If you’ve ever dreamed about flying private and done your due diligence, you’ve probably heard of empty leg flights...
On the surface, empty leg flights can seem like an easy solution to a very expensive problem, since they can sometimes cost substantially less than a standard private jet charter. Some companies even advertise savings of up to 75%.
An empty leg flight is created when a private aircraft needs to fly from one location to another without paying passengers, usually because it is repositioning before or after another trip. For travelers with flexible plans, that can create an opportunity to charter the aircraft for less than the cost of arranging the same flight specifically for their trip.
There are trade-offs, though, and they can quickly change how useful an empty leg actually is. Routes, timing, aircraft choice, and even availability may be tied to another trip on the aircraft’s schedule.
For those who want to know exactly what an empty leg flight is, what it isn’t, how much one can cost, and how to find one, read on.
What is an empty leg flight?
An empty leg flight is created when a private aircraft needs to reposition from one location to another and would otherwise operate without paying passengers. Basically, you may be able to charter the aircraft for less because it already needs to make that flight, with or without passengers.
For instance, a customer charters a private jet from Fort Lauderdale to New York. But what happens if the aircraft needs to return to Fort Lauderdale after the trip? Unless another customer has already booked the jet from New York, the aircraft may have to fly back to Fort Lauderdale without passengers.
That return flight creates a potential empty leg.
Empty legs are sometimes called repositioning flights or deadhead legs, although those terms can have different meanings depending on the operational situation. The basic idea is similar: the aircraft already has a reason to move, and that movement may create an opportunity for another traveler to charter the flight.
How do empty leg flights work?
Here is where things start to drastically change from your traditional charter flight.
With a standard charter, you provide your desired departure airport, destination, date, passenger count, and other trip requirements. In turn, an appropriate aircraft and crew is sourced for that mission. A charter flight almost entirely revolves around you and your schedule.
Although the service and bonuses of flying private are the same, choosing an empty leg works in the opposite direction. The aircraft already has its destination and time locked in, so your choices are limited to that trip alone. There can sometimes be room to adjust an airport or departure time, but any change has to work with the aircraft’s existing schedule and operational requirements.
So if a jet is scheduled to reposition from New York to Fort Lauderdale this Thursday afternoon, for example, someone who needs to make roughly that same trip may be able to charter the available flight. But someone who needs to leave New York for Chicago on Friday morning can’t simply turn that existing empty leg into a different trip.
Are empty leg flights one-way?
In simple terms and for the most part: yes, they are created by a specific one-way aircraft movement, so travelers should never assume that booking an empty leg to a destination means another empty leg will be available for the return trip.
This often overlooked factor when arranging an empty leg can frustrate people, as the plane that dropped them off at a specific airport may be the only charter for miles, and it has already been booked for someone else shortly after landing.
To alleviate this issue, most travelers find an empty leg for the outbound portion of their trip and arrange a standard charter or even commercial for the return, or they may do the opposite. Two empty legs could also happen to match both directions, but their availability would depend on separate aircraft movements.
How much do empty leg flights cost?
Every charter flight, empty leg or not, has a range of factors that affect its cost, including the aircraft, route, distance, airports, timing, and operating requirements. Because of this, there isn’t a standard price for an empty leg flight, and there isn’t a universal discount that applies to every trip.
The one thing you can generally count on with an empty leg is a lower price. Because the aircraft already has an operational reason to make the flight, an empty leg will generally cost less than chartering a comparable aircraft specifically for the same trip.
How much less depends on all the factors above, as well as the circumstances surrounding that particular flight.
How much can you save on an empty leg?
Empty leg flights are often advertised with substantial discounts, sometimes reaching 50% to 75% off the price of a comparable private charter. Those percentages can represent thousands of dollars in savings, but there is something important to remember:
Even at a steep discount, you’re still paying for a private jet.
Consider a one-way flight from Fort Lauderdale to New York. Current published charter prices for the route range from roughly $17,000 for some smaller aircraft to $50,000 or more for larger aircraft, although, again, the actual price depends on several factors already mentioned above.
For a simple example, let’s put the cost of a conventional charter somewhere in the middle at $30,000. An empty leg offered at 50% less would still cost $15,000, while a 70% discount would bring the price down to $9,000. Even at 75% off, the flight would still cost $7,500.
Those are substantial savings, especially for someone who was already considering spending five-figures on a private charter, but they also put the advertised discounts into perspective. Empty legs can make flying private considerably less expensive, but “75% off a private jet” is still 75% off a very expensive product.
