Ambeo
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: South Est
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Phil, how successful is the empty leg market? ie, of the empty leg miles advertised, how many actually get revenue?
Income wise, there are upto 5 interested parties in benefiting from the sale of an empty leg. 2 end users, 2 brokers and the operator. How do you contract an empty leg booked in advance? If the first leg changes plans or cancels, the cheap empty leg is surely then not viable?
It's nice bunce, but realistically not reliable income to plan a business round.
Income wise, there are upto 5 interested parties in benefiting from the sale of an empty leg. 2 end users, 2 brokers and the operator. How do you contract an empty leg booked in advance? If the first leg changes plans or cancels, the cheap empty leg is surely then not viable?
It's nice bunce, but realistically not reliable income to plan a business round.
Join Date: Aug 2004
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The classic with the empty leg is when the original buyer amends the original flight and the empty leg buyer who pays next to nothing is screaming murder because of the impact on his schedule 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bristol
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An empty leg is sold as an empty leg, it is completely contingent on the principle flight happening and is subject to that schedule - rarely do we sell an empty leg as it was planned to be flown, an empty leg NCE - BRS may become a PMI-FAB for example, the savings are still significant, but the expectation needs managing. This Summer we sold about 60% of empty legs (with a dog leg variation) and only dumped 3 due to significant schedule change or cancellation. Of these, only one broker kicked off a bit - but we weren't listening! You get what you pay for, as long as the difference is explained I'm comfortable.
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Empty leg sales can be fraught with aggro:
1/ If the full price payer gets wind of it he can be upset
2/ Schedule changes as discussed above
3/ Cheapens the product
4/ Customers come to only use empty legs and never charter
5/ Marginal income is rarely worth the hassle.
6/ Some empty leg customer I have found to be the more demanding than charterers
Emty leg selling is a compartive new phenomonen but I think the old way of getting the occasional "double bubble" at full rate worked out better income wise than a load of marginal flights. I still have not made a definitive decision as to which way to go but I really do not think a business model simply selling empty legs would work long term, but I may be wrong.
1/ If the full price payer gets wind of it he can be upset
2/ Schedule changes as discussed above
3/ Cheapens the product
4/ Customers come to only use empty legs and never charter
5/ Marginal income is rarely worth the hassle.
6/ Some empty leg customer I have found to be the more demanding than charterers
Emty leg selling is a compartive new phenomonen but I think the old way of getting the occasional "double bubble" at full rate worked out better income wise than a load of marginal flights. I still have not made a definitive decision as to which way to go but I really do not think a business model simply selling empty legs would work long term, but I may be wrong.
Join Date: May 2011
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Empties
I agree you have to be flexible when flying on empty legs. But as long as the info is clear and uptodate, you know where you stand. I use an agency in geneva that specialise also on empties, and basically with them you dont pay until the lfight is fully confirmed, thus guaranteeing you flight. Amazing savings! I flew new york to nice on a GV for 33k euro!
