You could contact your charter company and book a flight to take you to your destination —- and pay full price. Or, if you are flexible in your travel, then you can find empty seats on private jets and save yourself some money without giving up all the perks of flying private.
But how do you do it? Where do you find these seats? The secret is just knowing where to look and having the right charter company on your side.
Can You Really Find Empty Seats on Private Jets?
Empty seats on private jets are available for you, most commonly though empty leg flights. However, now and then, some travelers are looking to cut the cost of their trip so they look for others heading in the same direction — offering a ride on their shared jet. This can happen at any time but is highly popular when big events are taking place, such as the Super Bowl.
As their name suggests, empty-leg flights are those jets that have to travel a leg with an empty cabin — meaning there are no passengers. This can cost the jet since it has to pay for the fuel and the flight crew without having any paying passengers to help offset these fees.
How do they find themselves without passengers?
Well, not everyone who books a charter flight wants a return flight right away, if ever. That means if a private jet reaches a destination to drop passengers, it may need to fly back to where it came from without anyone on board. Also, sometimes jets have to relocate to pick up passengers. For instance, if they dropped someone in the past who now wants their return flight, the jet will need to go pick up the passenger — potentially heading there empty.
The Benefits of Finding Empty Seats
Although you may not get the level of personalization that you would typically find when chartering, there are benefits to finding empty seats on private jets. Let’s take a look at a few of the perks that are must-haves.
Arriving for your flight. You don’t have to arrive hours in advance for your private charter. You only need to be here about 15 to 20 minutes before it is scheduled to depart. Empty-leg flights may have a little flexibility in time should you find yourself stuck in traffic, but they usually have a schedule they need to keep.
FBOs and Private Airports. When you find an empty seat, you will likely be flying into and out of private airports or FBOs. You will avoid busy major airports and simply enjoy the amenities and comforts that come with traveling without long waits to check in, long security lines, and so forth.
Luxurious comfort. Once you do finally make it on the jet, you will find overstuffed, comfortable chairs with retractable tables, and maybe even a couch or two throughout the cabin. There is plenty of legroom and space — and every opportunity to move around as you wish.
Inflight entertainment. Once on board, you can stay connected with those on the ground thanks to the strong wireless connection. Depending on the aircraft, you may have monitors, entertainment systems, DVD players, charging stations, and more.
The galley and refreshments. Again, it depends on the jet, but you can expect to have some sort of refreshments while onboard a private jet and you are always more than welcome to bring your food with you.
Relaxed baggage. Unlike commercial flights, you will not have to worry about baggage restrictions. You will almost always have access to the full baggage capacity allowed on your aircraft.
Find Empty Seats When You Find the Right Charter Company
A quick Google search will confirm that there are many charter companies out there. There are a lot of broker services too — which means you are dealing with a middle person rather than the charter company itself.
To find empty seats on private jets, you have to find the right charter company. This means finding the company that offers you a few key factors, including:
- Having a charter fleet with a wide selection of aircraft.
- Capable of traveling to a great number of destinations throughout the United States and the world.
- Offering consistent rates that are equivalent to others in the industry — or better.
What’s more, finding a charter company near you will give you access to the largest number of convenient available flights.
You should feel comfortable reaching out to this charter company to determine what flights are available for a discount, as well as obtaining quotes for regular travel. Engage with them and build a rapport that can make your private travel experience even more personable and enjoyable.
Sign Up For Alerts
If you have all the time in the world, you can spend your days looking up empty-leg flights. You can try to find something that will give you what you are looking for — between the two locations you want to travel. Of course, you will have to do this all the time so you don’t miss out.
Let’s be real. Monitoring charter companies for potential empty-leg flights is not always a feasible option. It should be mentioned, too, that not all charter companies will list their empty-leg flights online.
So, what can you do?
When you find the right charter company, they will have an easy way of alerting you of newly available empty-leg flights — such as sending them via email to you the moment a flight becomes available. This is even greater if you can narrow down your search terms so you only get notified on flights you may be interested in.
Looking For Empty Seats on Private Jets?
At The Early Air Way, based in Van Nuys, you will find empty seats on private jets just waiting for you. Find yours today, listed easily for you on our website! While you are there, don’t forget to sign up for alerts on all the upcoming empty leg specials available to you — even narrowing it down to the route you are looking for!
We make finding empty seats easy!