FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. The tournament kicks off next month with matches across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. (Photo by Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

FIFA via Getty Images

Private jet companies are ramping up for the FIFA World Cup with promotions, activations, enhancements, ambassadors, extensive planning, and a healthy dose of trepidation. If you are considering flying privately or even to a city where a match is taking place, make sure you read the fine print in your contract, particularly as it relates to special event fees and cancellation terms.

The global competition for supremacy of the world’s most popular sport will take place in 16 locations across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, kicking off on June 11 and running through July 19. Team USA plays its first and third match in Los Angeles with its second match in Seattle. The Final will be played at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, across the Hudson River from Manhattan. It is expected that this year's tournament will break the attendance record of 3.5 million set in 1994.

With many fans arriving from abroad and diaspora living in the U.S. following their mother country teams across multiple venues, private jet brokers and operators expect to attract a slice of first-time users. Groups of friends who will pack the plane and split costs, see chartering a private jet as adding a big dose of fun and luxury while removing anxiety about long airport lines, missed flights and lost luggage.

Magellan Jets, a charter broker, added a World’s Game Jet Card, priced at $500,000. The jet card offers a suggested itinerary and hourly pricing for an eight-seat Bombardier Challenger 300 super-midsize jet, including catering and transfers. The stand-up cabin provides plenty of space to party. You get access to a personal concierge who can pull all the strings together, including game tickets (not included), plus restaurant and hotel reservations (not included, either). The hefty price tag is meant to anticipate extra charges, such as four-and-five figure special-event fees by private jet terminals and fuel surcharges, hard to anticipate since operators update them on a weekly basis.

Andrew VanderPloeg, founder of broker Intrepid Jets, says flyers pay the special event fees coming and going. The fee is charged when your airplane lands and uses the terminal. If a different airplane is picking you up, you have to pay a special event fee for that aircraft as well. Even if you aren’t going to the game, you still pay the fee, sometimes in the form of a surprise post-flight charge to your credit card.

Clay Lacy Aviation, which operates an FBO at Van Nuys, the busiest airport for private jets in Los Angeles, recently said it won’t charge the extra fees during World Cup matches.

Numerous private jet companies have set up pages on their websites offering advice about how to avoid pitfalls and expensive surprises that can ruin the private jet experience. They're also hoping that the online content will catch the attention of fans searching for private travel options.

Paramount Business Jets warns late bookers that all the slots could be taken for big games, and it’s not only fans who have to worry about getting hotel reservations. Charter operators have to make sure they can find accommodations for flight crews. Those operators face those same higher hotel and ground transportation costs that are busting your budget. They need to build them into flight pricing. Even worse, if there is not enough parking space and your charter airplane has to reposition to another airport for overnight, that extra flight is likely factored into your charter quote as well. Charter contracts generally give operators considerable latitude to add post-flight charges when they incur extra expenses that weren’t anticipated.

On its website, Air Charter Service advises consulting with your broker about luggage. Smaller private jets have limited luggage space. Luggage adds weight and reduces range, so even if you chartered that specific type of aircraft from X to Z and there were no issues, fully loaded with passengers and baggage, it may not have the ability to fly nonstop.

Silver Air Private Jets operates charter aircraft managed for their owners. CEO Jason Middleton advises don’t bring those oversize suitcases where you try to cram in as much as possible. Unlike airlines, you are not limited to a specific number of pieces, so that multiple small, soft-sided pieces can be more easily accommodated.

Other issues to consider include when to arrive and depart. Don’t cut it too close! VanderPloeg, who lives near Gillette Stadium outside Boston, one of the venues, says local authorities are already warning about massive traffic jams. Flexjet, which operates its own fleet of helicopters in Boston, New York, and Miami, has arranged landing permission at sites near the venues for its customers.

VanderPloeg says another wild card would be if POTUS and other world leaders attend games. That would trigger temporary flight restrictions that freeze traffic on the field, causing delays to already tight schedules and can necessitate diversions to alternate airports.

In the world of private jet charters, if your flight is diverted, it’s often up to you to get to your final destination. It’s generally at your own expense, and if the diversion incurs additional costs for the operator, well, those can end up billed to you post-flight.

