Empty Leg Flights on the US East Coast: NYC, Miami, Boston & More

The East Coast: America's Busiest Private Jet Corridor

The eastern seaboard of the United States generates more private jet traffic than any other region on the planet. Between Teterboro (TEB) in New Jersey, Miami's Opa-Locka (OPF), Boston's Hanscom Field (BED), and Washington Dulles (IAD), thousands of charter flights operate every week. Each time a jet flies a one-way charter, it often needs to reposition — flying empty to its next booking or back to its home base. These repositioning flights, known as empty legs, represent one of the best-kept secrets in private aviation.

For savvy travelers willing to be flexible with dates and times, empty leg flights on the East Coast can mean savings of 50% to 75% compared to a standard on-demand charter. This guide breaks down the top corridors, seasonal patterns, and practical tips for booking these deals through VOLO's empty leg marketplace.

Top East Coast Empty Leg Routes & Corridors

Several corridors produce a reliable flow of empty leg flights throughout the year:

• New York (TEB/HPN) → Miami (OPF/FLL) — The single highest-volume empty leg corridor in the US. Jets fly southbound full and often return north empty, especially in winter. Light jets on this route regularly appear at $8,000–$14,000 one-way versus $22,000–$30,000 for a standard charter.
• New York → Boston (BED) — A short 45-minute hop that generates constant repositioning traffic. Empty legs on this route can drop below $4,000 on a light jet.
• Teterboro → Palm Beach (PBI) — The corridor of choice for the finance and hedge fund crowd. Peak season runs November through April, and return flights northbound in spring are frequently available as empty legs.
• New York → Washington DC (IAD/DCA) — Political, corporate, and government traffic creates a steady stream of repositioning flights. Midsize jets regularly appear on this 50-minute route.
• Boston → Nantucket/Martha's Vineyard — A summer-specific corridor. Short hops on turboprops and very light jets reposition constantly during June through September.

These corridors account for the highest concentration of empty leg availability in North America. However, less obvious routes — like Charlotte to New York or Atlanta to Miami — also produce regular deals.

Seasonal Patterns & Best Timing

Understanding the seasonal rhythm of East Coast private aviation is critical to finding the best empty leg deals:

• Winter (November–March): Snowbird Migration — This is peak season for southbound traffic from the Northeast to Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Jets fly south full and reposition north empty, creating abundant northbound empty legs. Conversely, southbound empty legs spike in spring when seasonal residents return north.
• Summer (June–September): Hamptons & New England — Private jet traffic surges to East Hampton (HTO), Nantucket (ACK), Martha's Vineyard (MVY), and Cape Cod. Weekend repositioning patterns produce Sunday evening and Monday morning empty legs back to New York.
• Major Events — The US Open in New York, Art Basel in Miami, the Kentucky Derby, and Inauguration Day in DC all create predictable surges followed by waves of empty repositioning flights.

The best deals typically appear 24–72 hours before departure, when operators finalize that an aircraft will fly empty and discount heavily to recover fuel costs.

How Much Can You Save?

Savings on East Coast empty legs are substantial and depend on aircraft type, route length, and timing:

• Very light jets (Citation Mustang, Phenom 100): Standard charter $6,000–$12,000 → Empty leg $2,500–$5,000
• Light jets (Citation CJ3, Phenom 300): Standard charter $12,000–$25,000 → Empty leg $5,000–$12,000
• Midsize jets (Citation Latitude, Hawker 800XP): Standard charter $20,000–$40,000 → Empty leg $8,000–$18,000
• Heavy jets (Challenger 604, Gulfstream G-IV): Standard charter $35,000–$65,000 → Empty leg $15,000–$30,000

On a per-seat basis, a group of four sharing a light jet empty leg from New York to Miami might pay as little as $1,500 per person — comparable to a last-minute first-class airline ticket but with the privacy, speed, and convenience of a private terminal.

Tips for Booking East Coast Empty Legs

Maximizing your chances of securing a great empty leg deal requires a combination of flexibility and preparation:

1. Be flexible on dates and times — Empty legs operate on the operator's schedule, not yours. If you can shift your travel by a day or adjust your departure time by a few hours, your options multiply dramatically.
2. Sign up for alerts — VOLO's empty leg alerts notify you when new deals appear on your preferred routes. Real-time notifications give you a critical advantage since the best deals are claimed within hours.
3. Consider nearby airports — A deal departing from White Plains (HPN) instead of Teterboro (TEB) still gets you to Miami in the same time. The East Coast has a dense network of private aviation airports, so expand your search radius.
4. Book fast, but verify details — Empty legs can be cancelled or modified if the original charter changes. Confirm cancellation policies and understand that departure times may shift slightly.
5. Travel light if possible — Some empty legs operate on smaller aircraft with limited baggage capacity. Check luggage allowances before booking.

Find East Coast Empty Legs with VOLO

VOLO aggregates empty leg availability from a network of vetted operators across the US East Coast. Our platform lets you search by route, date range, and aircraft type — filtering through hundreds of available flights to find the perfect deal.

Whether you are escaping winter for a long weekend in Miami or catching a last-minute flight to the Hamptons, empty legs transform private aviation from a luxury into an accessible option. Browse current availability on our empty legs page or contact our charter team through our empty leg concierge service to set up personalized alerts for your preferred East Coast corridors.