Private jet travel has a reputation for being out of reach, but a few kinds of flights cost far less than a standard charter. The biggest is the empty leg: a flight the aircraft has to make anyway, with no passengers booked on it. This guide explains how discounted private jets work, where empty legs come from, which routes tend to have them, and how to book one. It also covers other ways to fly private for less with BLADE.
What Are Discounted Private Jets?
Discounted private jets are charter flights sold below the usual price because of how the aircraft is scheduled, not because of a lesser aircraft or crew. The discount comes from timing and direction.
The main types are:
- Empty leg flights (also called dead legs or empty sectors). The aircraft has to reposition with no paying passengers, so the operator sells the trip at a lower price.
- Last-minute private jet flights. Seats or aircraft that are still unsold close to departure.
- One-way transients. One-way trips priced to fill an aircraft that would otherwise fly back empty.
- Ferry flights. Repositioning trips the operator schedules for its own reasons, with the cabin offered for sale.
Interest in these flights is growing. Google searches for empty-leg flights rose by 120% during 2023, according to Forbes.
A discounted flight is still a private charter. Flights BLADE arranges in the United States are operated by DOT/FAA licensed direct air carriers, whatever the price.
How Do Empty Leg Flights Work?
An empty leg happens when a private jet has to fly a route with nobody on board. The operator can fly it empty and earn nothing, or sell it for less and recover part of the cost. Because the aircraft is already committed to that route and time, the price is usually well below a standard charter.
Why Empty Legs Exist
Most empty legs come from repositioning. A client books a one-way flight, and afterward the jet has to return to its base or fly on to pick up its next passengers. That return or onward trip becomes an empty leg.
There are a lot of them. Travel agency Oliver's Travels estimates that 25 to 50% of private jets could be flying empty, as reported by Forbes.
How Much Can You Save?
Savings depend on the route, the aircraft and how close to departure you book. Operators set empty leg prices one flight at a time, so there is no fixed discount. Compare the empty leg price with a quote for a standard charter on the same route to see what you actually save.
Two things hold for every empty leg:
- The route is fixed. You have to match the departure airport and destination the operator offers.
- The schedule can change. The empty leg only exists because of another booking, so if that booking moves, your flight can move or be cancelled too. Keep a backup plan for anything time-critical.
Where to Find Discounted Private Jet Deals
Empty legs are listed by charter operators, brokers and booking apps, usually on a deals or empty-leg page. No single source lists every flight, because repositioning schedules are not shared across every platform. Check more than one source for your route.
Most deal pages and apps let you set alerts for a city pair. Good empty legs can go quickly, so an alert that reaches you as soon as a flight is listed gives you the best chance of booking it.
What Routes Are Typically Available?
Empty legs follow wherever private jets fly most often, so busy private aviation airports and popular one-way routes produce the most listings. The exact routes change every day as schedules shift.
Research by Oliver's Travels, reported by Forbes, gives a sense of the pattern:
- New York area: Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, just outside New York City, is the US airport with the most frequent empty-leg departures.
- United States, best value: the Colorado to Texas route, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, at $160 per person on average.
- From the UK: the best-value route was Bristol International Airport to Paris-Le Bourget for $316, and Paris is the destination with the most empty-leg flights from the UK.
Flexibility is the biggest advantage you can bring. If you can leave from a nearby airport or travel a day earlier or later, you will see far more options. For flights out of the New York area, see empty leg flights from NYC.
Other Ways to Fly Private for Less with BLADE
Empty legs are not the only way to lower the cost of flying private. BLADE offers two other options.
- Crowdsource your charter. When you charter a flight with BLADE, you can choose to crowdsource it. BLADE sells your unused seats in the BLADE app, and the seats that sell are credited back to you as BLADE credits toward future flights. A crowdsourced flight leaves at its scheduled time, because other passengers are flying with you.
- Fly by the seat. BLADEone runs between Westchester and Miami or Palm Beach on a commercial-sized jet with just 16 seats, November through early May. Seat packs start from $2,300 per seat. Manhattan passengers can connect by helicopter to or from the jet in about 12 minutes.
BLADE also arranges private charters of jets, helicopters and turboprops if you want the whole aircraft on your own schedule. For more ways to save, see the cheapest way to fly private.
How to Book a Discounted Private Jet in 3 Steps
- Set destination alerts. Choose your city pair and sign up for deal notifications from the operators, brokers or apps that list empty legs.
- Browse and compare. When a flight matches your route, check the departure time, the aircraft type and the number of seats against your plans. Compare the price with a standard charter quote.
- Confirm quickly. A discounted flight is not yours until payment is complete and the operator confirms it. Ask what happens if the original booking changes, and read the cancellation terms before you pay.
Once your flight is confirmed, plan the trip to the airport around it. Private flights often leave from smaller airports, and getting there on time matters.