Empty-Legs and Oneways
What is an “empty-leg”? Simply, it’s when a private jet is flying empty in order to reposition. Different than your car, which normally sits and patiently waits for you after using it, a jet needs to return home. If your trip is short, then it may make sense for the jet to stay with you. Just remember, that means two pilots need to stay with you as well.
The round trip conundrum is really one of the things that makes flying private so incredibly expensive. People hear that jets cost about $4K per hour to operate. So they figure that it’s a 3 hour flight Florida to NYC = $12K. HOWEVER, not the plane has to GET HOME. So really you’ll be paying for a round trip. If your trip is short (3 maybe 4 days). It might pay to have the plane sit with you ($400-800 per night that it sits… remember your feeding and boarding two pilots and a jet.) However in most cases the plane will need to go off and either fly home, or fly other customers.
Many “newbies” to flying private think they should be able to get one of the “empty -leg” or repositioning flights for a song. While they can sometimes be as much as 30-40% off, they are inflexible since you have to travel on someone elses schedule. And 30-40% off is STILL really expensive. Here’s how the industry has decided to make this situation more efficient:
One-Ways: This is a price that gives a discount to the consumer if they are not going to need the return trip. Basically when a broker or operator gives a one-way price, it will normally be about 25% less than their actual cost to fly both ways. then, they go out and try to find someone to pay for the “empty-leg” at a savings of about 30-40%. This actually allows a broker or operator to “double dip” by taking risk on the “back end” of a flight. Sometimes this can work out really well for the consumer. The key (like with most travel discounts) is to be flexible.
Some of the “flight programs” (Sentient, NetJets, Etc) build in this one-way pricing into their hourly rate models. In some cases they make a ton of money, in others, they can lose a ton of money. By charging the same hourly rate for a trip to somewhere they can fill the back end, vs. somewhere the plane will certainly fly home empty, they are gambling.
SO, when you’re out there shopping for the best deal on either a program or a specific flight. Remember, empty-legs are able to provide a decent discount, but you give up a ton in flexibility. Looking for one-way prices can some times help keep the costs down too. Just remember, the provider is trying to make money off the “back-end” of your trip.
If you have questions about empty-legs, feel free to email emptyleg@privatejetnetwork.com