The short answer
A useful private jet charter agreement should clearly address: (1) the contracting parties; (2) the aircraft operator; (3) the itinerary; (4) the aircraft or minimum aircraft standard; (5) price and currency; (6) included and excluded charges; (7) payment timing; (8) cancellation terms; (9) aircraft substitution; (10) schedule and route changes; (11) technical or operational disruption; (12) passenger obligations; (13) liability and insurance language; and (14) governing law and dispute provisions where applicable. If the price is clear but the cancellation and substitution rules are not, the booking is not yet clear.
Key takeaways
- The aircraft quote tells you what you are considering buying. The charter agreement tells you what happens when the journey does not go exactly as planned.
- Do not read only the aircraft and price. Read the clauses that explain what happens when the aircraft, schedule or passenger changes.
- A private jet contract should make the commercial relationship as clear as the itinerary.
- Before paying, know who is arranging the flight, who is operating it, what is included and what happens if either side changes the plan.
- Contracts, jurisdictions, operator terms, tax treatment and consumer rules vary — there is no universal cancellation percentage or refund rule.
- The operator and captain keep authority over whether a flight operates safely; a contract does not let a passenger override them.
- This guide explains common private-charter contract concepts. It is not legal advice, and the signed agreement controls your booking. For high-value, corporate, cross-border or unusual contracts, consider qualified legal review.
Quote vs contract
A quote is an offer to consider: an aircraft, a schedule and a price, usually valid for a limited time and subject to availability. The charter agreement is what you sign, and it governs what happens when something changes. Read both, and check that the agreement matches the quote.
Who are you contracting with?
Identify the legal entity you contract with — not only a brand or trading name — and its role. A broker or adviser can arrange your flight; the aircraft operator has operational control. They may be different companies, and the agreement should make clear which is which.
LUND GROUP acts as adviser and arranger. It does not operate a fixed fleet; aircraft are sourced from third-party operators, and the operator is identified in the booking. See /private-jets/guides/private-jet-safety-guide/ for verifying operators.
- In the United States, air charter brokers may have disclosure obligations — for example about their role, the operator, total cost and liability insurance. Check how your agreement addresses them.
- Operator insurance is separate from any broker insurance; ask which applies to your flight.
Itinerary: airports, local times and changes
Check every airport, date and time, and whether times are local. A requested time is not necessarily a confirmed time — slots, prior permission and crew duty can move it. If the agreement allows airport changes, know who decides and what it costs.
Monaco example: Monaco has no fixed-wing airport, so the agreement covers the flight to Nice; any helicopter or car transfer is a separate service with its own terms. See /private-jets/guides/private-jet-to-monaco/.
Aircraft description and “or equivalent”
An agreement may name an exact tail number, a model only, or only a category. The less specific it is, the more the substitution clause matters. “Or equivalent” should be defined: cabin, seating, baggage capacity, year or refurbishment and amenities.
Substitution can change what matters most to you: baggage space for golf or ski bags, Wi‑Fi, a bed or shower on long-haul, or whether a pet is accepted. Aircraft and operators can be substituted for technical, crew or scheduling reasons; check whether you are told in advance, what the replacement must match, and whether you may decline.
Price: what is included and what can be added
“All-inclusive” means different things in different agreements. Check taxes and how tax changes are handled, airport and handling fees, positioning, parking, de-icing, Wi‑Fi usage, catering, ground transport, helicopter transfers and any yacht, hotel or hospitality extras.
Event weeks can affect parking and slots — at the Monaco Grand Prix, for example, aircraft may need to reposition after drop-off, which can change cost. De-icing is usually weather-dependent and may be billed after the flight. See /private-jets/guides/how-much-does-a-private-jet-cost/.
Payment
Check the deposit, whether and when it is refundable, the balance due date and whether funds must be cleared before departure. Bank transfers and card payments may have different timing and surcharges; currency exchange can change the final amount.
Confirm that the payee matches the contracting company. Treat any change of bank details by email as a warning until confirmed through a separately verified contact.
Cancellation
Client cancellation terms vary widely by operator, aircraft and agreement; there is no universal schedule. Check the deadlines, how notice must be given and in which time zone, and how partial-itinerary or one-way-of-a-round-trip cancellations are treated. Event charters often have stricter terms.
No-show and passenger-delay clauses explain what happens if you are late. Operator cancellation, technical issues and recovery aircraft are usually addressed separately — check whether a replacement is sought, who pays, and how a delay differs from a cancellation.
Weather, force majeure and operational disruption
Weather can prevent departure or require an alternate airport, including at a helicopter connection. The captain and operator decide whether it is safe to operate. Force majeure is not a magic phrase: read what it covers — airspace closures, government or regulatory action, airport closures — and what happens to payments when it applies.
Slots, prior permission and international permits are arranged by the operator; check what the agreement says if one is refused or changed.
Passenger, route, date and time changes
Adding, removing or renaming passengers, adding a pet or extra baggage, or changing route, date or time can change aircraft suitability and price. Check how changes are requested, priced and confirmed.
On multi-day trips, check whether the aircraft waits or is released between sectors, crew overnight costs and how crew duty limits affect timing.
Passenger responsibilities
Passengers are usually responsible for valid passports and visas, and may bear costs if entry is denied. Agreements typically address dangerous goods, conduct, damage to the aircraft, cleaning (including after pets) and smoking.
Third-party services and liability
Bundled itineraries that combine flights with hotels, transfers or hospitality may raise package-travel questions depending on jurisdiction. Liability clauses may limit claims for a missed event or consequential loss, set liability caps and refer to international carriage conventions. Read them before you rely on a flight for an event.
