Private jet empty leg flights offer a unique opportunity for travellers to experience the luxury and convenience of private jet travel at a more affordable price point.
In this article we compare the costs between recent empty leg flights offered through Lux Jets with their bespoke booking charter prices.
What is an Empty Leg Flight?
Empty leg flights occur when a private jet is booked for a one-way journey and needs to reposition to its home base or to the next destination. The aircraft must often reposition without any passengers and as a result, the return leg of the trip is considered an "empty leg".
Private jet operators offer these fixed, pre-defined flights at a discounted rate to fill the empty seats and offset the cost of the repositioning journey. Empty leg flights are offered to charterers at heavily discounted rates to compensate for the pre-defined flight and lack of flexibility.
Empty leg flights are subject to changes and cancellations at the operator's discretion, so are not always guaranteed. The price of the empty leg reflects this however.
Empty leg flights are great for those who enjoy being spontaneous - and by taking advantage of these discounted flights, charterers can enjoy all the perks of private jet travel at more accessible charter costs.
How Cheap Are Empty Leg Flights
Below we have set out a comparison table of the flights offered in our recent empty leg notification compared with the same flight, on the same aircraft booked as a bespoke charter.
Departure | Destination | Aircraft | Empty Leg Price | Bespoke Charter Price | Saving |
Cannes | Sion | Cessna Citation CJ4 | 4,400 EUR | 12,700 EUR | 65% |
Paris | London | Cessna Citation XLS | 4,250 EUR | 10,400 EUR | 59% |
Paris | Milan | Cessna Citation XLS | 5,700 EUR | 14,500 EUR | 60% |
Kefallinia | Liege | Bombardier Global 5500 | 23,000 EUR | 60,800 EUR | 62% |
Prague | London | Embraer Legacy 650 | 13,400 EUR | 26,000 EUR | 48% |
Innsbruck | Luxembourg | Cessna Citation M2 | 3,800 EUR | 9,350 | 59% |
Paris | Tallinn | Dassault Falcon 7X | 20,000 EUR | 51,700 EUR | 61% |
Bern | Nice | Cessna Citation CJ4 | 4,650 EUR | 13,000 EUR | 64% |
Zadar | Munich | Cessna Citation M2 | 3,800 EUR | 8,200 EUR | 53% |
*bespoke flights have not been calculated with the same operator and actual results may differ slightly.
Our empty leg flights show an average saving of between 53 and 59% if you were to book the same route as a bespoke flight.
So what's the catch?
Empty Leg Flights - Drawbacks
Despite the enticing cost-effectiveness of empty leg flights, they do come with some caveats.
Since these flights are essentially repositioning journeys, they are often subject to last-minute changes and availability fluctuations. If the operator is able to sell a flight from the current location, the operator will prefer a bespoke booking over an empty leg flights, given that they are more lucrative.
Further, empty leg flights demand a certain level of flexibility, spontaneity and planning. The shorter the departure date, the cheaper the flight so last minute deals really are the best opportunity to fly private. Adding this to the fact that the route is pre-determined and mostly fixed, unless you can be flexible, you really have to be lucky to secure the right flight for you.
Don't forget, empty leg flights are often only one-way, so make sure you have an option to return, which might be on a commercial flight!
Conclusion
Empty leg flights are a fantastic way to experience private jet charter at amazing charter rates and should be snapped up if you can.
As a private jet broker, LUX JETS is able to search the market to find the possibility of an empty leg flight being available for your desired route, even if you requested a bespoke quote.
Locating an empty flight that matches your bespoke route is another benefit of using a private jet broker over going to an operator directly.
If you have flexibility on your side, then empty leg flights are a great way to enjoy luxury at accessible prices. You might not find a flight that departs to your desired destination, but if you're ready to explore the world spontaneously, there's no better way!
Subscribe to our empty leg notification list for immediate fortnightly releases.
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