Jet Card Pass-Through Fees: De-Icing, Catering and What Rates Don't Cover

Winter adds a line to some private jet invoices: the cost of clearing frost, ice and snow from an aircraft before it can take off. For a jet card holder, the question is whether that cost already sits inside the hourly rate or arrives as a separate charge. Programs answer it differently, and the answer is written in their published terms and materials, alongside other jet card pass-through fees that can sit outside the hours: ground transport, premium catering, lounge fees and cleaning.

• De-icing depends on conditions at departure, so its cost is not known when a flight is booked.
• Company-published materials read for this guide show three approaches: billed as incurred, covered by an optional add-on, or included in the card.
• Catering, ground transport, lounge fees and cleaning or damage costs can also be billed on top.
• Read an agreement's exclusions or additional-costs section before you compare hourly rates.

Why de-icing is a separate question

For U.S. flights under Part 135, the FAA's rules for commuter and on-demand operations, 14 CFR 135.227 says "No pilot may take off an aircraft that has frost, ice, or snow adhering to" the wings, control surfaces, propellers, windshield and other listed parts. On those flights, de-icing is not optional when conditions call for it. The rule turns on what is on the aircraft at departure, so whether a flight needs treatment, and what it costs, is settled on the day rather than at booking.

A program therefore has to decide in advance who carries that cost, and the agreement is where it says so.

Jet card de-icing: three approaches in published materials

As of October 6, 2026, company-published materials show the range. Each is described as published on the company's site or in its release, accessed that day.

• Billed as incurred. Jetbay's JET Card Programme terms, marked "Updated as of 21 March 2025," say: "De-icing or snow removal costs during passenger flights are charged as incurred."
• Covered by an optional add-on. Magellan Jets' de-icing guide, dated September 30, 2026, says its Jet Card Owners "can add De-Icing Insurance for zero out-of-pocket de-icing costs across the Jet Card term," and that "Pricing starts at $2,500 per 25-hour block and is set by jet category." See our Magellan Jets jet card program page.
• Included in the card. Jets.com's jet card page says its "standard services cover fuel, taxi time, repositioning, de-icing, and more." Privé Jets said in its October 3, 2026 release that its new jet card program "includes de-icing."

None of the three is better by default. An inclusive rate builds the cost into the hourly price; a pass-through charges the actual cost on the flights that need it; an add-on lets you buy the cover separately. Which suits you depends on where, and in which months, you fly.

On-demand charter is a different contract, and worth knowing for comparison. Admiral Jet's standard charter terms, for example, list de-icing among the "additional costs" a charterer reimburses, and say a charterer "may obtain a de-icing waiver through certain operators." Without one, the terms say Admiral Jet will place "a credit card hold of the approximate cost of the de-icing."

Other jet card pass-through fees to look for

Beyond de-icing, Jetbay's terms list several charges under the heading "Exclusions and Additional Costs":

• Ground transport and catering: "Ground transport, premium catering, or other optional services are charged separately."
• Lounges: "Airport VIP lounge fees in excess of base allowances are billed at local rates."
• Cleaning and damage: if passengers smoke onboard, bring pets "without proper arrangements," or otherwise damage or soil the aircraft, the customer is billed for "actual cleaning and repair" expenses.
• Taxes: the customer is responsible for "any applicable government taxes, duties, or fees."

Jets.com's page treats catering and ground transportation in a similar way: it says optional services "such as premium catering and ground transportation, as well as unique travel conditions like international flights or high-demand periods, may incur pass-through costs." In a separate answer it says "Certain unique travel circumstances may incur pass-through costs" and that it will "notify you of these before booking." See our Jets.com jet card program page.

Taxes deserve their own reading: see how federal excise tax applies to a jet card purchase. For fuel, our guide to rate lock and fuel surcharge clauses sets out what to look for, and our explainer on how jet card hours are calculated covers what the hours themselves count.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. Is de-icing included in the hourly rate, available as optional cover, or billed as incurred?
2. If it is billed as incurred, is there a cap, a deposit or card hold, or notice before the charge?
3. If cover is optional, what does it cost for your aircraft category and card size, and what does it exclude?
4. Which catering and ground services are standard, and which are optional extras billed separately?
5. What lounge or terminal allowances come with the card, and how is anything above them charged?
6. How are cleaning, damage, pet and smoking charges assessed, and what evidence will you see?
7. How are pass-through charges invoiced: against your balance, to a card on file or on a later invoice, and when?
8. Can the provider change these fees or the terms during the card's term, and with what notice?

Ask for the answers in writing, and read them against each program's published terms.

Compare published program terms side by side on the PJReviews jet card comparison hub, explore private jet providers on PJReviews.com and see how booking works, then book directly with a provider.