For a broader explanation of hourly rates, positioning costs, airport fees, taxes, and other factors that affect charter pricing, see our Private Jet Charter Costs Explained guide.
Empty Leg Flights vs. Regular Private Jet Charter
The biggest difference between an empty leg and a standard charter is control over the itinerary. A traveler with firm plans may place more value on controlling the schedule and itinerary, while someone with more flexibility may find an empty leg that lines up well with a trip they already intend to make.
Category
Route
Travel date
Departure time
Aircraft choice
Availability
Price
Return flight
Traveler flexibility
Empty Leg Flight
Based on an existing aircraft movement
Limited by aircraft schedule
Most have limited flexibility
Aircraft is already assigned
Changes with aircraft movements
Lower than comparable charter flights
Separate arrangements are typically needed
Must be aware of and understanding of last-minute changes
Standard Private Charter
Built around the traveler’s trip
Selected by traveler
Greater scheduling control
Aircraft can be selected for the mission
Sourced for the requested trip
Standard charter pricing
Can be planned as part of the itinerary
Lower
What are the advantages of empty leg flights?
The most obvious advantage is the lower price. Since the aircraft already needs to reposition, an available empty leg costs less than arranging a comparable aircraft specifically for the same trip.
Another advantage is the experience onboard. Even at a lower price, you are still traveling aboard a private aircraft, so the trip can offer the privacy, cabin space, group travel advantages, and private-terminal experience associated with chartering that aircraft.
Empty legs can be especially appealing for flexible leisure trips, spontaneous travel, or situations where several nearby airports and departure times would work. The more flexibility you have, the better your chances of finding a flight that fits your plans.
What are the disadvantages of empty leg flights?
The same factor that can make an empty leg attractive also creates its biggest limitation: the flight wasn’t originally scheduled around you.
Routes are limited to where aircraft actually need to go, and departure windows may be tied to another trip on the aircraft’s schedule. You may also have less choice of aircraft because you’re booking the aircraft that is already scheduled for that trip rather than choosing from several options.
Availability can change as aircraft schedules change, and empty legs can sometimes appear relatively close to departure. If the trip that created the empty leg changes, the empty leg may change or disappear as well, so they are less practical for travelers who need firm plans far in advance.
Return travel is another consideration. Finding an empty leg from South Florida to New York does not guarantee that a suitable New York-to-South Florida empty leg will be available when you want to come home, so the return may need to be booked separately.
Are empty leg flights reliable?
As we discussed, the empty leg exists because of the aircraft’s broader schedule. If the trip that created the positioning requirement changes, the empty leg may change with it.
For instance, the passenger on the original charter may change their departure time, move the trip to another day, choose a different airport, extend their stay, or cancel the trip altogether. The aircraft may also be reassigned to another flight or its positioning needs may change. Any of those changes could alter the timing, route, or availability of the empty leg that resulted from the original schedule.
Travelers should review the terms associated with a particular flight and understand what happens if the aircraft’s schedule changes. Cancellation and schedule provisions can differ, so those details should be clear before the charter is confirmed.
For trips tied to a fixed event, important meeting, cruise departure, international connection, or another commitment that leaves little room for change, a standard charter may provide a better fit.
Empty-leg availability changes constantly because private aircraft schedules change constantly. A route that doesn’t exist today could become available after a new charter is booked, while an opportunity that appears today may no longer be available later.
One of the simplest ways to find empty legs is to check current aircraft availability directly with a charter operator. Travelers can also sign up for availability alerts when an operator offers them, which can be useful because some opportunities emerge relatively close to departure.
Flexibility can make the search much easier. Consider nearby airports, a wider departure window, and surrounding travel dates when possible.
In South Florida, for example, a traveler may have access to several airports within a relatively small geographic area. Being able to consider Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Miami International Airport, or Palm Beach International Airport may increase the number of aircraft movements that could potentially fit a trip.
Hop-A-Jet publishes current Fleet Availability, and travelers can also sign up to receive new opportunities as they become available.
How do you book an empty Leg Flight?
Once you find an empty leg that appears to match your trip, confirm the route, date, departure window, aircraft, passenger capacity, and baggage requirements before moving forward.
You should also confirm what the quoted price includes and review the terms associated with schedule changes or cancellation. If you’re traveling internationally, passenger information and required travel documents will need to be addressed just as they would on another international charter flight.
