Charter Broker
A charter broker is an intermediary who arranges private jet flights between customers and certificated charter operators — Part 135 operators in the U.S., or the equivalent abroad — without operating any aircraft themselves. Brokers earn a margin on the operator's quote; marketplaces like SkyAccess remove that intermediary by surfacing operator inventory directly.
Also known as: air charter broker, private jet broker, charter sales agent
A charter broker is a sales-and-arrangement intermediary in the private aviation supply chain. The broker takes the customer's trip requirements, shops them to one or more Part 135 operators, and presents the customer with a quote that's typically 8–25% above the operator's wholesale rate. The broker is not the operator: they don't hold a Part 135 certificate, don't operate the aircraft, and don't carry operational control of the flight.
DOT-registered air charter brokers operate under 14 CFR Part 295. The 2018 Part 295 rule was specifically introduced to clean up consumer protection in the broker channel: it requires brokers to disclose to the customer, in writing, that they're acting as an agent (not as the operator), to disclose the actual operating Part 135 carrier, and to remit customer payments to the operator within fixed timelines.
Brokers and marketplaces are not the same thing. A broker quotes a single trip and pockets the margin between what the operator charges and what the customer pays. A marketplace publishes operator inventory directly — empty legs, on-demand availability, fleet data — and either charges the operator a listing fee, a customer-facing service fee, or both. Marketplaces compete on inventory breadth, pricing transparency, and listing freshness; brokers compete on relationships and concierge service.
Customers shopping a trip benefit from understanding which party they're talking to. Ask the question directly: are you the operator? If the answer is no, ask which Part 135 operator will fly the trip, what the operator's wholesale rate is, and what the broker's mark-up is. Part 295 requires the broker to disclose this information; reputable brokers will tell you without prompting.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between a broker and a marketplace?
- A broker quotes a single trip and earns a margin on the operator's wholesale rate. A marketplace publishes operator inventory directly and either charges operators a listing fee or charges customers a transparent service fee. Marketplaces remove the intermediary layer.
- Do charter brokers operate the aircraft?
- No. Brokers arrange flights between customers and Part 135 operators but do not hold an FAA certificate themselves. The aircraft, crew, and operational control belong to the Part 135 operator, not the broker.
- How much do charter brokers charge?
- Typical broker margins are 8–25% above the operator's wholesale rate. The exact mark-up varies by relationship, trip size, and willingness to disclose under Part 295. Marketplaces are typically lower because they don't carry the broker's per-trip overhead.
Related terms
- Part 135 Operator
A Part 135 operator is an FAA-certificated company authorized to fly paying passengers on private (non-scheduled) charter aircraft under 14 CFR Part 135. Every legitimate private jet charter flown in the United States — including every empty leg — is operated under a Part 135 certificate; operators based elsewhere fly under the equivalent authority in their own jurisdiction.
- Empty Leg Flight
An empty leg flight is a one-way private jet flight sold at a discount because the aircraft has to fly without passengers to its next paid booking. Empty legs are typically priced 25–80% below retail charter, with the discount widening as the departure window narrows.
- Jet Card
A jet card is a prepaid private jet program where members buy a fixed number of flight hours at a locked-in hourly rate and aircraft category. Empty-leg marketplaces and jet cards are competing products: cards trade liquidity for price certainty.
Sources
Looking for live empty leg inventory?
SkyAccess indexes live empty leg flights from 800+ certified charter operators across 5,000+ airports. Search by route, date, and aircraft category — most travelers find empty legs 25–75% below retail charter.
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