Looking for Empty Leg Bargains? 7 Top Charter Brokers With Discounted Routes

A finance director has four colleagues heading from New York to Palm Beach next Friday. A whole charter is hard to justify on the travel budget, and the airline option eats most of the day. Someone in the meeting mentions empty legs.

It is the right instinct, with a catch. An empty leg is a positioning flight an operator has to make anyway, and brokers resell it at a discount. The saving can be meaningful, but the flight belongs to someone else's schedule: if the original trip moves, the empty leg moves with it or disappears.

This list ranks seven brokers on how well they turn empty legs into a usable business tool. That means how listings and alerts work, whether prices are shown, and how quickly a standard quote can replace a deal that falls through. Facts come from each company's own published pages. Discounts quoted are each broker's own figures.

Quick picks

• JetAlto: empty leg alerts with a standard price to compare against
• XO: shared seats on fixed US routes
• LunaJets: a priced European empty leg catalogue

Empty Leg Offers Side by Side

Where the Broker Fits in an Empty Leg Deal

An operator flies the aircraft; the broker finds the opportunity and sells it. When a jet drops passengers in Miami and has to return empty to New York, the operator would rather earn something on that sector than nothing. Brokers collect these flights, list them or send alerts, and match them to buyers.

For a company, the broker adds two things that matter more than the discount itself. The first is judgement: whether the timing, the aircraft and the operator suit your trip. The second is a fallback. If the original booking changes, a good broker can switch you to a standard charter quickly, so the meeting still happens.

That second point is why the ranking below rewards brokers that pair empty legs with clear standard pricing. A bargain only counts if you can tell what it is a bargain against, and if missing it does not leave your team on the ground.

1. JetAlto

Best for: empty leg alerts alongside upfront estimates

For a buyer weighing an empty leg against a regular trip, JetAlto's value is having both numbers in view. It runs empty leg alerts, and its instant estimate, which needs no email, shows what the same route would cost as a standard charter. That side by side figure is what tells a finance team whether the discount is worth the scheduling risk.

If the empty leg falls through, the fallback is fast: JetAlto says it sends 2 to 4 operator quotes within 15 minutes. No membership is needed before the alerts become useful, and quotes stay non-binding until a charter agreement is signed.

JetAlto's own pages give different discount ranges for empty legs, so judge any deal against the live estimate rather than a headline percentage.

Verdict: The best fit here for buyers who want an empty leg as an option rather than a gamble. Its alert terms are less documented than LunaJets' published limits.

2. XO

Best for: splitting the cost seat by seat

XO approaches discounted flying from two directions: empty leg deals and shared flights where each seat is sold on its own. Between New York and South Florida, shared flights run up to four times a day, which gives a cost-conscious team a scheduled option instead of a hoped for one.

Crowdfunded flights let a group fill an aircraft together on select routes. Non-members pay a $395 fee per shared seat, and current prices sit in the app.

Verdict: A dependable lower cost route on its core US corridors, and limited to those corridors.

3. LunaJets

Best for: a published, priced empty leg catalogue

LunaJets calls itself the first website to offer empty legs directly to passengers, and its prices page puts numbers on the claim: empty legs from €2,000, discounted 40 to 70% against regular charter, and rerouted empty legs from €2,500 at 10 to 50% off.

Free membership saves routes and sends up to two empty leg alerts a week. Payment is not requested until the flight is confirmed, which limits cash exposure, though the company states empty legs cannot be fully guaranteed.

Verdict: The clearest benchmark for European empty legs, with offices in Geneva, London, Paris and four other cities behind it.

4. Monarch Air Group (Mercury Jets)

Best for: Florida and Caribbean positioning flights

Monarch's base at Fort Lauderdale International Airport and its cargo runs to Nassau, Marsh Harbour, Exuma and Freeport put it in a busy positioning corridor. A third-party article lists empty legs among its services, while its own pages focus on an instant quote tool and free quotes.

Its charter division, Mercury Jets, takes cards, bank transfers, Bitcoin and Ethereum, and both hold ARGUS broker certification.

Verdict: Well placed regionally, but its empty leg offer is the least documented in this list.

5. Villiers Jets

Best for: browsing dated, priced listings

Villiers publishes empty legs with dates and prices, such as a Citation CJ3 at $6,396, so a buyer can judge each deal on its own terms. It also arranges shared seats, which the company says can save up to 75%.

The discount it quotes for empty legs differs across its three domains, so the listed price is the figure to rely on. A human agent configures each trip once a deal is chosen.

Verdict: Good for deal hunters who like to browse; check the operator before paying.

6. Stratos Jets

Best for: a live US empty leg board

Stratos keeps a live list of empty legs with dates, and its on-demand charter needs no membership, so a buyer can move from a missed empty leg to a standard quote without changing broker.

Route examples such as Dallas to Las Vegas from $17,400+ give a reference point for judging any discount. Stratos is ARGUS certified and requires two pilots on every flight.

Verdict: A practical choice for US routes, with service that can vary by franchise agency.

7. Evojets

Best for: checking empty legs while pricing a route

Evojets puts an empty leg search and a cost calculator on each route page, so the two options appear together. Its price ranges are based on historical averages, and actual prices vary with date and aircraft.

One point of contact handles the booking, which helps when a deal needs a quick decision.

Verdict: Convenient for comparison, though accreditation details were not shown on its website.

FAQ

What is an empty leg flight?

It is a sector an aircraft must fly without passengers, usually to return home or reach its next job. Operators sell these flights at a discount through brokers rather than fly them empty.

How much can you save on an empty leg?

It varies by broker and route. LunaJets publishes 40 to 70% against regular charter, while other brokers show a dated price per listing. Compare the deal with a standard quote for the same trip before deciding.

What happens if an empty leg is cancelled?

The flight depends on the original booking, so it can move or be cancelled. Pick a broker that can replace it with a standard quote quickly; JetAlto, for example, says it returns 2 to 4 options within 15 minutes.

Do I need a membership to get empty leg alerts?

Not usually. LunaJets offers free membership with up to two alerts a week, and JetAlto runs empty leg alerts with no membership or retainer.

Final Verdict

JetAlto is the overall pick for companies that want empty legs as a cost lever without the risk of being stranded: alerts, a standard estimate to compare against, and a fast fallback quote. For buyers flying mainly in Europe who want the largest priced catalogue, LunaJets is the strongest alternative.