Empty Leg Flights: How to Fly Private for 25-75% Off

How Empty Legs Work

The mechanics are simple:

1. 01A client books a one-way charter from New York to Miami
2. 02After dropping off the client in Miami, the jet needs to fly back to New York (or to its next pick-up location)
3. 03That return flight with no passengers is the empty leg
4. 04The operator lists the empty leg at a discount to attract a buyer
5. 05If someone books the empty leg, the operator recovers fuel, crew, and maintenance costs instead of eating them entirely

Empty legs exist because one-way demand creates repositioning flights. Every one-way charter generates an empty leg in the opposite direction. On high-traffic routes (New York to Florida, LA to Vegas, Boston to Nantucket), empty legs are abundant.

Typical Discounts

Empty leg discounts typically range from 25% to 75% off the equivalent one-way charter rate:

The exact discount depends on:

• How badly the operator needs to fill the leg. An aircraft that must reposition regardless will be priced aggressively.
• The route's demand. Popular routes may see smaller discounts because the operator expects to sell the leg.
• Time until departure. Empty legs listed well in advance may start at moderate discounts. Those listed close to departure (24-48 hours) are often the deepest discounts because the operator is running out of time to sell.
• Aircraft desirability. A newer jet with a premium interior may be discounted less than an older aircraft.

Where to Find Empty Legs

Bravo Empty Legs Board

Check Bravo's empty legs board for available repositioning flights. The board shows route, aircraft type, date/time, and pricing.

Broker and Operator Apps

Most charter brokers and larger operators maintain empty leg listings on their websites and apps. Some send email alerts for routes matching your preferences.

Direct from Operators

If you have a relationship with a charter operator, ask to be on their empty leg notification list. Operators prefer to sell directly because there is no broker commission.

Aggregator Websites

Several websites aggregate empty legs from multiple operators and brokers. These can be useful for seeing what is available across the market, though the listings may not always be current.

How to Book an Empty Leg

The booking process is faster than a standard charter:

1. 01Find a leg that matches your route and dates. The route is fixed. The date and approximate time are fixed. You are fitting your schedule to the aircraft, not the other way around.

1. 01Contact the operator or broker. Confirm the leg is still available (empty legs can sell or be canceled quickly).

1. 01Review the terms. Understand the cancellation policy (see below). Confirm the aircraft type, passenger capacity, and any luggage restrictions.

1. 01Pay and confirm. Most empty legs require full payment at booking. Credit card or wire.

1. 01Show up and fly. Arrive at the FBO at the confirmed time. Board and depart.

The Trade-Offs

Empty legs are cheap for a reason. You are buying a product with significant constraints:

Fixed Route

The departure and arrival airports are set by the primary trip. You cannot change them. If the empty leg is Van Nuys to Las Vegas but you need Burbank to Henderson, that leg does not work for you. Some operators allow minor route adjustments (different airports in the same metro area), but most do not.

Fixed Schedule

The departure time is set by the primary trip's completion. If the primary flight arrives in Miami at 3 PM, the empty leg departing Miami will be scheduled for 4-5 PM. You cannot move it to the morning. Some flexibility exists (30-60 minutes), but the schedule is fundamentally driven by the primary customer.

Cancellation Risk

This is the biggest trade-off. If the primary trip changes (cancellation, delay, route change), your empty leg may be canceled with it. Most empty leg contracts include a cancellation clause that allows the operator to cancel without penalty if the primary trip changes.

What this means practically: do not book an empty leg for a flight you absolutely cannot miss. Do not book an empty leg for a meeting with no fallback option. Empty legs are best for flexible, non-critical travel.

One-Way Only

Empty legs are inherently one-way. If you need a round-trip, you would need to find empty legs in both directions on compatible dates, which is possible but unlikely.

Limited Availability Windows

Empty legs appear and disappear quickly. A leg that is available today may be booked or canceled by tomorrow. Monitoring empty leg boards daily is necessary if you are waiting for a specific route.

Best Routes for Empty Legs

Some corridors generate consistently high empty leg availability:

• New York to Florida (and reverse): KTEB/KHPN to KOPF/KFLL, driven by massive one-way snowbird and business traffic
• Los Angeles to Las Vegas (and reverse): weekend leisure traffic creates constant repositioning
• Los Angeles to San Francisco (and reverse): business corridor with high one-way demand
• Los Angeles to Miami (and reverse): entertainment and business traffic generates empty legs in both directions
• Northeast to Nantucket/Martha's Vineyard (summer): heavy one-way weekend traffic creates empty legs back to the mainland
• Boston to Miami (and reverse): seasonal snowbird demand creates directional imbalances
• Seattle to Los Angeles (and reverse): tech executive corridor with frequent one-way travel

Who Empty Legs Are Best For

The ideal empty leg traveler:

• Has flexible dates and times
• Can shift plans on short notice (48 hours or less)
• Does not have a fixed itinerary that depends on the flight
• Is willing to adapt their destination to available routes
• Has experience with private aviation (understands the product)
• Can tolerate the cancellation risk

Empty legs are not ideal for:

• Travelers with rigid schedules and unmovable meetings
• First-time private fliers who need a guaranteed, polished experience
• Group travel where everyone's schedule must align precisely
• International travel (empty legs are rare on international routes due to customs complexity)

Making Empty Legs Work for You

Set Up Alerts

If you fly a regular route, set up alerts on Bravo and with operators you trust. When an empty leg appears on your route, you will be notified.

Be Ready to Move

Empty legs reward decisiveness. When a matching leg appears, book quickly. They sell fast, especially on popular routes at deep discounts.

Have Backup Plans

Because empty legs can be canceled, always have a backup plan. Can you take a commercial flight if the empty leg falls through? Can you shift the trip by a day?

Combine with One-Way Needs

Empty legs are perfect for one-way travel needs. Flying to a vacation destination? Book an empty leg for one direction and a standard charter or commercial flight for the return.

Browse available empty legs on Bravo's empty legs board. For standard charter quotes, use the Bravo cost estimator or request quotes directly.