The Best Value Empty-Leg Flights in the UK, Europe, and the United States

Guest post by Amelia Selby 

Typically associated only with millionaires and billionaires, luxury air travel is something that many perceive to be way out of their reach. Perhaps the occasional business-class flight, or first-class lounge experience, but that’s the limit. However, there is a way that you can redefine how you travel. A way to have the luxury experience, but for less.

Empty-leg flights. 

A term that is likely unfamiliar to most, it refers to the open one-way journey of a private jet post or pre-charter. Offered at heavily discounted rates (with the aircraft travelling this route anyway), it offers the opportunity to indulge in and experience the extravagance of private aviation but for a fraction of the cost. 

What is an Empty-leg Flight and How Does it Work?

Empty-legs are aircraft that are scheduled to fly without any passengers as a result of needing to reposition or return for a charter. 

Charter companies estimate that between 25%-50% of private jets fly empty, which means that empty-leg flights can be picked up for as much as 75% off the standard charter price. This makes them good value for money, particularly when you can fill the aircraft to its full capacity. 

For example, our data shows the cheapest empty-leg flight from the UK is Bristol International Airport to Paris-Le Bourget Airport at just £248.48 per person – not a bad price considering there are no security lines, no baggage restrictions, and no waiting for hours in the terminal. 

It appears that people are capitalising on this money-saving, luxury ‘hack’ around the globe. Worldwide, Google searches for ‘how to book empty leg flights’ have increased by 120% over the last year, and searches for ‘empty leg trick flights’ by 180% over the same period.

When to Use Empty-Leg Flights?

At Oliver’s Travels, we’re big believers in making your experiences exceptional, and empty-leg flights are a great way to make special occasions even more memorable.  Although it’s worth bearing in mind that the way in which they work means that you’ll probably have to look at alternative flights for one half of your journey.

Empty-leg flights are also a good option to avoid the recent travel chaos we’ve witnessed over the last two years, even if it means paying extra – although airfares to popular European destinations are at record highs, according to reports.

With reports showing that flight disruptions are up 450% compared to last year, worldwide searches for ‘private jet empty leg flights‘ have jumped up 195% since the start of summer 2023 alone.

So, if you’re in the market for a bit of luxury for less, whatever your reasoning, buckle up. We’re about to tell you which empty-leg flight routes are the best value for money by taking into account the cost per person and the miles travelled. After all, why do ordinary?

Best Value Empty-Leg Flights from the UK

Using data, we’ve worked out which empty-leg flight routes from the UK are the best value for money per mile. 

 Key Findings

• The Bristol to Paris empty-leg route is the best value in our data, costing £248.41 per person on average and £0.87 for the 283-mile distance.
• The most expensive empty-leg flight, on average, is Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Málaga Airport, which costs £2,437.26 per person for the 1,153-mile journey.

Most Visited Destinations from the UK by Empty-Leg Flights

Paris

Looking at the most accessible places from Britain to reach by empty legs, Paris is the destination that has the most open private jets travelling from the UK. Its accessibility on private jet is perhaps unsurprising though, considering that Brits make up 10% of all tourists to the city.

Perfect for a luxury trip, France’s capital is the one of world’s great centres of culture, arts and gastronomy. Paris oozes elegance, from its world-renowned landmarks to its fine dining and indulgent fashion.

And if you’re looking for an extra special trip to the City of Lights, why not opt for one of our luxury Paris apartments?

Geneva 

Following Paris as one of the most accessible destinations via empty-leg flights is Geneva. Again, not a surprising positioning considering the city is a major European business centre and is home to hundreds of international and multi-national companies from around the world. 

Alongside this, the city is renowned for its natural beauty, which draws in many visitors each month. Geneva is the gateway to the Alps and lots of sports enthusiasts fly into the city for their winter adventures. 

If you’re looking for a luxury ski trip in the region, we recommend staying in one of our luxury Chamonix chalets.

Malaga

For those looking for a summery destination to fly to on a private jet, Malaga is one of the most accessible destinations, being the place most fly to when visiting the luxurious seaside resorts along Costa del Sol. In the Spanish region, the summer seems to last forever and draws tourists to its sandy shores all year round, with the luxury resorts of Marbella and Mijas being amongst the most popular.

So, for anyone looking for a luxury getaway in the sunny coastal region, we offer a range of breathtaking properties in the Costa del Sol. 

Best Value Empty-Leg Flights Around Europe

We’ve also worked out which empty-leg flight routes around Europe are the best value for money per mile. 

Brescia to Copenhagen 

When it comes to the cheapest price regardless of the distance travelled, flying from Brescia in the Italian Lakes region to Denmark’s capital Copenhagen is the lowest-priced empty-leg flight in our data. 

The average cost for a private jet flight on this route is as low as €285.92 per person.

This is particularly good value when you consider that the 2-hour 53-minute route can cost around €549.56 per person on a commercial airline, so around €274.78 one way. 

That basically means you’d be paying an extra €11 to fly via private jet and all of the perks that come with it!

Spain

Looking at the top 10, Spain is the origin country of 30% of the best-value, European empty-leg flights, meaning that the country is a good place to fly from on a luxury aircraft.

The flight route from Gran Canaria to Antwerp can cost as little as €0.55 per mile on an empty-leg jet considering the distance travelled is over 1,900 miles.

The empty-leg route from Spain that is the least value for money though, is between Málaga and Madeira, where it costs €2.73 per mile and €2,047.23 per person in total for the trip of around 2240 miles.

Best Value Empty-Leg Flights in the United States

Considering its size, domestic flights are often the only option for travel within the United States, so we have found out the best-value empty-leg flight routes within the country.

Key Findings

• The Colorado to Texas route (Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport to Austin Bergstrom International Airport) is showing to be the best value one for empty-leg flights in our data, costing $160 per person on average and $0.2 for the 791-mile distance.
• The most expensive empty-leg flight, on average, is John Wayne Airport-Orange County Airport to McGhee Tyson Airport, which costs $6992 per person for the 1,924-mile journey.
• Our data shows that the US airport with the most frequent empty-leg flights departing from it is Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, just outside of New York City. Perhaps unsurprising considering New York is home to the most billionaires of any city in the world according to reports. 
• Teterboro is also the most frequent destination airport in our data, but following this is Oakland County International Airport in Detroit. The city is best known as the centre of the U.S. automotive industry, with three big auto manufacturers – General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis North America (Chrysler) – all being headquartered there.

To find the best value empty-leg flights, we scrapped over 1,000 flights from all around the world (taking data over a week period to account for fluctuations) and analysed each for how much they cost per person in total and the cost per mile.

Data correct as of December 2023.

There you have it, the best empty-leg flights you can find in the UK, Europe and the US. Treat yourself to a little luxury that, with just a tiny bit more research, means you can travel in style for a fraction of the usual cost. Check out the full portfolio of holiday destinations on Oliver’s Travels, and get in contact with our friendly concierge team for help and advice on booking any special extras for your holiday.