Unlike commercial airlines, private jet charters offer flexible travel options for many travelers. Whether you book last minute or a year ahead, you can still enjoy a comfortable and convenient experience on a private jet flight. This is the ultimate luxury; but what happens when an unexpected event forces you to find a flight last minute?
Luckily, there are empty leg flights, which CoastPrivate, a Private Charter Company, is proud to offer to clients. This guide will teach you the basics of empty leg flights and how to request these trips from Coast Private.
What are empty leg flights?
An empty leg, also known as an empty sector, is the return portion of a booked one-way private charter flight. The aircraft needs to fly empty to reposition itself for its next customer, or to return to its home base.
Private jet charter firms, realizing that their aircraft have to return to base at some point and often do so without the passengers they have just ferried somewhere, have taken to offering these return ’empty’ legs for cut-price rates.”
In other words, private jet charters will fly their planes back without passengers. By offering a ride on these otherwise empty flights, they can make some money, while clients have the opportunity to catch a flight at the last minute for discounted rate.
Here are two scenarios of empty leg flights:
Repositioning empty leg: Let’s say someone chartered a private jet to fly from Miami to New York City but the jet is currently parked in Dallas, TX. That private jet needs to fly from Dallas to Miami – and would fly empty.
Return empty leg: Imagine someone booked a one-way private jet trip from New York to Boston. That private jet needs to return back to Boston – and would fly empty.
Why use fly empty legs?
Empty leg flights offer an incentive to the customer, as they are bought at a reduced rate. At the same time, the private jet company can recover some of its losses from the flight. This practice is also more environmentally conscious, as the crew is using the jet fuel to transport a customer rather than an empty plane.
How can I find out about empty leg flights with Coast Private?
Coast Private is happy to offer private jet flights to those interested in empty leg booking. You can learn more about empty leg flights on the Coast Private Twitter. You can also contact the Coast Private team and ask about available trips. We can provide specific information on the cities and dates available.
How can I book an empty leg flight?
To book an empty leg flight with Coast Private, fill out the One-Way/Empty Leg Request form. We will look over your request and get back to you with more information.
About one-third of all business aircraft flights arrive and depart from secondary airports, and 19% of flights are into commercial airports. Because of this, your empty leg private jet charter experience can be as comfortable and convenient as possible. For more information about empty leg flights and charter quotes, contact CoastPrivate today.
Making The Best Of An Empty Leg
As jets are chartered on a daily basis, many are for one-way arrangements whereby clients hire services for delivery or pick-up. Hence, a jet flown for such an arrangement ends up with an empty leg on its return trip or on route respectively.
Since hefty costs are incurred the moment a plane takes off, it is therefore in the interest of the charter company to recoup costs where possible. Otherwise, it is equivalent to setting a wad of bank notes aflame.
By advertising the availability of such flights in papers or online sites, the objective is to attract business from last-minute travelers or cargo shipments where applicable. As prices for hire also tend to be much less than regular chartered flights, popular routes are quickly snapped up.
Despite the attraction of lower costs, this form of transportation, also known as a deadhead flight, is prone to certain travel inconsistencies. Flight itineraries are dependent on the primary parties who charter the planes. If their plans change, this may mean adjustments to the itineraries depending on the extent of change.
In the event the new itineraries are not suited to the needs of the secondary parties hiring the empty legs, they have to source other arrangements. Air charter companies also may not be obligated to replace cancelled flights thus adding another level of inconvenience.
With this in mind, it is ideal to figure out which type of charter suits one best. If keeping costs low is a matter of priority with time being a flexible element, choosing this sort of travel is probably sufficient.
However, if the tables are turned with time being a deciding factor, it may be better to spend a little more in order to secure a confirmed date and time of travel instead of opting for a deadhead flight subject to change beyond one’s control.
