Charter Etiquette: Tipping, Luggage, Catering, and Onboard Conduct

Do you tip private jet pilots and crew?

Tipping is appreciated but not required, and the going rate is $50–$150 per pilot per day on a typical charter, with $100–$300 per day for a dedicated flight attendant on heavy and ultra-long-range aircraft. Cash at the end of the trip is the norm. Some operators explicitly prohibit pilots from accepting gratuities — Part 135 chief pilots at a handful of national fleets enforce this — so it's worth asking the broker or the captain directly on the first leg.

The math people use varies. Frequent flyers tend to tip on a per-day basis rather than per-leg, because a single positioning day with no passengers on board still costs the crew their personal time. On a five-day trip with a two-pilot crew and one cabin attendant, expect to hand over roughly $1,500–$2,500 in cash if service was good. On a quick out-and-back on a light jet, $100–$200 to split between the two pilots is standard. Tipping the line crew at the FBO is not expected — that's already baked into ramp and handling fees.

How much luggage can you actually bring on a private jet?

Luggage is constrained by both weight and physical cube, and the cube limit is what catches first-time charter clients off guard. A Phenom 300 light jet has roughly 84 cubic feet of baggage space, a Citation Latitude midsize around 100, and a Gulfstream G650 close to 195. That sounds generous until you put four golf bags, four roller suitcases, and ski gear in front of it.

The practical rule: light jets handle one standard roller plus a soft carry-on per passenger before things get tight. Midsize and super-midsize aircraft absorb a normal week of luggage for four to six passengers without negotiation. Heavy and ULR cabins take whatever you bring within reason. Hard-sided cases, golf travel bags, and ski tubes eat cube disproportionately and should be flagged to the operator 24 hours before departure so the captain can run weight-and-balance. On hot-and-high departures — Aspen, Telluride, Bozeman in summer — the captain may ask you to leave bags behind or pay for a second aircraft if takeoff performance numbers don't close.

Firearms are legal to transport on Part 135 charter under federal rules but must be declared to the operator in advance, locked, and unloaded. Lithium batteries above 100 watt-hours (most camera batteries, e-bikes, some power tools) trigger hazmat restrictions identical to airline rules.

How does catering work on a charter flight?

Catering is ordered through the operator or FBO, billed at cost plus a handling fee, and itemized as a pass-through on your final invoice. There is no inclusive "food package" on standard on-demand charter — every sandwich, bottle of wine, and ice bucket is a line item.

The standard workflow: the operator sends a catering menu 24–48 hours before departure, either from a dedicated provider like Air Culinaire or Rudy's, or from a local restaurant the FBO works with. You select, the FBO loads it, and it shows up on your trip invoice at the catering cost plus a 10–20% handling fee. A light meal for four on a domestic leg runs $200–$400. A full multi-course service on a transatlantic flight with a flight attendant easily clears $1,500.

What's typically already on board at no extra charge: ice, soft drinks, water, basic snacks, and on most super-midsize and larger aircraft, a stocked liquor cabinet. What's not: anything hot, anything fresh, and anything specific you actually want. Order it, or fly hungry. Same-day catering requests inside 12 hours of departure are doable but limited to whatever the FBO can grab from the closest deli.

What are the onboard conduct rules on a private jet?

The pilot-in-command has final legal authority over conduct, and operators enforce written rules on smoking, vaping, pets, and behavior that violators don't always anticipate. This is not a private living room — it's a Part 135 commercial operation, and the captain can divert, refuse to depart, or end a trip for cause.

Smoking and vaping are prohibited on the vast majority of Part 135 charter aircraft. A small number of operators permit cigar smoking on specific tail numbers, almost always heavy or ULR cabins, and only with advance approval. Cannabis is prohibited on all Part 135 aircraft regardless of state law because charter operates under federal jurisdiction. Pilots can and do refuse boarding for visible intoxication.

Pets are allowed by most operators with advance notice, no carrier required, and no extra fee on the ticket — though a cleaning fee of $250–$1,000 applies if the aircraft needs detailing afterward. Large dogs, multiple animals, and exotic pets need specific sign-off. Service animals are accommodated under the same standards as commercial.

Shoes-on or shoes-off is operator and aircraft specific. Newer cabins with light-colored carpet usually get a polite request to remove shoes at the airstair. Children are welcome on all charter; car seats are the passenger's responsibility to bring and install.

What do brokers and operators expect from the passenger?

The expectations are simple: show up on time, give the operator an accurate passenger and bag count, and communicate changes early. Charter is not commercial — there is no "next flight" and the crew clock is running.

Showing up 15 minutes before the scheduled wheels-up time is the norm; the aircraft will be ready, fueled, and catered when you arrive at the FBO. Late arrivals push into crew duty limits, and on multi-leg trips a 90-minute delay at the start can collapse the back end of the schedule because Part 135 rest rules are non-negotiable. Adding a passenger inside 24 hours requires a new manifest and may trigger a weight-and-balance reset; adding one inside two hours sometimes isn't possible at all.

Trip changes — different airport, extra leg, extended overnight — are accommodated but billed. Most operators will quote the change in writing before executing. The 1.5–2 hour daily flight minimum on multi-day trips applies whether you fly or not, so a four-day trip with one short hop on day two still bills for the minimum on the unused days. Knowing that going in prevents the invoice surprise that ends a lot of first-time charter relationships.