Pricing Guide · March 2026

What Is an Empty Leg Flight and How Do You Find One?

Empty leg flights are one of the most misunderstood opportunities in private aviation. Here is how they actually work and what you need to know before chasing one.

What is an empty leg flight?

When a private jet is chartered one-way, it must return to its home base or reposition to its next assignment — empty. This repositioning flight, known as an empty leg or deadhead flight, represents a real cost to the operator. To partially offset this cost, operators and brokers sometimes offer empty leg seats at a significant discount — typically 25–75% below the standard charter rate for that sector.

Why empty legs exist

Consider a simple example. A client charters a Phenom 300 from London Farnborough to Nice for a Thursday afternoon departure. The aircraft flies to Nice with passengers, drops them, and then needs to return to London empty on Friday morning. If the operator can fill those seats — even at a fraction of the standard rate — it reduces their net cost. The client who books the empty leg gets a private jet experience at a fraction of the normal price.

The real limitations of empty legs

Empty legs sound like an obvious opportunity. In practice, they come with significant constraints.

Fixed routing

An empty leg flies from point A to point B. You cannot change the route, divert to a different destination, or adjust the itinerary.

Fixed timing

Empty legs operate on the operator's schedule, not yours. Departure times are determined by when the originating charter lands.

Short notice

Most empty legs become available within a few days — sometimes hours — of the flight. Planning a holiday around an empty leg is impractical for most people.

Cancellation risk

If the originating charter is cancelled or rescheduled, the empty leg disappears with it. Operators typically cancel empty leg bookings with little notice.

How to find empty legs

Several platforms aggregate empty leg availability from operators and brokers. Key platforms include PrivateFly, Victor, and JetSmarter. The most reliable way to access empty legs consistently is through a broker relationship — a broker who knows your travel patterns can flag relevant opportunities as they arise. You can also browse available empty legs directly on JetQuote at jetquote.app/empty-legs.

Browse available empty legs

See discounted private jet sectors posted directly by operators and brokers.

View empty legs →