What Are Empty Leg Private Jet Flights And Why Are They So Cheap?

For most of the traveling public, private jets are out of reach. We may hang on to every word as we read about a private jet like the Gulfstream G800, knowing that short of winning the Powerball or Mega Millions, chances are we'll never set foot in one. What you might not know is that there's a little-known workaround for travelers with some flexibility that could make your dreams of luxury air travel a reality: empty leg flights. As the name suggests, these are one-way trips that private jets make with no passengers onboard. These flights are also commonly referred to by other names, including ferry flights and deadheads. An estimated 30% to 50% of private jet charters take off without a single passenger on board.

If you're wondering why a company would fly an expensive jet empty, it's typically because they need to reposition the jet to pick up their next paying client or return to its home base. The thing is, most private jet operators would prefer not to fly an empty jet, and to fill them up, so they offer seats on these legs at steep discounts, sometimes up to 75% off the usual cost. That type of discount opens private jet travel up to a clientele beyond celebrities, CEOs, and the ultra-wealthy. When you travel this way, you get the same experience as you would if you had chartered the jet yourself. If your travel schedule is flexible and you've always wanted to experience flying in a private jet, empty leg flights are a way to enjoy high-end air travel at a fraction of the cost.

An empty leg flight happens when a private jet needs to reposition without passengers, usually after completing a one-way trip. This means the jet needs to return to its base or head to another location for its next scheduled flight. For example, if a jet is booked for a one-way trip from Madrid to Paris, it may need to return to Madrid empty unless another passenger books the return leg. Just like all businesses, those operating private jets want to make money and have found one of the best ways to do this is to list these legs at heavily discounted prices rather than fly an empty plane. To avoid flying a completely empty plane, operators list these "deadhead" legs at a discount to offset costs. If you're able to book one, you can take advantage of those savings. 

Several private aviation companies have real-time listings of available empty leg flights on their websites. If you're interested in booking an empty leg flight, you can check platforms like Jettly, GlobeAir, and Magellan Jets, where you can search by route, date, or aircraft type. Companies like Airly have mobile apps where users can view, book, and manage empty leg flights. There are also services like Catch-a-Jet that send push notifications when there's a match between a city pair you've selected and an empty flight.

The reason these flights are so cheap compared to the standard rate is simple: private jet operators would rather offset the cost of an empty trip by offering deep discounts than absorb the full cost of a passengerless trip themselves. Every time a private jet takes off without anyone onboard, the operator loses money. Many companies offer discounts on empty leg flights as a way to minimize these losses. When they sell these unbooked legs, they can recover some of the operating costs, and those who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to book a private jet can enjoy the experience at a much cheaper price. 

However, these budget-priced luxury flights have some drawbacks, which is what makes them so affordable. You won't get to choose the departure time, destination, or aircraft type, and they can be canceled at the last minute if the original customer changes their itinerary. That's because an empty leg flight's timing and route are fixed based on the jet's existing repositioning plan. In other words, you're booking a seat on a flight that only exists because of someone else's travel schedule. If the primary customer reschedules, your flight may disappear entirely. Still, for those with flexible schedules, the massive savings can be worth a bit of uncertainty. If you do score a seat on one of these aircraft, you'll get to enjoy all of the amenities that come along with private jet travel, including departing from an FBO, bypassing TSA security checkpoints, and relaxing in a spacious cabin.