The simple version
An on-demand charter flies exactly when and where you want — you pay for flexibility. An empty leg flies when and where the operator already needs the aircraft — you pay less for fitting into their schedule.
Everything else is a consequence of that one difference.
Price comparison (midsize jet, ~600 nm route)
| Metric | On-demand charter | Empty leg |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | €15,000–€22,000 | €4,800–€7,500 |
| Booking window | Days to weeks ahead | 24–72 hours ahead |
| Route flexibility | You choose | Operator’s corridor |
| Time flexibility | You choose the clock | Operator’s window (typically ±2–4h) |
| Refundability | Varies, some flex | Usually non-refundable |
| Aircraft choice | Pick the tail | Whatever’s repositioning |
When the empty leg wins
- You’re flexible on date within ±2 days. Match rates go up dramatically once you open the window.
- You’re flexible on airport within ~100km of destination. "Paris" as a region (LBG, CDG, ORY) beats "Paris Le Bourget only."
- Your party fills the jet. Empty legs are whole-aircraft, so four passengers is where the per-seat math starts beating business class.
- The price drop is material.On a €20k charter, saving 60% saves €12k. That’s a different conversation than saving €200 on a €2k flight.
When charter wins
- You need a specific day and hour.Board meeting, wedding, court date — don’t trust an empty leg.
- You need a specific aircraft. Some operators configure jets very differently (bed cabins, specific range needs). Charter gets you the exact tail.
- You need flex on change/cancel.Charter contracts often include a reschedule window; empty legs don’t.
- Your corridor has no repositioning traffic. Remote routes (Shetland to Rome, say) almost never have empty legs because no operator is naturally repositioning there.
The hybrid approach
The best move is usually: try for an empty leg first by setting a watch on your corridor with a ±2-day window. If nothing matches 48 hours out, upgrade to on-demand charter. You get the discount when the stars align, and you’re not stranded when they don’t.
What Ledig does differently
Ledig is Europe-only and empty-leg-only. Operators post their repositioning segments directly, you book at their listed price, and when we can’t find a match we tell you — we don’t quietly upsell you to a full charter at a markup. If you want both options, book the charter with the operator directly once you know who they are.