What an empty leg is, what it costs, when a charter fits better, and how a booking works. Written by Ali Merchant, the founder of UpLeg, a private pilot and corporate aviation advisor.
An empty leg is a private jet repositioning flight sold for the whole aircraft at a fraction of the charter price. Why it costs less, and how to find one.
Today's median empty leg prices by cabin from the live UpLeg board, what moves the price, and how an empty leg compares with a charter on the same aircraft.
Flexible dates and one direction on a route jets fly point to an empty leg; fixed dates, a round trip or a quiet route point to a charter. How to choose.
From a request to walking on board: how a private jet booking works through UpLeg, what the operator needs, who you pay and when, and what to bring on the day.
Typical 2026 US charter rates by cabin, about $2,500 an hour for a turboprop to about $13,000 for an ultra long range jet, and how hours become one total.
The six private jet cabin classes, turboprop to ultra long range: what each seats, how far it flies, typical aircraft in each, and which one your trip needs.
An air charter broker arranges the flight; an FAA-certificated operator flies it. What Part 295 makes a broker tell you, how brokers are paid, and what to ask.
Empty legs depend on someone else's trip, so they can change or vanish before the operator confirms. What UpLeg does, what is refunded, how to lower the odds.
Empty legs are one-way, so a round trip is usually a charter quoted as one total both ways. When two legs line up, how the return is priced, and how to ask.