Empty legs are non-scheduled flights in which the aircraft travels empty, and other passengers can take advantage of them at up to 70% off the original fare of a flight. They are undoubtedly a good option to take a private flight, provided you have a flexible schedule and find the destination that best suits your travel requirements.
When do Empty Legs occur?
Due to the volume of flights scheduled, several empty legs are available. These can arise from all the flight modes handled by Privex Aviation. Below, we share some examples:
When a passenger takes a“one way” flight, if the passenger is at the place where the aircraft is based, the aircraft must take the passenger to the destination and return to its base empty, thus generating an “empty leg”. If, on the other hand, the passenger is at a location other than the aircraft’s base, the aircraft must fly empty to the passenger’s location, take the passenger to the destination and then return to its base empty, generating two empty legs.
In the case of a passenger taking a“round trip” flight, if the passenger returns on subsequent days, the aircraft will return empty to its base, and then on the day of return it will have to fly empty again in search of passengers, generating two “empty legs”. They can also originate when a passenger’s destination is far away and the plane needs to make different stops along the route; all those stops made by the plane while it is empty are “empty legs” that any user can take advantage of.
What is the cost of an Empty Leg?
If you are flexible enough with your schedule and are looking for a one-way flight without a specific return, you can benefit from the prices of this travel mode. Their prices are usually considerably lower than those of the regular charter service.
Empty leg prices can vary from 25% off to 75% off, depending on the specific details of the original flight and aircraft. For example, a “round trip” flight Caracas – Los Roques for 7 passengers has a total regular price of USD 3,600. For this route, the price of each empty leg is USD 700, which represents a 39% discount on each leg of the route.
What should I consider when booking an Empty Leg?
While empty legs are a cost-effective option for travel within the comforts of a private flight, they also involve airports, destinations and exact departure times that cannot be changed.
Somehow, the spontaneous nature of private flights is ruled out, since the user taking an “empty leg” must be subject to the planning of the original user of the private flight. Therefore, final availability and departure details may not be clear until just prior to the flight, and there may even be the possibility of cancellation of the original flight and, consequently, the “empty leg” may disappear. This is why the user taking an “empty leg” must have a certain degree of flexibility in his or her schedule when booking this type of flight.
Want to save on your private flights?
These flights can be an excellent way to save money for travelers looking for a private flight. To find detailed and updated information on the “empty leg”, you can subscribe to our newsletter, where you will receive first-hand information on availability.
