Private flying grew a little cheaper again over the summer. Jet card rates across North America fell for a second straight quarter in the third quarter of 2026, and the softening reached almost every cabin class. If you charter a few times a year rather than committing to a card, the same trend works in your favour at the booking stage.
Where jet card rates landed in Q3
Private Jet Card Comparisons (PJCC) put the average North American jet card rate at $10,958 per hour in the third quarter, down 3.1% from the second quarter and 2.7% year over year. That is the lowest average since the end of 2023, though it still sits around 23.7% above pre-pandemic levels. The figures cover published rates on entry-level cards of fewer than 50 hours and exclude promotional deals.
Turboprops and large cabins led the declines
The steepest drop came in the turboprop category, down 19.9% on the quarter and 21.7% on the year to $5,022 per hour, after one provider paused operations and a popular Pilatus PC-12 card sold out. Very light jets eased 4.5% to $7,341, and large-cabin jets slipped 2.9% to $14,791. Only ultra-long-range jets, up 1.2%, and midsize jets, up 0.5%, rose quarter on quarter. One figure moved the other way: the daily minimum climbed to 95 minutes from 92.9, which raises the cost of very short hops.
What it means if you charter
Card pricing is a useful benchmark, but it is not the only way to fly. A card locks in a rate and terms for 12 months or longer, which suits frequent flyers who want certainty. If you travel less often, on-demand charter lets you match the aircraft to each trip and take advantage of softer pricing as it happens, with no year-long commitment. Choosing the right cabin for the mission matters more than the headline hourly figure: a light jet for a short regional hop, a large-cabin aircraft for a long leg with a full party on board.
Work with The Jet Collection
Whether a jet card or on-demand charter fits you better comes down to how often you fly. The Jet Collection offers its own Private Jet Card, with fixed hourly rates across cabin classes, alongside fully bespoke charter where we size each trip to the route and the group. Tell us how you travel and we will put together a quote.