Private aviation offers more flexibility and options than most travelers realize. Two of the most common ways people fly privately are through empty leg flights and full charter bookings. While both get you to your destination on a private aircraft, the way they're arranged, priced, and scheduled can be quite different. Understanding these differences can help you decide which approach makes the most sense for your next trip.
What Is a Full Charter?
A full charter is what most people picture when they think of booking a private jet. You choose your departure airport, your destination, and your preferred travel dates and times. The aircraft is scheduled specifically for your trip, flying from its origin point to pick you up, taking you to your destination, and then continuing on to wherever it's needed next.
Because the flight is built entirely around your itinerary, full charter offers the highest level of flexibility. You're not working around someone else's schedule — the trip is designed around yours. This makes full charter a strong option for travelers with specific timing needs, multi-stop itineraries, or last-minute changes.
What Is an Empty Leg Flight?
An empty leg, sometimes called a "deadhead" flight, refers to a situation where an aircraft needs to reposition without passengers. This can happen after dropping off one group of travelers and needing to return to its home base, or when repositioning for an upcoming scheduled charter. Rather than flying that leg completely empty, operators often make the seats available to other travelers.
Because the aircraft is already going to make that trip regardless, empty leg flights can represent a more cost-effective way to fly privately — provided the route and timing happen to match what you're looking for. The tradeoff is flexibility: empty legs follow a fixed route and schedule determined by the aircraft's existing movement, not by the passenger's preferences.
Key Differences at a Glance
- Flexibility: Full charter is built around your schedule and route. Empty legs follow a predetermined route and timing based on the aircraft's existing repositioning flight.
- Availability: Full charter can typically be arranged for nearly any route and date, subject to aircraft and operator availability. Empty legs are limited to whatever repositioning flights happen to be available at a given time.
- Cost Structure: With full charter, you're generally covering the cost of a round-trip or multi-leg movement of the aircraft. With an empty leg, the aircraft's repositioning is already happening, so the cost structure can look different.
- Planning Horizon: Full charter can usually be booked well in advance to match your exact plans. Empty legs are often time-sensitive opportunities that may come up with less notice.
Which Option Is Right for You?
If your travel dates, origin, and destination are firm and non-negotiable, full charter is likely the better fit. It gives you full control over the itinerary, which is especially useful for business travel, group trips, or situations where timing is critical.
If you have some flexibility in your travel dates or you're open to a range of possible destinations, keeping an eye on empty leg opportunities can be a smart way to experience private aviation. Many travelers use empty legs for leisure trips, one-way travel, or simply as a way to explore private flying without being locked into a specific route.
The Role of Part 135 Operators
Whether you're looking at a full charter or an empty leg, it's important to understand how the industry is structured. Charter flights in the United States are operated by companies holding a Part 135 certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. These certified operators are responsible for the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and overall operation of each flight.
Sky500.com is an online travel service that connects travelers with a network of certified Part 135 operators for both full charter flights and discounted empty leg opportunities. It's worth noting that Studio Jet, Inc., which operates as Sky500.com, does not own, operate, maintain, or charter its own aircraft and is not itself an air carrier or Part 135 operator. Instead, Sky500 functions as a resource to help travelers find and connect with the operators who do hold those certifications.
What Kinds of Aircraft Are Available?
Through its network of Part 135 operators, Sky500 can help connect travelers with a wide range of aircraft types depending on the trip — from light jets and turboprops to larger cabin aircraft. Examples of aircraft types available through the network include light jets like the Beechcraft Premier 1, midsize jets like the Bombardier Challenger 300, and larger aircraft like the Boeing 737 BBJ, among many others. The right aircraft for your trip will depend on factors like passenger count, route, and whether you're booking a full charter or taking advantage of an empty leg.
Getting Started
There's no membership fee required to use Sky500, making it easy to explore both full charter and empty leg options without any upfront commitment. Whether you're planning a fully customized trip or keeping an eye out for a well-timed empty leg deal, Sky500 can help connect you with the right operator for your needs.
If you have questions about how empty legs or full charter bookings work, or you'd like help exploring your options, you can reach Sky500 at 818-769-3535.