Make sure you review and understand cancellation terms, which can be more restrictive around special events. Oh, and know what’s included and what is charged additionally. Some charter jets include WiFi, while others charge based on consumption rather than the flat fee typical with airlines. Ask about what happens if the operator cancels. Who will source the replacement aircraft? If it costs more, who is paying? Some brokers and operators offer cancellation insurance that protects you against additional charges if your airplane has a mechanical and can’t perform your flight.

And if your flight is delayed, how long do you need to wait before you can cancel without a penalty and seek an alternative? Imagine your flight is delayed by six hours. You then spend $40,000 to book a replacement flight and you are also charged for your original flight that was delayed. It happens. Make sure to read the fine print. If it’s not clear, ask for clarification with examples.

The possibility of extra fees, figuring out the right airplane, and being your ombudsman with operators about those extra charges, and when something goes wrong is where good brokers truly prove their value. Playing one against the other to negotiate the lowest price can be an expensive learning experience.

Kevin Diemar, the CEO of Unity Jets, a Miami-based broker, says the relationship between broker and operator, the amount of business the broker does with that operator and future bookings with that operator are all factors in resolving issues on behalf of the customer.

Middleton of Silver Air Private Jets warns that customers are charged for any damage to the airplane, even if accidental. He says,“We’ve seen people wear these really dark stained blue jeans, and when you sit on these really nice white leather seats, that ink transfers." Once denim dye transfers to aircraft leather the damage is often permanent.” He notes, "It costs us thousands of dollars to re-dye the seats.”

Experts also say beware of websites and online groups offering shared flights. The online groups and even some platforms don’t necessarily ensure that the shared flight is being operated under the stringent and expensive regulations authorized charter operators must adhere to but private operators don’t.

Sentient Jet President Alan Walsh says the jet card seller began planning for the World Cup months ago. Its customers can book flights at contracted prices on as little as 48 hours' notice, so it "continuously evaluates routing, demand patterns and airport capacity."

Walsh says the company has been proactively engaging customers to firm up plans to get ahead of anticipated congestion, airspace restrictions, and tight turnaround windows. He says during major sporting events, expectations become "less about luxury and more about precision, reliability, and timing."

Walsh says that as the World Cup progresses, operational challenges increase. Travel. The group stage tends to be more structured, while knockout rounds become increasingly fluid as matchups evolve. He says, "That variability often leads to last-minute adjustments, which is why early planning is critical—it provides the operational framework needed to adapt quickly."

In fact, private jet companies have been focused on the World Cup since last year. VistaJet launched its Private World experiences last June, a year ahead of the tournament.

A spokesperson for Wheels Up says it is working collaboratively with partner Delta Air Lines, coordinating charter flights for international visitors arriving from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.

Not all the fun is taking place during the tournament or at the match. In March, NetJets introduced Lionel Messi as its newest ambassador. It also held a private youth soccer clinic with the football legend. Jet Linx, a large charter operator that also has its own private terminals, says it will leverage its presence in New York, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, and Houston with private hospitality tailored to customers of its jet card program and to owners of the private jets it manages.

Walsh says a common misconception is that “private aviation remains fully flexible regardless of demand.” He points out, "In reality, during peak moments like major match windows, the entire system becomes highly coordinated across air space, airports and ground operations," making it critical that the company you are working with has the experience and breadth to anticipate and deal with the pressure points.

Elevate Aviation Group CEO Greg Raiff says, "From an operations perspective, the World Cup is far easier than the Super Bowl."

For operators of large floating fleets - private jets that aren’t tied to a base, but hop from place to place to pick-up and drop-off customers - airplane schedules are always in flux, and can change during the day as flight scheduling software optimizes routings. “As the tournament progresses, travel patterns will shift quickly based on matchups and team advancement, which creates a strong use case for flexible, on-demand travel solutions which are happy to provide,” says FlyExclusive Founder and Chairman Jim Segrave.

He says, “We see the World Cup as more than a just a sports event. It’s a large-scale hospitality and transportation initiative that will drive significant movement between key host cities.”

However, Intrepid Jets VanderPloeg warns, "There are so many known unknowns. World Cup is not the place you want to charter for the first time."

He notes that most of the venues are locations with plentiful nonstop airline flights. VanderPloeg recommends if you are a first-timer, save the splurge for when the system is less likely to be overloaded, there is a lower chance of extra charges or disappointments, and when private aviation will truly save you time.

He says, “So you are going to get off your private jet, and it was great, you avoided a crowded airport, and then you are going to be stuck in the same traffic as everyone else on the way to the stadium.”