What is an empty leg flight?
Empty leg flights explained: why private jets fly empty, how repositioning flights are sold at a discount, what the savings really are and what the catches are.
Read the guideGuides
Fly private, better informed.
Empty Leg Exclusive publishes 15 plain-English guides to empty leg flights and private jet hire: how empty legs work, what they cost, what can go wrong, and the practicalities of charter from terminals to pets. Each guide opens with a direct answer, carries at least one table, and lists the sources it was checked against.
| Guides | 15 |
|---|---|
| Topics | Empty legs (9), Cost (3), Charter basics (4) |
| Format | Direct answer first, at least one table, sources listed |
| Reviewed | By the Empty Leg Exclusive Editorial Team; dates change only when content changes |
Empty legs
How to book an empty leg, and what can go wrong
A step-by-step guide to booking an empty leg private jet flight, from enquiry to boarding, including the timing risks, payment terms and the questions to ask.
Read the guide
Empty legs, on-demand charter or a jet card?
Compare the three ways to fly private: empty legs, on-demand charter and jet cards. Costs, flexibility, availability and who each option suits.
Read the guide
How to find empty leg flights
Where empty leg flights are listed, how route alerts work, how much notice to expect, and how to check the operator before you pay. Written by a broker.
Read the guide
Are empty leg flights worth it? The pros and cons
The case for and against empty leg flights: the 25–75% saving, what you give up for it, who they suit, and when a full charter or airline seat is better.
Read the guide
What happens if an empty leg flight is cancelled
Why empty leg flights get cancelled, what is known about how often, what happens to your money, what you are offered instead, and how to limit the damage.
Read the guide
Can you book a single seat on an empty leg?
Most empty legs are sold as the whole aircraft. Where single seats exist, who sells them, US Part 380 rules behind seat sales, and what one traveller pays.
Read the guide
How far ahead are empty leg flights published?
Most empty leg flights are published a few days before departure, some only hours before, a few weeks out. Why the notice is short and how to plan around it.
Read the guide
Are empty leg flights safe?
An empty leg is flown by the same operator, aircraft and crew, under the same rules, as a full-price charter. The rules, the accident data, and how to check.
Read the guideCost
Private jet cost per hour by aircraft type
Hourly charter rates for turboprop, light, midsize, super-midsize, heavy and ultra-long-range jets, compiled from three 2026 guides. Estimates, not quotes.
Read the guide
Why one-way private jet flights cost more than you expect
One-way charter quotes include the aircraft’s return to base, a two-hour daily minimum and crew overnights. How the pricing works and where empty legs fit.
Read the guidePrivate jet vs first class: when each makes sense
Private jet charter and airline first class compared on price per seat, time, baggage, tax and routes, with the cases where each is the better choice.
Read the guideCharter basics
Empty legs, on-demand charter or a jet card?
Compare the three ways to fly private: empty legs, on-demand charter and jet cards. Costs, flexibility, availability and who each option suits.
Read the guidePrivate jet terminals (FBOs) explained
What an FBO is, what happens when you arrive, which fees it charges, and the UK and US border paperwork that must be filed before a private flight departs.
Read the guide
How to check a charter operator is legal
How to confirm an operator holds an FAA Part 135 certificate or a UK or EU Air Operator Certificate, illegal charter red flags and what a broker owes you.
Read the guide
Flying privately with pets
Pets can travel in the cabin on a chartered private plane. The UK, EU and US entry rules, documents and lead times, operator policies and the costs to expect.
Read the guideLast reviewed 20 September 2026 by Empty Leg Exclusive Editorial Team.
Get a quote
Your next flight. Let’s find it.
Tell us where you want to go and when. We will check the empty legs that fit and reply the same day.
- Licensed operators only
- Same-day replies
- Whole-aircraft pricing, no seat fees