Business jet travel is often affiliated with lavish travel for celebrities and VIPs. However, in recent years, flying on such a jet has become more readily accessible, allowing more people to enjoy the private jet experience than ever before. The private aviation industry has shifted in this direction due to many factors, including increased competition, more availability, and different charter options.
In the past, to fly in this manner, private passengers had to be full owners; this is no longer the case in the current business aviation environment. Today, there are charter companies, yearly memberships, shared private jets, fractional ownership, and sometimes even scheduled flights. So how can passengers book empty seats on private jets cheaply?
Empty legs
For anyone who loves luxury, flying private is the ultimate way to travel. Although charting a jet for yourself is a more traditional way of flying private, there are ways to pay much less. One of these is by utilizing empty-leg flights, allowing travelers to get the entire business aviation experience at a fraction of the cost. An empty leg is when a private jet flies without any passengers to position for another flight. These flights are also called ferry flights, dead-heads, and repositioning flights.
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These empty-leg flights are costly for the private jet company as, understandably, they are not earning any revenue from the flight. To cut their losses, companies offer empty legs at a heavy discount, between 25% and 50%, and sometimes even more, off the standard charter price. For a short flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, instead of paying $15,000 for a private jet, an empty leg can cost as low as $5,000.
That being said, being able to fly on an empty-leg flight is not as easy as it seems. This is because the empty legs are flown to specific destinations to reposition the aircraft for a full-price paying traveler, so you have no choice but to follow the schedule.
As a result, empty-leg flights are prone to changes and cancellations as they operate on charter passenger plans. Passengers who fly private often work on a last-minute schedule, so an empty leg flight could be canceled and replaced with a traveler who paid full price for a charter at the last second.
These empty-leg flights happen more often than people may think, however. According to charter operator XO, between 30% and 50% of their private jet fleet flies empty. But empty-leg flights are posted at the last minute, and the routes can be very random.
Book last minute
It is best to book an empty-leg flight at most a week before the departure date; however, the better the latter. Travelers often book these flights just a few days before or even on the day of departure. If you book an empty-leg flight way in advance, there is a good chance it will get canceled. That being said, if you book an empty-leg flight on the day of, the empty-leg flight will likely operate as scheduled.
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A big mistake travelers may make is booking an empty-leg flight well in advance, planning a vacation around the flight, and then finding out the flight was canceled. In order to ensure you will not fall victim, it is best to have a backup plan if the empty-leg flight does not work out. This could mean booking extra refundable tickets between the city pairs, so you will still reach your destination.
Bottom line
Albeit not all charter companies market these empty-leg flights, most of them do as it allows them to generate extra revenue while maximizing their fleet utilization. Some companies even advertise empty-leg flights, acting as intermediaries, similar to online travel agency websites.
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It is not hard to find these empty-leg flights, and you can browse the flights through charter companies such as New Flight Charters, VistaJet, and Victor, among many others. Some companies allow you to choose the preferred departure airport and will send alerts when new flights from that airport become available.
As commercial prices continue to climb uphill, flying on an empty leg or semi-private jet offers a better value than ever before. Private jets are no longer just for the rich and the famous; there are cheap ways to get a taste of the coveted business jet experience.
Have you ever flown on a private jet? Let us know in the comments below.