Empty leg flights can offer exceptional value for potential customers. Essentially, an empty leg flight occurs when a private jet is chartered to a specific location and doesn’t have any passengers for its return flight. If the aircraft lands and doesn’t have any passengers booked for the flight back to its home base, it will likely have an empty leg flight. These flights may also be referred to as empty flights, ferry flights, repositioning legs, dead-heads, or one-way flights.

Before these aircraft return to their home base or a new location to pick up passengers, the aviation broker may offer to take new passengers to the location at a discounted cost. Flyers who don’t mind booking a flight on short notice or who want to save on travel can benefit from learning more about empty flights and how they operate, so they can find the best flight for their needs and budget.

Why Do Private Charter Jets Fly Empty Leg?

Private charter jets fly empty for various reasons. First, it’s common for empty leg charter flights to occur when a jet is flying back to its home base, with no passengers, after completing a charter leg. They may also happen when a private jet has been serviced away from its base and needs to fly empty to pick up passengers.

Empty leg flights regularly occur when a passenger books a one-way flight and the private jet doesn’t have any passengers to take back to the starting destination. A primary reason for empty leg flights also comes down to cost. At times, it’s more affordable for an aircraft and its crew to return to their home base than wait for potential passengers to charter a flight from the current base at which the jet is waiting.

How Does the Empty Leg Flying Experience Differ?

Empty leg flying offers a few differences when compared to standard charter and commercial flights. When compared to a standard chartered trip, empty leg flights usually come at a lower cost, allowing you to get the individualized experience of flying privately at a discount. Many passengers use ferry flights for vacations and business trips. It’s important to know these empty leg flights only go one way, so you’ll have to book another flight if you need to return.

Compared to commercial flights, empty leg flights provide buyers a more private and luxurious experience that often can’t be guaranteed on a standard flight. By choosing empty leg charter flights, you can fly with a smaller selection of passengers or as a single party, avoiding the cramped conditions of commercial travel. These flights also often come with extra services to make the flight more comfortable and deliver an unforgettable experience.

What Benefits Do You Get from an Empty Leg Flight?

Many flyers keep an eye out for empty leg flights as they provide the ability to skip queues, increase privacy, enjoy greater flexibility, and garner savings. Below you can find out more about some of the top benefits of empty leg flights:

• Flexible schedules: While empty leg flights sometimes have stricter scheduling requirements, many of them offer flexibility for when you leave and arrive. This flexibility allows you to pick a take-off time that is most convenient for you. If you’re running late to your flight, the jet will wait for you and take off when you’re ready.
• No queue: Many flyers love how empty flights let them skip long screening and security lines and processes. When you fly private, you can avoid these lines, with more relaxed security processes to help get you on your plane and on to your destination faster. If you’re flying internationally, many airports will have a separate private customs area for those flying private, cutting down your wait time.
• Enjoy luxury and privacy: Like standard private jet flights, one-way flights offer greater privacy and a comfortable experience. You can book a private jet flight where only your party boards the jet with you. This privacy allows you to focus on your work or simply relax. Additionally, you can receive more personalized service from staff, with the flight experience catered to your needs.
• Savings: Another primary benefit of flying on an empty leg flight is that it often comes at a lower cost than a standard jet trip. The prices will be affected by the popularity of the route, type of aircraft, and the season you’re flying. If you fly with a group, these flights can sometimes be more affordable than flying commercial.

What to Know Before You Book an Empty Leg Flight

Before you book an empty leg flight, you’ll likely want to consider some of the unique factors that go into this process. Empty leg flights tend to be available last minute, so you likely won’t be able to plan out flights far in advance. Since these flights are usually only available on short notice, you may want to check for them regularly if you plan to fly soon.

Similar to the last-minute nature of these flights, their routes tend to be fairly unpredictable. You can’t pick the destination, so the routes are up to the jet’s needs. As such, you may have to be more flexible with where you’re willing to travel or wait longer to find a flight that fits your travel plans.

If you fly on an empty leg flight, you should also take into account you’ll need to find an alternative way home. Additionally, these flights can be canceled or have last-minute changes for several reasons. If the aircraft ends up needing maintenance or routing is changed, a potential passenger may not be able to book the flight anymore, or the departure date may have to change.

Book an Empty Leg Flight With Latitude 33 Aviation

With all the benefits empty leg flights can provide, take a moment to check out some of the one-way flights offered from Latitude 33 Aviation. Occasionally, our private charter jets fly without passengers, giving people the opportunity to book a flight at a discounted cost. Whether you’re flying for business or pleasure, we may have an aircraft that can get you to your destination quickly with a significant cost advantage.

View the available one-way flights and reserve your flight today. Want more information? Request a quote, and one of our representatives will be happy to assist you.