Empty Leg Flights vs. Regular Charter: Which Is Right for You?

Table of contents

1. What is an empty leg flight?
2. What is a regular on-demand charter?
3. How they compare: six key dimensions
4. When an empty leg is the right choice
5. When a full charter is the right choice
6. The real cost difference
7. Frequently asked questions

Empty leg flights and regular on-demand charters are both whole-aircraft private jet bookings operated by FAA Part 135 certified carriers. The aircraft, the crew, and the safety standards are identical. What differs is how the flight originates, what you control, and what you pay. Understanding those differences lets you choose the right product for your trip.

What is an empty leg flight?

An empty leg is a repositioning flight: a private jet that needs to travel from point A to point B without passengers because the operator has a booking at the destination or needs to return the aircraft to its home base. The route, departure airport, arrival airport, and schedule are all determined by the operator’s existing booking , not by you.

The operator lists this flight on a marketplace like SkyAccess at 25–75% below the standard charter rate. You book the whole aircraft. The discount exists because the operator would fly this route regardless , you are paying the incremental cost of carrying passengers, not the full charter margin.

What is a regular on-demand charter?

An on-demand charter is a private jet flight created specifically for you. You specify the origin airport, the destination, the departure date and time, and the aircraft category you want. The operator prices the flight based on your requirements and quotes a rate. You pay the full charter cost , which covers the aircraft, crew, fuel, fees, and margin , for both the outbound leg and any deadhead (empty) positioning the operator must do to get the aircraft to your departure point.

You control the schedule entirely. The trade-off is price: a full on-demand charter costs significantly more than an empty leg on the same route.

How they compare: six key dimensions

Schedule control. Full charter: you set the time. Empty leg: the operator sets the time based on their repositioning need. This is the fundamental difference.

Route. Full charter: you choose origin and destination. Empty leg: both are fixed by the operator’s existing schedule. You cannot change the departure or arrival airport.

Aircraft selection. Full charter: you request a specific aircraft category (light, midsize, heavy) and the broker or marketplace matches you. Empty leg: the aircraft is whichever jet the operator needs to reposition. You select from what is available on the marketplace.

Price. Full charter: full rate, typically $2,000–$13,000 per flight hour depending on aircraft. Empty leg: 25–75% below the full rate, with the discount reflecting the operator’s repositioning economics.

Cancellation risk. Full charter: very low , you booked the flight, so it only cancels if there is an aircraft mechanical or a weather/ATC event. Empty leg: 10–15% cancellation rate (NBAA) because the flight is tied to a primary charter that may itself change or cancel.

Lead time. Full charter: can be booked weeks or months in advance. Empty leg: typically appears 24–72 hours before departure; occasionally up to 14 days out.

When an empty leg is the right choice

An empty leg is the right product when:

• Your schedule is flexible and you can fit your travel around a departure window, not the other way around.
• You are traveling in one direction on a route that generates consistent empty leg inventory . LA to Vegas, NYC to Miami, Dallas to Houston, Miami to Nassau.
• You have a target date range but not a fixed departure time, and you can monitor the marketplace for a listing that fits.
• Price sensitivity is a priority and the savings of 25–75% materially affect your decision to fly private at all.

When a full charter is the right choice

A full on-demand charter is the right product when:

• Your departure time is fixed , a board meeting, an event, a connection you cannot miss.
• Your route is unusual or low-frequency and empty leg inventory on that corridor is scarce.
• You need a specific aircraft type or configuration that may not be available as an empty leg on your route.
• The 10–15% cancellation risk of an empty leg is unacceptable for your trip.
• You need a round trip with matched timing , empty legs are one-way by definition.

The real cost difference

On a mid-range domestic route like New York to Miami, a midsize jet on-demand charter costs approximately $20,000–$28,000 one way. An empty leg on the same route in the same aircraft category lists at $6,000–$12,000 on SkyAccess. That is a genuine $14,000–$16,000 difference for the same physical flight experience.

For groups who can accommodate schedule flexibility, the economics are clear. For time-critical travel where the departure time cannot move, the full charter is the only viable option regardless of cost.

Frequently asked questions

Is the aircraft quality lower on an empty leg? No. The aircraft, the crew, and the operator are identical to a full charter. The discount reflects economics, not a reduction in the product. The same FAA Part 135 certified operator flies both.

Can I book a return empty leg for the same trip? Occasionally. Return empty legs on the same route sometimes appear in the marketplace around the same dates. It requires two separate bookings and some flexibility on both outbound and return timing , but when it works, both legs can be booked at empty leg pricing.

What happens if my empty leg is cancelled? The operator notifies you as soon as the cancellation is known. SkyAccess processes a full refund. You would then need to book a standard on-demand charter or find another empty leg on the same route.

Are both products available on SkyAccess? Yes. SkyAccess lists live empty leg inventory and also facilitates on-demand charter requests. No membership is required for either product.