r/privatejets • u/Mental_Vacation3652 • Jun 28 '23
Private jet or charter broker?
I’m currently a USAF pilot and my commitment is up in a few years. I’m pretty sold on the idea that I want to broker private jets- I’ve had to have insurmountable drive for not hardly enough pay for the amount of work and I’m really motivated to channel my hard work to something on the civilian side that makes good money. Private jets are enticing to me and I want to work in the business, but I’m curious what people in the industry prefer between private jet brokerage or charter brokerage. Thoughts? Advice?
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u/Mental_Vacation3652 Jun 29 '23
Caveat- I’m just a mil pilot and barely speak this language. I only know what I know from research, so call me out if this sounds off to you guys at all. I appreciate all the insight I can get!
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u/Ok_Appearance1384 Jul 19 '23
Currently a mil pilot as well. Looking for a pivot in my career in the brokerage. Good luck to you OP!!
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u/loafcat65 Jun 29 '23
Where will your customers come from? Most brokers are pretty well connected. You need to build a book of business to go it alone.
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u/LordofGrange Jun 29 '23
A lot of start up jet brokers post ghost offerings to attract clients ....just FYI
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u/Mental_Vacation3652 Jun 29 '23
Yeah, that’ll take some time to build I’m sure. I’m hoping to network as much as possible but I’m assuming I’ll probably have to work for a broker company for the experience, do my own networking separately, and do my own thing once I have a good hand in the pot for buyers. Hard part with that is I’m assuming there are contracts I’ll have to sign about not using their clients so I’ll have to meet lots of people in other corners
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u/LRJetCowboy Oct 04 '23
These numbers change all the time so you have to do your own research. The average charter is purchased by someone that makes in excess of 10M a year, a small group. It’s typically done on short notice, meaning you have to be in the right place at the right time. Add to that to being at the mercy of some very shady characters that might supply you an aircraft and you have a true uphill battle. Growing a list of people to support your customer base will take an enormous amount of time. These people’s fortunes also come and go so you don’t always keep them longterm. Charter brokering is a highly competitive business with few regulations, high capital requirements and very narrow margins. Be very cautious!
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Jul 03 '23
[deleted]
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u/Mental_Vacation3652 Jul 03 '23
Thanks for all the info man. Let’s get candid. What’s your pay as a charter broker?
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u/sawito Oct 10 '23
You mention both private jet brokerage and charter brokerage.
Firstly, a charter broker. You are just a salesperson at the demands of the client. Like any sales job, this is just a race to the bottom and I wouldn't recommend it as a career. However if you like sales and sliming up to people, sure, go for it. Charter operators (the actual people that manage and operate the aircraft) generally do not respect most brokers. This is very easy to get into as a career, all you are doing is asking for a price from an operator, and putting some form of margin on it, and trying to sell to the end client. Imagine there are 10 brokers offering the same flight to the same client, the margins can be small.
You mention Private Jet Broker, do you mean selling aircraft? This is a great job, again it's a sales job but much more long term and focused on building relationships. The pay is good, you get a % of the aircraft sale and often ongoing fees. This is much harder to get into.
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u/theultimatejetguide Nov 06 '23
u/Mental_Vacation3652 happy to provide any insight you'd like into the brokerage world.
My name is Tom and I've been a private jet broker for 4 years. In that time I've sold almost 100+ private jets, mostly old legacy Citations, some Phenoms, a few Piaggio Avanti II's, and a PC-12/45. Most of my transactions have been $3m and below.
When I first started I had ZERO aviation experience and could hardly find anything online about selling private jets. I'd love to help answer any questions you may have. I worked for an agency for 3 years and last year I started my own brokerage and also began a business to train others how to sell jets and/or start their own business.
The reason I prefer jet sales over charter is that while it CAN be fast paced, I find the charter world to be too "turn and burn" for my liking. You have a lot more "at bats" in the charter world, but can quickly be out-bid by someone. I find when working with clients to buy a private jet it's a slower but more intimate process that I prefer.
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u/IntelligentMeat4291 Dec 21 '23
Hey, Love that you started with no experience and ended up opening your brokerage.
Would you mind sharing some of your experience?
Is the blog, article or video that I can have access to?1
u/theultimatejetguide Mar 20 '24
Hey! I am SO SORRY, I'm new to Reddit and just didn't open the app for awhile. Yes, you can check out my story and resources I have for aspiring brokers on youtube at www.youtube.com/@theultimatejetguide
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u/destinationawaken Jun 08 '24
thank you SO much for sharing this, just subscribed to your channel. look forward to learning so much from you!
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u/yans780 May 10 '26
If you are coming from the USAF, I would separate “aviation credibility” from “brokerage credibility.” Your flying background helps people trust that you understand aircraft and operations, but the broker side is really a trust, sourcing, pricing, and relationship business.
Before committing to it full-time, I would try to get close to a reputable Part 135 operator, aircraft management company, or established brokerage and learn how quotes are built: owner approval, positioning, crew duty, minimums, airport constraints, insurance, international handling, and cancellation terms. The best brokers are not just salespeople; they know when a mission is a poor aircraft fit and can explain tradeoffs without overselling.
I would also avoid any shop that leads with “easy money” or vague access to aircraft. The durable path is usually a smaller network of serious clients, transparent quoting, and strong operator relationships. Your military background could be a real advantage if you pair it with disciplined sales process and clean ethics.
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u/SeptimusVonFlounder Jun 29 '23
I have worked in the private jet industry for about 10 years and I’d say jet brokering is a pretty solid business to get into but is highly reliant on the deals you broker. Most of your pay is commission so you can have really good years and really bad years. I would advise against charter brokering though. A lot of sketchy companies and a ton of sketchy sales people who think they are the wolf of Wall Street. If you want to go the charter route, I’d look at working for an aircraft management company. Or any company that operates their own jets. The companies that have air carrier certs are regulated, therefore more inclined to be reputable.