Phenom 300 Charter from Chicago
A Phenom 300 charter is what you book when the aircraft has to do more than one job. It is the light jet that behaves like the class above it: 464 kts at Mach 0.80, a 65 in cabin, 76 cu ft of baggage and a lavatory that ground crew service from outside the aircraft. Embraer has been delivering it in volume for years, and it shows up on Chicago ramps constantly.
The trade is money. It sits at the top of its class on rate, and a buyer who only flies ninety-minute legs is paying for capability they will not use. Below is the case for and against, with the numbers that decide it.
Why a Phenom 300 charter costs what it does
Three specification lines explain the entire price premium. Speed: 464 kts against a class that starts around 400 kts. Width: 65 in, which is the same figure the Cessna Citation XLS+ carries one class up. Baggage: 76 cu ft, the largest hold of any light jet in regular Chicago charter service. The typical market range of $4,000–$5,000 per flight hour is the market pricing those three things.
The fourth reason is less visible and matters on long legs. The Phenom 300E maintains a low cabin altitude for its class, which is why passengers step off a three-hour leg less flattened than they expect. Combine that with an air-stair door and an entryway you do not have to fold yourself through, and the aircraft reads as a size larger than it is on paper.
The fifth is fleet depth. Because the type has sold in volume, Chicago operators run several and short-notice sourcing is realistic. That does not make it cheap; it makes it available, which on a Thursday in September is worth something on its own.
Phenom 300E specifications
Two lines here deserve highlighting. The enclosed, externally serviced lavatory means the servicing is done from outside the fuselage, so the cabin does not carry the smell of a light jet at the end of a long day. And 2,010 nm of range at 464 kts is what makes South Florida a routine non-stop rather than a planning exercise.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Embraer |
| Current generation, first delivery | 2020 |
| Typical passengers | 8 — 7 in the club-plus-side-facing layout, 8 with the belted lav seat |
| Range, 4 passengers, IFR reserves | 2,010 nm |
| Typical cruise speed | 464 kts (Mach 0.80) |
| Certified ceiling | 45,000 ft |
| Cabin height | 59 in |
| Cabin width | 65 in |
| Cabin length | 17.2 ft |
| Stand-up cabin | No — seated cabin with a dropped aisle |
| Baggage volume | 76 cu ft |
| Lavatory | Enclosed, externally serviced |
| Connectivity | Frequently equipped with Gogo Avance L5 |
| Typical market rate | $4,000–$5,000 per flight hour |
The cabin and the passenger experience
Layout and light
The standard configuration is a four-place club with a side-facing seat forward, taking the useful count to seven; 7 in the club-plus-side-facing layout, 8 with the belted lav seat. Embraer's cabin design work is the reason this aircraft wins comparison flights. The oval cross-section puts the widest point at shoulder height rather than at the floor, the windows are large and evenly spaced, and there is a genuine refreshment centre forward rather than a drawer. At 59 in of height it is still a seated cabin — nobody stands up in a light jet — but the 17.2 ft of length gives the club real legroom.
Baggage, and why the hold decides trips
76 cu ft is the number that wins ski season. Four passengers with hard ski cases and boot bags fit, which is not true of most of the class, and there is separate in-cabin stowage for the things you want during the flight. The baggage compartment is heated and reachable on the ground, so a Part 135 operator can load ski cases last without repacking the cabin around them. Connectivity is frequently equipped with gogo avance l5, so a working leg to the East Coast is realistic on most tails — still worth confirming per tail number, because equipment varies across the fleet.
Hourly rate range and how to lower the bill
The typical market range is $4,000–$5,000 per flight hour, against $3,200–$4,800 for the class as a whole. These are market observations, not quotes; real pricing moves with date, aircraft and availability. The table shows where the leverage actually is, and the hourly rate guide sets it against every other class we quote.
| Variable | Effect on the quote | What to do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft already in Chicago | Removes repositioning hours entirely | Ask which tails are based at PWK, DPA, MDW or GYY |
| Same-day round trip | Spreads the daily minimum across two legs | Fly out early, return late the same day where the schedule allows |
| Midweek departure | Softer than Thursday evening or Sunday | Move a discretionary trip by a day |
| Empty leg on the pairing | Materially below the standard band | Stay flexible on time by a few hours |
| Peak event weeks | Tightens supply before it raises rates | Book Art Basel, CES and Masters weeks early |
| Winter de-icing | Adds a pass-through line, November to March | Budget for it rather than being surprised by it |
Chicago routes that suit the Phenom 300E
The Phenom's speed advantage does not show on short legs — it shows on the three-hour-plus runs, where Mach 0.80 shaves real minutes and the hold takes the luggage those trips involve. The block times below are published light jet figures gate to gate, and the Phenom sits at the quick end of each.
