Booking an empty leg: how to decide in two hours

An empty leg is offered because an aircraft has to move, and it has to move on the operator’s schedule, not yours. That is why the best options rarely sit around. Other travellers may be looking at the same flight, and until a charter agreement is signed the operator can sell it, change it or withdraw it.

Two hours is a realistic window for most decisions, and it is enough if you know what to check and in which order. The work starts before the option arrives.

Before any option arrives

Most slow decisions are slow because of questions that could have been answered in advance. Settle these when you set your alert, not when the clock is running.

• Your passenger list. Names as they appear on ID, and the number of adults, children and pets.
• Your bags. Skis, golf bags and large hard cases change which aircraft will work. Light jets fill up long before their seats do.
• Your windows. The days you could leave, and how early or late in the day works.
• Your airports. Every alternative you would accept at each end, such as Westchester or Morristown for a New York trip.
• Your plan B. What you will do if the leg changes: a regular charter, an airline seat or a different day.
• Documents. Photo ID for domestic trips; valid passports and any visas for international ones.

The two-hour checklist

When an option arrives, work through it in this order. Each step can rule the flight out, so there is no point studying the price of a leg that leaves at the wrong time.

Time	Question	What to look for
0–15 min	Does the timing work?	Departure window, arrival time, and getting to and from the private terminal at both ends.
15–30 min	Is the aircraft right?	Seats for everyone, space for bags, cabin height, a lavatory on longer flights, and enough range to fly nonstop.
30–60 min	Who is the operator?	A Part 135 certificate, or the foreign equivalent, and any ARGUS, Wyvern or IS-BAO standing.
60–90 min	What is the full price?	An all-in figure including federal excise tax and fees, with any extras, such as de-icing or catering, listed.
90–120 min	What if it changes?	Cancellation and refund terms in the charter agreement, and your plan B. Then sign, or let it go.

Check the airports, not just the cities

A leg can match your cities and still miss the airports you need. Teterboro, about 12 miles from Midtown, is the usual private-aviation airport for New York. It has no airline service and a weight limit set by the airport’s operator, so the heaviest jets use other airports nearby. Aspen is a high-elevation mountain airport with seasonal congestion and restrictions, so winter flights sometimes land at Eagle or Rifle instead. In the south of France, Cannes and Saint-Tropez restrict aircraft size and opening hours, which can send a larger jet to Nice.

When an option arrives, look at the exact airports and the drive to your door at both ends. A leg that saves money but adds two hours on the road may not be the bargain it seems.

Questions worth asking your advisor

Your advisor has the operator’s details and can answer most of these quickly. Ask them in one message rather than one at a time.

• Can the departure move at all, and what would that cost?
• Is a nearby airport possible at either end?
• How firm is the original trip that created this leg?
• What happens, and what is refunded, if the operator cancels?
• Can the option be held while I confirm with my group, and until when?
• Are pets, catering or extra baggage possible on this aircraft at this notice?

What you can safely let go

Speed comes from ignoring the details that do not change the decision. These are usually fine to settle after you commit, or to leave to the operator.

• The exact model within a category. If the cabin, seats, bags and range work, the badge on the tail matters less.
• Catering choices. Simple menus can be arranged later; elaborate ones may not be possible at short notice anyway.
• Small timing differences. A departure thirty minutes earlier than ideal is rarely worth losing the flight over.

When to say no

A fast decision includes a fast no. Walk away, or switch to a regular charter, when:

• The trip is for something you cannot miss, such as a wedding, a closing or a connection to an international flight.
• The bags or passengers only just fit, with no margin for a late addition.
• The cancellation terms are unclear, or the refund would not cover your plan B.
• You would need the operator to change the route or timing in ways it has not agreed in writing.

Saying no to one leg costs nothing. Similar legs tend to come up again on busy routes, and your alert stays in place.

Making the decision

If the timing works, the aircraft fits, the operator checks out, the all-in price is right and you can live with the cancellation terms, the remaining step is the charter agreement. It names the operating carrier and the aircraft and sets out the payment and cancellation terms. Nothing is booked until it is signed, and nothing should be paid before then.

The checklist will feel slow the first time. By the second or third option, most travellers can work through it in well under an hour, because the preparation is already done.