The Absurdly High Cost To Fly An Empty Plane To A New Destination

With budget airlines packing in passengers like sardines (remember those plans for dreaded "standing-only" seats?), it's hard to imagine flying in an empty plane. Yet, that's exactly what airlines need to do to shuffle their fleet of planes to different destinations across the world. It's called repositioning, and the cost of moving an empty plane is astronomically high: More than $30,000 in some cases.

That's according to a study of empty planes that flew during the COVID-19 pandemic conducted by Florida Panhandle (via Forbes). Their team calculated the operating costs of a 216-passenger flight over a 1,000-mile route, including jet fuel, insurance, hangar rentals, and crew salaries, among other factors. At those numbers, the break event load factor was between 72% and 79% depending on the airline. In other words, commercial flights needed passengers to fill three-quarters of the seats just to begin making money on a flight. That certainly explains why airlines are so keen to book (or overbook) passengers on their planes.

For some enterprising travelers, however, that may be good news. Maybe you've heard of the secret of those one-way cruise bargains to Hawaii? Travelers can take advantage of cruise ships' repositioning for the high season and get a deal in the process. Now, some travel agents are betting they can do the same with this last-minute hack to fly in your own private jet.

Having a plane all to yourself to jet from one place to another may sound like an impossible dream only billionaires can afford. But some travelers have been able to snag repositioning flights, also known as empty leg flights, for as much as 75% off a private chartered flight that would normally cost tens of thousands.

One interior design influencer says she snagged a private jet for £550 ($725) per seat, flying from Bristol in the U.K. "Now, I must say, you need to be flexible with dates and destinations and willing to YOLO it a bit," she said on her Instagram profile. "It's a great option if you are going with a group of friends where everyone chips in. Our plane was a seven-seater, and the price would have been the same if we filled all the seats or if there were just two of us."

So, how do you catch one of these empty-leg flights?  Specialty agents use apps and other tools to match customers to open private jets. There is a catch, however; if the owner of the jet cancels their flight, then your swanky ride is also cancelled. That kind of unpredictable schedule makes it difficult to rely on empty-leg flights for travel. You may find yourself stranded in a destination without a flight home. Also, if you have visions of being served champagne in your own private jet, think again. Though it may be a luxury plane, the in-flight service is not paid for. So, you'll be expected to foot the bill for meals and service. In the end, it may cost you more than you bargained for.