Governing law, amendments and confirmation
Check which law governs the agreement and how disputes are resolved — courts or arbitration — and the contract language. Electronic signatures are common; keep the signed version. Amendments should be in writing; changes agreed only by email or WhatsApp can be unclear.
Quotes are usually valid for a limited time and subject to availability until confirmed; an aircraft hold, if offered, should be in writing. Keep the confirmation, invoice and any credit note or refund documentation, including the refund currency and any bank fees.
Refunds, consumer law and corporate bookings
Refund rules differ: in the United States, specific rules may apply to refunds and changes in disclosed information or operator; in the EU and UK, refund wording and consumer law depend on the booking and whether you contract as a business or a consumer. Corporate and family-office bookings may need approval workflows, sanctions and KYC checks and payment-source verification. Personal data shared for the flight should be limited to what the operator needs.
LUND public contract principles
LUND GROUP aims to identify the arranging and operating parties, describe the aircraft or minimum standard, list known inclusions and exclusions, and share cancellation and substitution terms before you pay. LUND GROUP does not promise “no hidden fees” or a guaranteed refund, because outcomes depend on the signed agreement and the operator's terms.
Event charter checklist
- Event-week cancellation terms
- Parking and repositioning
- Slots and prior permission
- Recovery-aircraft terms
- Ground or helicopter transfer terms
- Late-change pricing
Case studies
- Monaco Grand Prix — the flight lands in Nice; parking may require repositioning; helicopter weather and event-week cancellation terms deserve close reading.
- Empty leg — the flight depends on the original booking; if that changes, the empty leg may be cancelled. See /private-jets/guides/empty-leg-private-jets/.
- Long-haul — crew duty, augmented crew, cabin amenities and substitution standards matter more.
- First-time client — read the parties, operator, price inclusions, payment and cancellation clauses before anything else.
Plain-language summary
Know who you contract with and who operates the aircraft. Know what aircraft you are buying and what can replace it. Know what the price includes, when you pay and to whom. Know what happens if you cancel, the operator cancels, the weather intervenes or plans change. Get every change in writing.
Check your agreement
Do not read only the aircraft and price. Read the clauses that explain what happens when the aircraft, schedule or passenger changes.
Before You Sign
Tick what your agreement covers. This highlights missing clauses only; it does not review or approve a contract.
This booking is not yet clear. If the price is clear but the cancellation and substitution rules are not, ask before you sign.
Questions to ask
- Which legal entity am I contracting with, and in what role?
- Which company operates the aircraft and holds operational control?
- Are these times local, and are they requested or confirmed?
- Is this an exact tail, a model, or a category — and what does “or equivalent” mean here?
- Which taxes, fees, de-icing, parking and extras could be added later?
- When is payment due, to which company, and how will bank details be confirmed?
- What applies if I cancel, from which deadline, and in which time zone?
- Can the aircraft or operator change, will I be told first, and can I decline?
- What happens if the operator cancels, the aircraft has a technical issue or weather prevents the flight?
- How are changes priced and confirmed?
- Which passenger obligations could affect the flight or cost?
- Which law governs this agreement, and how are disputes handled?
Cancellation timeline: what to look for
Terms vary by operator and agreement; your signed agreement sets the actual charges.
Step 1
Quote
Check validity and “subject to availability”.
Step 2
Agreement signed
Cancellation schedule starts — note the deadline and its time zone.
Step 3
Deposit
Check whether and when it is refundable.
Step 4
Balance due
Check the due date and cleared-funds requirement.
Step 5
Departure window
Check no-show, passenger delay and late-cancellation terms.
Aircraft substitution: what to re-check
Exact tail
The specific aircraft. Re-check if it changes.
Same model
Another aircraft of the type — confirm cabin, year, Wi‑Fi and baggage.
“Or equivalent”
A defined minimum standard — confirm what “equivalent” means and if you can decline.
Different operator
Re-check operator identity, authority and insurance before accepting.
Annotated charter agreement
- Parties
- Who you contract with, and in what role
- Operator
- Who operates the aircraft and holds operational control
- Itinerary
- Airports, dates and local times
- Aircraft
- Tail, model, category or minimum standard
- Price
- Currency, inclusions, exclusions and later charges
- Payment
- Deposit, balance, payee and timing
- Cancellation
- Client and operator cancellation outcomes
- Substitution
- When aircraft or operator can change
- Disruption
- Technical, weather and force majeure
- Law
- Liability, governing law and disputes
Red flags
No legal entity, only a brand name
Next step: Ask for the legal name, registration and role of the company you contract with.
The operator is not named
Next step: Ask which company operates the aircraft before you sign.
“Or equivalent” with no definition
Next step: Ask what minimum standard applies — cabin, baggage, year, amenities — and whether you can decline.
Cancellation terms missing or “on request”
Next step: Ask for the written cancellation schedule, deadline and time zone.
Payment requested before a written agreement
Next step: Ask for the agreement first and confirm the payee matches the contracting party.
Bank details change by email
Next step: Confirm by phone through a separately verified contact before paying.
Changes agreed only in chat
Next step: Ask for a written amendment or updated confirmation.
A promise of no extra charges, ever
Next step: Ask which charges could still apply, such as de-icing, parking or route changes.
Green flags
- Contracting party and operator named separately
- Aircraft or minimum standard clearly described
- Included and excluded charges listed
- Written cancellation and substitution terms
- Payee matches the contracting company
- Amendments confirmed in writing
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Frequently asked questions
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