Empty legs, on-demand charter or a jet card?
Empty legs, on-demand charter and jet cards are the three main ways to fly privately without owning an aircraft. Empty legs cost 25–75% less than charter but fix the schedule; charter flies when you say and costs full rate; jet cards prepay 25 hours or more for assured availability at a fixed hourly rate. Flexible travellers gain most from empty legs, fixed-date travellers from charter.
| Empty leg | 25–75% below charter; schedule set by the operator |
|---|---|
| On-demand charter | Full rate; you choose aircraft, airports and time |
| Jet card | Prepaid block of hours; assured availability |
| Best for empty legs | Flexible dates, one-way trips, groups |
| Best for jet cards | More than about 25 hours a year on fixed dates |
There are three main ways to fly on a private jet without owning one. Each trades price against certainty in a different way.
Empty legs
Best for: flexible travellers who want the lowest price. Typical saving: 50 to 75 percent against charter.
You fly on a repositioning flight that already exists. The price is excellent because the operator is recovering cost rather than making a full margin. The trade-off is that the route, date and time are set by someone else’s booking and can change. Perfect for spontaneous trips and regular routes with alerts; less suited to fixed appointments.
On-demand charter
Best for: fixed dates, specific aircraft, round trips. Typical cost: from around 5,000 pounds an hour for a light jet to 12,000 and more for a heavy jet.
You choose the aircraft, the airports and the time, and the aircraft flies when you say. You pay for every sector, including the positioning flights to and from the aircraft’s base, which is why a one-way charter often costs almost as much as a round trip. Charter is the right answer when the flight has to happen.
Jet cards and memberships
Best for: frequent flyers who want assured availability. Typical cost: a prepaid block of 25 hours or more at a fixed hourly rate, often 100,000 pounds and up.
You buy hours in advance on a category of aircraft and the provider guarantees an aircraft with a set notice period. The hourly rate is usually higher than a well-brokered charter, but you gain predictability and no positioning charges. Worth it above roughly 25 hours a year with fixed-date travel; poor value below that.
A simple way to decide
| Question | Choose |
|---|---|
| Are your dates flexible by a day or two? | Empty legs |
| Must the flight happen at a specific time? | Charter |
| Do you fly privately more than 25 hours a year on fixed dates? | Jet card |
| Do you fly a few regular routes, some flexible? | Empty leg alerts plus charter as a fallback |
Many of our clients use a mix: alerts for their regular routes, an empty leg whenever one fits, and a charter when it does not. There is no membership fee for that approach and it usually beats a jet card on cost.
Frequently asked questions
How much can you save with an empty leg?
Typically 25–75% against the standard one-way charter price for the same aircraft and route. The largest discounts appear close to departure on routes with little demand. Popular routes at peak times are discounted less.
Are empty legs always one way?
Yes, by definition. Many travellers pair an empty leg in one direction with an airline ticket or standard charter in the other.
What happens if no empty leg matches my route?
We quote a standard charter so you can compare, and set an alert so you hear as soon as a matching empty leg is published.
Do you pay per seat or for the whole aircraft?
Almost always the whole aircraft. An empty leg on an eight-seat jet costs the same for one passenger or eight, which is why empty legs work best for groups. A few operators and apps sell single seats on selected flights; where that applies, the listing says so.
Sources
- Business Travel Executive, "Empty Legs, Empty Promises?", 2023-02-02 (accessed 2026-09-20). XO estimate that 30–50% of the charter fleet often flies empty; Victor on savings of up to 75%; Chapman Freeborn on change and cancellation risk.
- Paramount Business Jets, "Private Jet Rental | Jet Cost & Hourly Rates (2026)", 2026-08 (accessed 2026-09-20)
Last reviewed 20 September 2026 by Empty Leg Exclusive Editorial Team.