| Route | Distance | Light jet block time | Typical one-way band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago to New York | 640 nm | 1h 55m | $10,500–$14,000 one way |
| Chicago to Denver | 785 nm | 2h 40m | $13,500–$17,500 one way |
| Chicago to West Palm Beach | 1,060 nm | 3h 10m | $16,500–$21,000 one way |
| Chicago to Miami | 1,080 nm | 3h 15m | $17,000–$22,000 one way |
| Chicago to Las Vegas | 1,275 nm | 3h 55m | $21,000–$26,000 one way |
| Chicago to Scottsdale | 1,280 nm | 3h 55m | $21,000–$26,500 one way |
Phenom 300E against the CJ3+ and the Citation XLS+
Against the Citation CJ3+, the Phenom is the upgrade: 48 kts quicker, 7 in wider, 11 cu ft more hold, and an externally serviced lavatory the CJ3+ does not have. On short legs that premium is hard to justify. On South Florida and Colorado runs it is straightforward.
Against the Citation XLS+, the comparison inverts. The XLS+ is slower by 23 kts but gives you 9 in more cabin height, 14 cu ft more baggage and a ninth seat. If your group is seven or eight rather than five or six, the XLS+ is the better aircraft and the price gap is smaller than the class boundary suggests.
| Cessna Citation CJ3+ | Embraer Phenom 300E | Cessna Citation XLS+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Light jets | Light jets | Super light jets |
| Cruise speed | 416 kts | 464 kts | 441 kts |
| Cabin height | 57 in | 59 in | 68 in |
| Cabin width | 58 in | 65 in | 66 in |
| Baggage | 65 cu ft | 76 cu ft | 90 cu ft |
| Typical passengers | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Typical market rate | $3,400–$4,300 per flight hour | $4,000–$5,000 per flight hour | $4,400–$5,600 per flight hour |
When the Phenom is the wrong buy
Two situations make this aircraft a poor use of money, and both are common. The first is the short regional shuttle — Milwaukee, South Bend, Grand Rapids — where the flight is over before the speed advantage banks a single minute and the daily minimum dominates the invoice. The second is the eight-passenger trip: the eighth seat is the belted lavatory seat, and a group that size wants the class above. Our charter cost guide shows where the class boundaries actually fall on price, and when you have dates you can request a quote and see the live tails.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hourly rate for a Phenom 300 charter from Chicago?
The typical market range is $4,000–$5,000 per flight hour, which sits at the top of the $3,200–$4,800 light jet band. That covers the aircraft only. Expect federal excise tax, landing and handling fees, winter de-icing and any repositioning hours on top. Quotes move with date, aircraft and availability, so treat the range as a planning figure rather than a price.
How many passengers fit in a Phenom 300E with luggage?
Seven fit comfortably with luggage, which is unusual in this class. The published figure is 8, described as 7 in the club-plus-side-facing layout, 8 with the belted lav seat. The 76 cu ft hold is the largest of any light jet in regular Chicago charter service and takes hard ski cases as well as roll-aboards, so a full cabin does not force bags into the aisle.
Can a Phenom 300 reach Florida from Chicago non-stop?
Yes. Miami is 1,080 nm with a published light jet block time of 3h 15m, and West Palm Beach is 1,060 nm at 3h 10m. Both are well inside the aircraft's 2,010 nm range with a full cabin. Southbound legs in winter are helped by the jet stream, so the return north is usually the longer one.
Does a Phenom 300E have Wi-Fi?
Frequently, but not universally. The type is commonly equipped with Gogo Avance L5, and a large share of the Chicago charter fleet carries it. Because equipment is fitted tail by tail rather than as standard, always confirm connectivity on the specific aircraft before you plan a working flight, and ask what coverage looks like above the continental United States.
Is the Phenom 300 a light jet or a super light jet?
It is classified as a light jet, though it borrows heavily from the class above. Its 65 in cabin width matches the Cessna Citation XLS+ and its externally serviced lavatory is a super light feature. It stays in the light category on cabin height at 59 in and on typical passenger count, which is where the class line is normally drawn.
Related pages
Further reading from the blog
Sources and further reading
- Embraer Phenom 300 — Embraer's official product page and the source of the published performance figures for the type
- FAA — Federal Aviation Administration — the certificating authority for the Part 135 operators that fly this type
Get a quote for your flight
Send us the route, the date and the number of passengers. You will get real options with all-in pricing, the operator's certificate and safety rating, and the aircraft's actual tail number — not a stock photo and a starting-from price.