Glossary of Aviation Terms | Empty Leg

Empty Leg | Paramount Business Jets

An empty leg is an empty plane on the return flight or outbound of an already booked trip. When an operator has booked the aircraft to fly only one way, they need to bring that aircraft back to its original location or home base. Aircraft operators offer these empty legs for a reduced price. Great deals can be found due to the empty seats, in particular for travelers who have open schedules and are willing to fly on short notice. Sometimes, passengers can even travel for prices that are a little higher than the price of the fuel as a way of offsetting costs for charters. The availability of an empty leg flight is created by another trip the charter operator has booked for another passenger. The chances that the flight might get cancelled or changed are high in those situations. The flight can be changed if the passenger who bought the originating flight decides to change his flight. Passengers that have to travel at a particular time are better off with a custom trip request.