After the itinerary, pricing, terms, and passenger requirements have been confirmed, the charter can be booked according to the operator’s normal process.
Empty-leg inventory can move quickly, so seeing a flight listed shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee that it will remain available indefinitely.
Are Empty Leg Flights Safe?
The price of an empty leg comes from the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s scheduled movement, so a lower price doesn’t mean that required operating standards are reduced.
Travelers should evaluate the operator behind any private charter flight and understand who will actually operate the aircraft. The operator’s regulatory authority, safety programs, aircraft, crew qualifications, and independent safety certifications or audits can all provide useful information when evaluating a charter provider.
Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter is a certificated Part 135 operator, and the company maintains independent safety accreditations that include WYVERN Wingman PRO, ARGUS Platinum Elite, and IS-BAO registration.
Those standards apply to the operation of our charter flights, including any aircraft movement that becomes available as an empty leg.
A Different Way to Fly Private
For the right trip, an empty leg can offer an excellent opportunity to charter a private aircraft at a lower cost than arranging a comparable flight specifically around your itinerary.
However, we highly recommend an empty leg for a traveler whose destination, timing, passenger requirements, and flexibility already line up with an available aircraft movement. If you have to substantially rearrange a trip to make an empty leg work, the savings become less meaningful and a standard charter may make more sense.
If schedule certainty, exact airports, aircraft selection, or a fixed return itinerary are important, conventional private charter gives you greater control. If your plans are flexible and the right aircraft happens to be traveling where you want to go, an empty leg can be well worth considering.
Looking for an Empty Leg?
Empty-leg opportunities change as aircraft schedules change, so the best way to find one is to keep an eye on current availability.
Hop-A-Jet publishes available aircraft opportunities as they become available, and you can check current flights or contact our charter team to discuss your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Empty Leg Flights
An empty leg is created when a private aircraft needs to reposition and no passengers are already booked for that movement. When the operator makes that trip available for charter, travelers whose plans match the route and timing may be able to book it.
An empty leg may cost less because the aircraft already needs to make the trip for operational reasons. Selling the otherwise empty movement can offset some of the cost of repositioning the aircraft.
There is no standard empty-leg discount. Savings vary according to the aircraft, route, timing, airports, availability, and circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s movement.
An empty-leg price reflects the economics of an existing aircraft movement, and it doesn’t reduce the operating requirements that apply to the flight. The same applicable safety standards, operating requirements, and crew requirements still apply, regardless of the price paid for the charter. Travelers should still evaluate the charter operator, aircraft, crew, and applicable safety credentials when considering an empty leg.
The aircraft’s positioning requirement can change if its broader schedule changes, so travelers should review the specific schedule and cancellation terms before booking.
There is no fixed timeframe. Some empty legs become known in advance, while others appear closer to departure as new charter trips and aircraft movements are scheduled.
It’s possible, but the outbound and return empty legs would depend on separate aircraft movements lining up with your itinerary. Many travelers who find an empty leg in one direction arrange the other portion separately.
There may be some flexibility, but the departure time has to remain compatible with the aircraft’s existing schedule.
Usually, the aircraft is already determined because the empty leg exists as part of that aircraft’s scheduled movement.
Pet acceptance depends on the operator, aircraft, destination, and applicable travel requirements, so it should be confirmed before booking.
Yes. International repositioning flights can create empty legs, but in this instance, normal passport, customs, immigration, and destination-entry requirements still apply.
Private charter flights commonly operate through fixed-base operators, or FBOs, rather than the airline terminals used for scheduled commercial service, although airport arrangements vary by location.
Yes, subject to the baggage capacity and limitations of the aircraft being used. Travelers should confirm baggage requirements before booking, particularly when traveling with oversized or unusually heavy items.
A one-way charter describes a passenger itinerary, while an empty leg describes an aircraft movement that needs to operate without passengers already booked. A one-way charter can sometimes create an empty leg after the passenger’s trip is completed.
Travelers can check current availability directly with private charter operators and sign up for availability notifications when offered. Hop-A-Jet publishes current opportunities through its Fleet Availability page.
Yes, aircraft movements into and out of Florida can create empty-leg opportunities, but routes and dates depend on current aircraft schedules and change regularly.
Membership requirements depend on the provider. Travelers should check the booking requirements associated with the particular flight or charter operator.
If no available aircraft movement matches your itinerary, a standard private charter can be arranged around your preferred route, date, passenger requirements, and schedule.