Empty Leg Flights Explained: How to Save 25-75% on a Private Jet

An empty leg is any flight that a private jet must make without paying passengers on board. It is a byproduct of the economics of private aviation.

Every charter creates a positioning problem. When an aircraft flies a client from New York to London, it ends up in London. To pick up its next client in Miami, it must fly from London to Miami, largely empty. That London to Miami flight is an empty leg. The operator still pays for fuel, crew, and maintenance on that sector whether passengers are aboard or not.

Rather than absorb that cost entirely, operators offer empty legs at discounted rates. A passenger who can match their travel to an available empty leg gets a significant price reduction. The operator recovers some cost. Both parties benefit.

Empty legs are created by three situations.

The private aviation market generates thousands of empty legs every day because aircraft rarely end up where they started. Major charter corridors (New York to Miami, Los Angeles to Las Vegas, London to the South of France) generate the most empty legs because those routes have the highest one-way charter volume.

Empty leg pricing is driven by three factors: the standard charter rate for the aircraft, the actual fuel and operating cost of the sector, and demand for that specific route and date.

A heavy jet empty leg from London to New York that would normally cost $95,000 may be available at $40,000-$65,000 depending on timing, route demand, and how far in advance it is offered. The operator sets the price based on what they need to recover rather than a fixed formula.

Typical empty leg discounts run 25-75% below the standard charter rate for the same aircraft on the same route. The range is wide because pricing depends on urgency, route, and operator.

These are illustrative ranges. The actual discount on any specific empty leg depends on the operator, the urgency, and the route demand at that moment. There is no industry standard for empty leg pricing.

Empty legs offer significant savings but come with restrictions that make them unsuitable for all travel situations.

1. Fixed Route

The aircraft goes from City A to City B on a specific date. You cannot reverse the direction (B to A) and very rarely extend the route, or add a stop. The routing is determined entirely by the operator's operational need, not by your preference.

2. Fixed Departure Window

Departure is within a narrow window, typically 1-4 hours. You cannot move the departure to the following morning or the previous evening. If your schedule cannot accommodate the available window, the empty leg is not usable.

3. Short Booking Notice

Most empty legs are announced 24-72 hours before departure. Some are posted further in advance, but availability at that range is less certain. Empty legs require either standing availability or rapid decision-making.

4. Cancellation Risk

If the charter that creates the empty leg is cancelled, the empty leg disappears with it. An operator whose client cancels a New York to Miami booking no longer needs the Miami to New York return sector. Clients who have made connecting travel arrangements on an empty leg may face disruption if the originating booking cancels.

5. No Guarantee of Specific Aircraft

The aircraft type on an empty leg is fixed to whatever aircraft is operating the originating charter. You cannot request a different category. If the available empty leg aircraft is smaller than you prefer, there is no upgrade option.

6. Not Available on All Routes or Dates

Empty legs are concentrations of supply on specific corridors at specific times. For unusual routes or precise dates, an empty leg may not exist. Charter at standard rate is the only alternative when no empty leg is available.

Empty leg supply peaks at predictable times and on predictable corridors. These windows offer the best combination of availability and discount.

Empty legs work best as the return leg of a trip when the outbound flight is a confirmed standard charter. Use the confirmed charter for the time-critical departure direction. Sign up for empty leg alerts on the return corridor. If an empty leg appears at the right time, use it and save 25-75% on the return. If no empty leg appears, book a standard return charter.

Empty legs are not listed on a centralized public market. They are managed by individual operators and shared through brokers like Hogani Jets, who maintain relationships with multiple operators.

• Contact Hogani Jets and specify your target route, preferred dates, and flexibility window. The wider your flexibility, the better your chances of matching an available empty leg.
• Hogani Jets monitors available positions across the operator network and sends alerts when matching empty legs appear on your target corridor.
• Move quickly when an empty leg is offered. Premium positions fill within hours, sometimes minutes, of being released.
• Confirm your ground arrangements before committing to an empty leg. Cancellation by the operator means you may need to pivot to a standard charter at short notice.
• Ask Hogani Jets about the originating charter that creates the empty leg. Understanding the originating flight helps assess how likely the empty leg is to hold.

