Practical questions come up for most first-time private flyers: how much baggage fits, can a dog come along, is a passport needed, is smoking allowed. The answers differ from scheduled aviation, but not in the direction people usually assume: the extra freedom is in service, not in law. Here is each question in turn.
How much baggage can you take
The key difference from a scheduled flight: business aviation counts baggage not in pieces or kilos per passenger but by the volume of the baggage hold — in cubic feet or cubic metres. There is no '23 kg per bag' rule here; the constraint is the geometry of the specific aircraft.
The spread is wide. Very light jets have a usable hold of roughly 0.6–1.0 m³, taking a couple of soft holdalls and little else. Heavy and ultra-long-range aircraft reach 4–6 m³: the Bombardier Global 8000, for example, has a hold that takes a large group's luggage together with sports equipment.
The second constraint is weight. Passengers, baggage and fuel all draw on the same maximum take-off weight limit. On a short leg this is invisible, but on a long flight every extra kilo of luggage is a kilo of fuel that cannot be loaded. On range-limited routes baggage and fuel compete directly.
The practical consequences: soft bags beat hard cases, because the fuselage is curved and a hold always has unusable corners. Oversized items — skis, golf bags, musical instruments — are limited not by volume but by the width of the baggage door, so the aircraft is selected for them specifically. And on smaller jets the hold is external, unpressurised and inaccessible in flight, so medication, documents and electronics stay in the cabin.
Can you fly with pets
Yes, and it is one of the notable advantages of a private flight: the animal travels in the cabin beside its owner rather than in a cargo hold. Dogs, cats, birds — the answer is usually yes, but it must be agreed in advance: not every aircraft owner and operator accepts animals on board.
The constraint here is not aviation but veterinary and border control, and it is strict. Uniform rules apply for entry into the EU: per the European Commission, the animal must be identified by a microchip and vaccinated against rabies, and the vaccination date must not precede the microchipping date, with the animal at least 12 weeks old at primary vaccination.
A key planning detail: at least 21 days must elapse between primary vaccination and departure for the EU. That means the decision to bring an animal is made at least a month ahead, not a week before the trip.
Documents differ by residency. The European pet passport is issued only to owners resident in the EU and is valid for life while the vaccination remains current. Entry from third countries requires a veterinary certificate issued no earlier than 10 days before arrival. Some countries — Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway — additionally require tapeworm treatment for dogs 24–120 hours before arrival, and entry from high-risk countries requires a rabies antibody titre test.
Non-compliance is costly: quarantine, refusal of entry or return to the country of origin are all possible. Requirements must be checked against the country of arrival, not departure — and checked early, with the operator.
Are a passport and visa needed
Yes. There is a common misconception that a private flight removes formalities. Business aviation operates within the same legal framework as all civil aviation: every passenger passes passport and customs control, normal visa rules apply, and prohibited items remain prohibited.
What differs is not the existence of procedures but how they are organised. Control is passed in a separate terminal or VIP lounge, without shared queues and many times faster. A representative meets passengers at the entrance, takes passports and handles check-in, after which passengers clear passport and customs control and are driven straight to the aircraft, where the baggage is already loaded.
The operator requests a passenger list with full passport details in advance — it is needed for filing permits and advance passenger information. This is why adding a passenger at the last minute is harder than it seems: the constraint is paperwork, not cabin seats.
Arrival at the airport is 20–30 minutes before departure rather than two or three hours. That difference is what delivers the main time saving on short trips.
Is smoking allowed on board
On some aircraft, yes. This is one of the few differences from scheduled aviation, where smoking is universally banned. But the decision rests with neither the passenger nor the broker: it is the aircraft owner's, and because smoking leaves traces in the cabin and affects the finish, most owners do not permit it.
The practical takeaway: if the ability to smoke matters, say so at the enquiry stage, before aircraft selection — as with pets. Sourcing then runs only among aircraft where it is permitted, rather than the issue surfacing after the fact.
What cannot be carried
Restrictions on dangerous goods and prohibited items apply in full. Weapons are a separate category: carriage is possible but requires permits and clearances from the operator and from the countries of departure, overflight and arrival. This is arranged in advance and does not tolerate improvisation.
The same applies to large sums of cash, works of art, hunting trophies and prescription medicines in quantity — ordinary customs rules apply throughout. The private status of a flight creates no exemptions; it only speeds up the procedures.
Catering and drinks on board
The flight price includes a catering budget per passenger: on a short leg typically around €100–200 per person, on a long one from several hundred dollars upward depending on the operator. Within that budget the menu is chosen in advance: appetisers, cheese and charcuterie boards, salads, hot dishes, desserts, fruit. Food is prepared at a restaurant and delivered to the aircraft.
The standard bar usually holds white and red wine, sparkling, and mid-range spirits. Any special requests — a specific label, rare bottles, a particular cuisine — are ordered separately and billed above the budget. The same goes for children: toys, films and books are arranged in advance.
Costs that arrive after the flight
A reputable broker quotes an all-in price covering take-off and landing, fuel, ground handling and VIP lounges for the stated passenger count. But a few items are billed after the fact by their nature.
The first is winter de-icing. It is not priced in advance because the captain decides on it from actual weather; the invoice arrives three to four weeks after the flight. The most de-icing-prone conditions are temperatures around zero, from −5 to +5 degrees; in dry frost treatment is usually not required.
The second is cabin cleaning if something is spilled or soiled. The crew normally flags this immediately. The third is an increase in passenger numbers against the stated count: catering costs rise, as does the VIP lounge charge, which is billed per person passing through.
Children on board
There are no age restrictions on private flights, and the whole trip is markedly simpler for families with children: no queues, no long terminal waits, and departure timed around the child's routine rather than the reverse. Pushchairs, car seats and bulky children's baggage are accommodated without separate approvals, subject to hold volume.
Children's meals, toys, films and books are ordered in advance alongside the main catering. For infants, the availability of suitable belts and the ability to fit a car seat is confirmed — this depends on aircraft type and cabin layout, so the question is asked at the sourcing stage.
Passengers with reduced mobility
Private aviation is usually easier than scheduled travel for passengers with reduced mobility: the car drives to the aircraft steps, there are no long walks through a terminal, and crew assistance comes without queuing. But the specifics depend on the aircraft: step height, door width and the availability of a lift device vary.
If wheelchair carriage, stretcher transport or medical equipment on board is required, this is flagged in advance — an aircraft with suitable entry geometry is selected, and in some cases air ambulance capability is brought in.
What to specify when booking
To avoid surprises, state at the enquiry stage: the exact passenger count, the volume and nature of baggage (especially oversized items — skis, golf, instruments), any animals and their species, whether smoking is required, dietary preferences and restrictions, whether children are travelling, and any reduced-mobility needs.
The more completely these inputs are given upfront, the more accurate the aircraft selection and the lower the chance of an incompatibility surfacing at the paperwork stage. JetHunter provides access to more than 5,000 aircraft, and sourcing accounts for all these conditions simultaneously, not just the route and seat count.
«A private flight removes the queues, not the law. Passport and customs control work exactly as in commercial aviation — just faster and in a separate lounge. Anything you cannot carry on a scheduled flight, you cannot carry on a private one.»
— Alexey Mordvintsev, CEO of JetHunter
Author: Alexey Mordvintsev, CEO of JetHunter, President of the Association of Professionals of Executive Aviation Industry (APIDA). Over 14 years in the industry.
