Simple Flying was invited by specialist private jet booking website catch-a-jet and private jet operator DAS Private Jets GmBh to try out their Embraer Phenom 300E on an empty leg flight between Paris’s premier executive airfield Le Bourget and Luxembourg City. Let’s dive deep into how to book an empty leg and what the experience is like on the ground and onboard.

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Onboard D-CKVI, what was it like?

My aircraft for today was D-CKVI, a four-year-old Embraer Phenom 300E operating flight DWW341 for DAS Private Jets. It awaited me outside the Dassault Falcon Service Fixed Base Operation Terminal in Paris Le-Bourget. You should attend the FBO at least 30 minutes before the flight.

I got there even earlier than that, about an hour before boarding, to try out the terminal’s amenities.

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At Dassault’s FBO, the lounge hosts guests sit in an area where they can see their aircraft. An employee told me this was to maintain an atmosphere of relaxation and anticipation. He told me their clients are proud owners and passengers; they are passionate about the jet.

“It’s the least we can do to let them see it.”

After about 45 minutes and two cappuccinos, the first officer greeted me, took my bag, and escorted me to the aircraft. We had to clear a security checkpoint and walk about 50 meters to the jet waiting for us.

Unlike commercial aviation, passengers get to choose their seats because the aircraft is theirs for the duration of the flight. For takeoff, I decided on the rearmost seat to the aircraft’s right for a nice wing view.

The pilots completed the before-takeoff checklist, got ATC clearance, and within 10 minutes, we were taxiing to runway 25.

The takeoff was the fastest and most powerful I had ever experienced. We barely used any runway before we were in the air. Private jets are louder than commercial jets, and LBG is in a densely populated area; the climb angle was also one of the steepest I flew on – the EMB505 truly is a tiny rocket.

The initial climb was quite bumpy, but it stabilized as the aircraft reached its cruising altitude of 19,000ft. Ten minutes into the flight, the first officer signaled I could unbuckle my seat belt, marking the perfect time to explore the cabin and what catering awaits on such a short hop.

What to eat and drink onboard?

This is a shorter flight, clocking at just under 40 minutes from wheels up to down. Bottles were waiting onboard with refreshing towels and cute little gummy bears. Behind the first row of seats, in a small basket, was an election of German snacks. I went for peanuts.

What amenities are onboard other than catering?

Eagle-eyed avgeeks who have spotted Phenom 300Es on Flightradar24 will know that these little private jets have quite the autonomy – they can frequently be seen on flights over 3 hours. There are, therefore, a few options to get entertained. First, a set of IFE screens allows customers to control the lights and the temperature and connect their phones to the system to listen to music. Something which I tried to do, but I couldn’t master the volume properly, so I ultimately gave up.

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Photo: Benjamin Cooper | Simple Flying

It was fascinating to follow this short flight on the inflight monitors; however, it isn’t typically done commercially.

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Photo: Benjamin Cooper | Simple Flying

Configuration-wise, the aircraft has eight seats—two on the bunk in front of the door. Four seats face each other in the mid-cabin and two at the rear. To get the whole experience, I spent the entire descent on and landing on the rear-facing front seats. It was unsettling when you weren’t used to it, but the view of the engine and wing was spectacular.

Upon landing, a van was waiting to take me to the VIP terminal and shelter me from the pouring rain.

From door to door, flying in a corporate jet, even as an empty-leg customer, is a convenient, confidential, and efficient service. Thanks to empty leg flights and their affordable prices, flying in a private jet comes within reach for many people, either as a once-in-a-lifetime experience or to be used regularly as a good alternative for commercial airlines.

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How do you book an empty-leg flight?

For our hosts, Catch-a-Jet, customers have two options: download the app, which is available on both the Apple Store and Play Store, or visit the website.

App overview

Photo : catch-a-jet

In both cases, they will see on the landing page all available empty leg flights and an option to search for nearby empty leg. Unlimited searches can be completed for routes. If there is no exact match, alternative routes, when available, will be shown. The customer will receive a push notification if the desired route becomes available later. The platform will also search automatically for return flights.

The rest is like booking a commercial flight: enter the details of the person who makes the booking and the names of the passengers, confirm, and pay for the trip.

App overview with CTA

Photo : catch-a-jet

According to the Catch-a-jet CEO, Chris Kuiper, customers receive, after successful payment immediately, a booking- and payment confirmation via email and a message in the app. Flights can be paid with a credit card, PayPal, and most online e-banking methods. He told us his services make booking more intuitive than the competition.

How is your flight then arranged?

After successful payment, the customer is officially transferred from Catch-a-Jet to a sales representative of the airline, who will send the customer a so-called trip sheet. This refers to a PDF document discussing key details: aircraft type, registration, FBO Terminal rendez-vous point, departure time, and passenger information, which must be confirmed with a valid government-issued ID.

An Embraer Phenom 300EX flying in the sky.
Photo: Embraer

If available, the customer can also request catering. By default, there may not be more than just a few snacks onboard, as was our case. Overall, the ease of searching and booking empty leg flights is second to none through the Catch-a-Jet app.

Bottom line

I boarded a private jet with DAS Private Jets for an empty-leg flight from Paris to Luxembourg. The experience was luxurious, with personalized service and amenities. The booking process through Catch-a-Jet was straightforward, and the cost was surprisingly affordable.


  • TECH-SHARK_EXTERIOR_004

    Embraer

    Stock Code:
    ERJ

    Date Founded:
    1969-08-19

    CEO:
    Francisco Gomes Neto

    Headquarters Location:
    Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Key Product Lines:
    Embraer 170, Embraer 175, Embraer 190, Embraer 195, Embraer 175-E2, Embraer 190-E2, Embraer 195-E2

    Business Type:
    Planemaker

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