or email hello@apsley.travel.
No. It estimates occupied flying-time cost from indicative class hourly bands and approximate flight hours. Positioning, minimum charges, airport fees, crew costs, taxes and other extras are excluded. Request a quotation for your route and dates before making a decision.
Yes. A return models the outbound sector and its reverse; multi-leg planning supports up to four entered sectors. Different dates, overnight waits, aircraft retention and positioning require a provider quotation and are not priced by the model.
It screens typical class seat counts and approximate geographic distance against a reduced planning range. Luggage needing review is flagged. The aviation provider must confirm the actual cabin, payload, runway suitability, range and availability.
Potentially. The catalogue includes business-aviation-focused airports alongside commercial hubs. Inclusion does not establish operating permission, opening hours, customs availability or compatibility with a particular aircraft.
Apsley can coordinate onward arrangements through suitable specialist providers, including licensed chauffeurs and appropriately licensed security providers where requested. Each service has its own confirmed scope, availability and supplier responsibilities.
Select bulky luggage and include approximate dimensions and weights in your enquiry. Bag count alone cannot establish hold capacity or payload. The appropriate aircraft may differ from the smallest class that seats your party.
The explorer shows a planning envelope, not an operational promise. Weather, winds, passenger and baggage load, routing, reserves and the specific aircraft can mean a fuel stop is needed. The operator confirms the route.
Dates are captured for your enquiry, but the illustrative hourly bands do not respond to live demand. Peak events, availability and repositioning can materially affect the firm quotation.
Yes. Share the itinerary, passenger requirements and the appropriate point of contact. Provide only the information needed at this stage; detailed passenger documentation is addressed through the agreed provider process.
No. The answer depends on the full quotations, group size and door-to-door schedule. The comparison accepts your own first-class fare and timing assumptions; it does not claim a universal saving or compare live airline inventory.