You have always wanted to charter a private jet, whether for work or for pleasure. The problem is that you have yet to find a private jet chartering your budget. Admittedly, while flying private comes with countless advantages, commercial flights will always be the cheaper alternative, but there are ways that you may be able to take advantage of reduced private jet rental costs. Today, we’re talking about empty-leg flights, what they are, and how to make use of them. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know.
What Is an Empty-Leg Flight?
Let’s say that one of our pilots completes a flight from Dallas to Chicago, where the passenger intends to stay for over a week. In the meantime, we need that pilot and that jet back here in Dallas to complete another scheduled flight. The flight from Chicago back to Dallas will be completed without passengers, making it an empty-leg flight.
In other words, an empty-leg flight is basically any repositioning of a private jet that occurs without passengers. Sometimes, those flights are available for booking.
How Much Cheaper is an Empty-Leg Flight?
Booking an empty-leg flight can be mutually beneficial for private jet chartering companies and passengers. By selling seats on these flights, companies can reduce their cost of operations. Because of this, many companies will offer these seats at a considerable discount.
The size of that discount will vary based on the company, and possibly on additional factors like how long the flight is and how soon it’s coming up. Empty-leg flight discounts tend to start at about 30% and go up to a whopping 75%.
The Advantages of Booking an Empty-Leg Flight
The advantage of booking an empty-leg flight is pretty obvious: it costs less money. Plus, it may not be as difficult as you think, assuming you’re willing to put in a little extra time and effort.
You may need to contact a few different private jet chartering companies to find one that has an available empty-leg flight that meets your scheduling needs. This can be a very feasible booking method for people with more flexibility in their schedules, like retirees, adventurous travelers, and business owners.
The Disadvantages of Booking an Empty-Leg Flight
In most cases, flying private gives you a level of flexibility that can’t be matched by any commercial airline. You can set things like departure times and destinations based entirely on your own schedule and travel needs.
The same can’t be said for booking an empty-leg flight. To get that desirable discount, you’ll need to plan your trip around the pilot’s scheduled departure time and destination. Plus, snagging an empty-leg seat isn’t a guarantee, and you shouldn’t count on that discounted rate until you know you’ve booked a flight.
Are you wondering about our upcoming availability at North Dallas Aviation? Contact us today and let us know a bit about your travel needs.