Guide
Someone else's repositioning is your discount.
Empty legs are the closest thing to a genuine deal in private aviation — here's exactly how they work, why they're cheaper, and the real tradeoff you're accepting.
What It Is
After dropping passengers off, an aircraft often has to fly back empty — or fly to its next pickup with no one aboard. That's an empty leg, also called a repositioning or deadhead flight. The operator is paying for that flight regardless of whether anyone's on it, which is exactly why it can be sold at a steep discount instead of flying empty.
Why It's Cheaper
The operator's crew, fuel, and flight time are already committed — selling the seats simply offsets a cost they were going to absorb either way. That's fundamentally different from standard charter pricing, which has to cover the full round-trip cost of positioning an aircraft to you and back.
The Tradeoff
Empty legs exist on the aircraft's timeline, not yours — fixed date, fixed route, sometimes fixed departure window with little flexibility. They're a genuine bargain for travelers with flexible plans, and a poor fit for anyone locked into a specific date or exact routing.
Fit Check
Open dates, adjustable plans, or a second home you visit often — empty legs reward flexibility with real savings.
A wedding, a closing, a specific meeting time — anything non-negotiable is better served by standard charter.
Getting Access
Jet Card members see empty-leg opportunities first, before they're offered more broadly. Anyone can also join the general registry for occasional alerts on routes worth watching — no membership required, just less priority than members get.
Explore Jet Card Membership →Questions
Discounts vary widely by route and notice, but they're frequently offered well below standard charter rates for the same aircraft and distance.
It ranges from several days to, occasionally, same-day — the tighter the notice, the steeper the potential discount, since the operator has fewer chances to sell it.
Yes, up to the aircraft's seating, though empty legs are typically smaller aircraft on shorter, opportunistic routes rather than large-group airliners.
Stay Flexible