Sky-High Spend: Knicks Fans Chase NBA Finals on Private Jets

Wealthy Knicks fans are flying private jets to San Antonio for the NBA Finals, fueling a surge in private-aviation traffic. Private-charter rates range from about $7,000 to $23,000 per hour (a four-hour NY–San Antonio hop around $28,000), with XO flights starting near $45,000 and some jets auctioned well over $150,000. Game tickets span from roughly $800 to six figures, including $7,500 nosebleeds and courtside seats as high as $500,000, while Flexjet offers on-call helicopters for seamless midtown transfers. The Knicks’ Finals run—driven by a long-awaited title drought—highlights how major sports events turn private aviation into a big-money business.