Choosing The Ideal Private Jet for Your Journey

While flying private provides increased flexibility and convenience when compared with commercial flying, the number of aircraft choices can be overwhelming. When booking your private travel, key factors to consider are the number of people in your party and the distance to your destination. Each of these is essential to select the business jet that works for you.

There are five main cabin classes: light, midsize, super midsize, large cabin, and ultra-long range. Each is designed to fit specific travel requirements. 

Light jets, like the Citation Ultra, are a convenient “executive jet” choice for small groups who prioritize speed and flexibility across short distances. They are often considered the best private jets for short flights, designed for business travelers who need to do regular city-to-city trips like New York to D.C., Boston to Atlanta or Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Light jets have a range of about 700 – 2,000 nautical miles and generally can comfortably seat up to seven passengers.

Midsize private jets are usually designed for up to eight flyers to travel in comfort. Some have a top speed of about 575 mph and a range of about 1,700 – 2,600 nautical miles, making them ideal for journeys from London to Moscow or Athens to Paris. One of the more popular choices in this category is the Citation XL.

This exceedingly popular private jet cabin class is ideal for intermediate to large groups and can accommodate up to 12 travelers.  Super midsize jets can fly transcontinental routes of up to 4,000 nautical miles. This makes them ideal for flights between cities such as Boston and Los Angeles or Seattle and Tampa.  

Private aircraft in this category include the Challenger 604 and the Challenger 350, which provides passengers with one of the quietest cabins in private aviation, as well as access to more airports than most others in its class.

Many large cabin jets, like the Challenger 850, can seat 14 people for international or coast-to-coast U.S. trips, with speeds of up to 650mph. For example, these jets can fly non-stop from New York to Los Angeles.  

Ultra-long range private jets are generally considered the best private aircraft for both non-stop inter- and cross-continental private flights. These private jets can seat up to 14 passengers with flexible cabin configurations, including separate sections for conducting business, dining, entertainment and, in some cases, sleeping.  

Notable private jets in this cabin class include the Gulfstream GV, Global 6000, and the Global 7500, the world’s largest and longest-range business jet. With unbeatable global connectivity, up to 17 hours of non-stop international flight time, and a range of up to 7,700 nautical miles, the Global 7500 is an ideal choice for travel between the U.S. West Coast and Asia or between New York, Tokyo, the Caribbean, Rio, or Dubai.  

Vista has the world’s largest business fleet of Global 7500 aircraft, with 18 in the Vista Members’ fleet. 

XO aviation experts are available day or night to offer access to a premier private aviation network of more than 2,400 aircraft spanning all cabin classes.