Are you a leg man? How about a leg woman? Well, my friends, legs might be in your traveling future if you like a little Internet crap-shooting. Here is an offer that might even match Bill Shatner “negotiating a deal” for you on behalf of Priceline. What is the new magic travel wave of the future? Why it is the quest to fill an “empty leg.”
A company called EmptyLegMarket LLC, has announced a new iPhone app on which one may name their price on chartering a private jet. Were you hearing me right? I think so. EmptyLeg customers can bid on chartering an entire private jet by simply entering when they want to go to, the amount they are willing to pay, and their payment information. Within 24 hours of submitting a bid a customer will be notified if their bid was accepted by one of the company’s jet operators.
“Nobody in the industry has an iPhone app allowing you to name your price to charter a private jet,” says Elliott Schwartz, Director of Operations for EmptyLegMarket, in a PRNewswire release.
I do not doubt that.
The EmptyLegMarket Website explains that an “Empty Leg” refers to a market term for unsold charter jet flight segments. Most of those segments listed for current empty legs require a call for a quote while others say $1 USD or USD $536. For instance, a current empty leg listing for a Saturday evening from Eagle County, Colo., to Hooks airport in Houston, on board a turboprop Pilatus PC-12 is up for bid starting at USD $1. Let the bid wars begin!
Well, it sounds interesting and potentially expensive. Whether this app will turn you on to something magical and even an economical alternative to commercial flight is the big question. I suppose one must call to ask what the flight really costs. Nevertheless, you may find some things on this ‘net suite that is a bargain. My advice though is to not count your flying chickens before they hatch. Nor should you plan your flight with the thought of a single dollar floating inside your head.
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