Contact Hogani Jets at charter@hoganijets.com or +1-855-660-0573 to register your target routes for empty leg alerts.

Yes. Federal Excise Tax applies to empty leg flights on domestic US routes exactly as it applies to standard charter. The 7.5% FET is calculated on the empty leg price, not the standard charter rate.

Example: A super midsize empty leg at $20,000 on a domestic route carries a $1,500 FET, bringing the total to $21,500. The FET is lower in absolute terms than on a standard charter for the same aircraft (which might be $37,500 x 7.5% = $2,813), but the percentage is identical.

International empty legs carry no Federal Excise Tax, consistent with standard international charter rules.

Register your target routes with Hogani Jets and receive alerts when matching empty leg positions become available. No commitment required until you confirm a specific position.

Call +1-855-660-0573 or email charter@hoganijets.com with your target route and flexibility window.

What is an empty leg flight?

An empty leg flight occurs when a private jet flies without paying passengers to reposition for its next charter. Operators offer these mandatory repositioning flights at significant discounts, rather than flying empty, recovering some operating costs on fixed routes.

How much cheaper is an empty leg than a regular charter?

Empty leg private jet flights typically cost 25% to 75% less than standard charter rates. For example, a heavy jet transatlantic flight normally costing $84,000 may drop to $50,000 as an empty leg deal, depending on route demand and timing.

What are the risks of booking an empty leg?

The primary risk of booking an empty leg private jet flight is sudden cancellation. If the primary charter client cancels their trip, your corresponding empty leg disappears. Always maintain a commercial airline backup plan for time-critical travel using empty legs.

Can you request any route or time on an empty leg?

Yes, but empty leg private jet flights offer very little routing or departure flexibility. The aircraft must reposition on a strict schedule. If your itinerary does not exactly match the operator's repositioning window, you must book a standard private jet charter instead.

How do I find empty leg flights?

To find empty leg private jet deals, contact Hogani Jets to register your preferred dates and routes. Hogani Jets continuously monitors the global operator network and sends immediate alerts when matching empty legs appear, allowing you to secure premium positions.

When are the most empty legs available?

Empty leg private jet supply peaks predictably after major holidays and events. The highest volume occurs post-Christmas on Caribbean routes. Massive single-day empty leg spikes happen immediately after the Super Bowl or Monaco Grand Prix as jets reposition home simultaneously.

Can I negotiate the price of an empty leg?

Empty leg private jet prices offer less negotiation room than standard charters, as pricing floors reflect absolute fuel and crew costs. Modest 5% to 15% discounts are possible on advanced bookings, but short-notice empty legs under 24 hours lack flexibility.

Is an empty leg the same as a deadhead flight?

Yes, an empty leg and a deadhead flight represent the exact same concept: a private jet flying without revenue passengers to reposition. Aviation insiders typically use "deadhead," while consumer marketing uses "empty leg," but both offer identical discounted charter rates.

Do empty legs require the same safety standards as regular charters?

Yes, every empty leg private jet flight operates under the exact same FAA Part 135 or Part 121 safety certifications as standard charters. This ensures identical insurance, maintenance, and crew qualifications, regardless of the discounted empty leg price.

Can I book a round trip using two empty legs?

While occasionally possible, booking a round trip using two separate empty leg private jet flights is highly unpredictable. Most travelers use a confirmed standard charter for the primary outbound leg and book an opportunistic empty leg for the return.

Do empty leg private jet flights include catering? 

Yes, standard catering is usually included, but due to the short notice of most empty leg private jet flights, custom premium menus may be unavailable. Always confirm with your charter broker if you have specific dietary restrictions before booking.

Can I bring my pet on an empty leg private jet flight? 

Yes, many empty leg private jet flights are pet-friendly. However, because you are booking a fairly strict repositioning route, the aircraft operator must explicitly approve your pet beforehand. Always provide your pet's breed and weight when requesting empty leg deals.