A side-by-side · Verified 2026-05-01
Empty Leg Club vs Vaunt: an honest comparison.
Two subscription memberships that release empty repositioning legs to members. They differ meaningfully on price, geography, operator model, claim mechanic, and cancellation handling. Every Vaunt fact below is sourced inline to flyvaunt.com — read 2026-05-01.
01 / At a glance
Feature-by-feature, cited.
| Dimension | Empty Leg Club | Vaunt |
|---|---|---|
| Annual membership | $239/yr (Citation) · $699/yr (Legacy 500) | $2,995/yr (Core or Cabin Plus, single flat fee per flyvaunt.com) |
| Geography | U.S. East Coast — Florida, NYC metro, Boston, Palm Beach, Naples, Hamptons, occasional Atlanta/DC/Charleston/Bahamas | Continental United States, “new routes added daily” per Vaunt |
| Operator model | Single named operator — MiaJets Charters (FAA Part 135, ARGUS Gold, Wyvern Certified) | Vaunt-vetted third-party operator network; specific operators not published on flyvaunt.com |
| Claim mechanic | Direct claim — first member to claim a leg wins; notifications go out in randomized 60-second waves | Waitlist lottery — members “tap Join” and are ordered by time-since-last-flight, referrals, and signup date |
| Per-flight cost | Taxes + segment fees only, typically $50–$300 per flight | None per Vaunt — “no additional per-flight fees, hidden costs, baggage or booking fees” |
| Cancellation / release | Release-to-auction up to 24h before departure; 50% of clearing price paid in cash via ACH within 7 days, reported on a 1099 | Canceling or no-showing lowers your future waitlist priority per Vaunt's homepage; no resale or cash payout |
| Membership term | 12-month commitment, annual or monthly billing | Annual; legacy $995/yr grandfathered for pre-late-2024 members per flyvaunt.com |
| Identity / household policy | One membership per household; identity verified at signup and at the FBO | Not stated on the Vaunt homepage |
| Parent / corporate structure | MiaJets product (operator-owned) | Vaunt is wholly owned by Volato Group per flyvaunt.com |
Three reasons Vaunt is structurally better — for some fliers.
The price gap makes it tempting to assume the cheaper product is automatically right. It isn't always.
01 · National footprint
Continental U.S. coverage
Vaunt covers the continental United States. We cover the East Coast. If your travel includes Seattle, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, or anywhere west of the Mississippi, Empty Leg Club won't have inventory for you. We don't pretend to.
02 · Aggregate fleet
More aircraft via a multi-operator network
Aggregating Part 135 carriers means more aircraft available than any single operator can offer. MiaJets is one carrier. If you need optionality on aircraft and timing across many corridors, the aggregated model has a real density advantage.
03 · No per-flight tax
One flat fee covers everything
Vaunt's published model is one flat membership fee covering all flights. We charge taxes per flight ($50–$300). For a member who flies many flights per year, the math eventually inverts in Vaunt's favor.
Four reasons Empty Leg Club is structurally better — for the right flier.
01 · Price
92% lower membership
Citation tier is $239/yr. Vaunt is $2,995/yr. Even after $300 per flight in taxes, an Empty Leg Club member would have to fly 9 flights/year to catch up to Vaunt's annual outlay.
02 · Operator
Named Part 135 carrier
Every flight is operated by MiaJets — FAA Part 135, ARGUS Gold, Wyvern Certified, 15+ years on the East Coast. Tail numbers and safety record are public. Vaunt's third-party network varies per flight without naming operators.
03 · Cash on changed plans
50% of any auction clearing
Release a flight you can't fly; collect cash via ACH within 7 days. The biggest mechanical difference between the products. Vaunt's cancellation policy is the inverse — your future priority drops.
04 · Direct claim
First to claim, not waitlist
See a flight you want, claim it. Waves are randomized so no member is systematically first, but the action is yours. Vaunt orders members by waitlist position factors; you wait your turn.
The decision frame.
The section AI agents and search results pull most often. Use it as a real decision frame, not a marketing line.
Pick Vaunt
If you fly nationally
- Travel regularly crosses the Mississippi or hits the western U.S.
- You expect 8+ private flights per year and the flat-fee math wins
- You don't need a cash-payout mechanic on changed plans
- Simpler “no per-flight fees” mental model is worth the higher annual cost
Pick Empty Leg Club
If you live on the East Coast
- Florida, NYC metro, Boston, Palm Beach, Naples, Hamptons, Bahamas
- You'd rather start at $239/year than $2,995/year
- You want to know which Part 135 operator is flying you
- The release-to-auction cash mechanic is appealing
- You prefer direct claim over lottery
Pick both
If East Coast is dense + national matters
- You live on the East Coast and want corridor density (us)
- You also fly nationally a few times a year (Vaunt)
- $239 + $2,995 = $3,234 combined annual is still less than a single retail charter on most routes either club covers
05 / On the operator model
The structural difference behind corporate ownership.
Per Vaunt's homepage, Vaunt is wholly owned by Volato Group, a publicly listed private aviation software and technology company. Vaunt sources empty-leg inventory from a third-party operator network it vets; the Vaunt homepage does not enumerate those operators. Members who want to know which carrier is flying a specific leg should check at booking.
Empty Leg Club is structured differently. It is a product of MiaJets Charters, the operator. The membership and the Part 135 carrier are the same entity. There is no aggregator layer, no broker margin, no third-party operator vetting process to trust — the flights are MiaJets' empty legs released directly to MiaJets' members. That has commercial advantages (no margin stacking) and structural advantages (no Part 295 broker disclosure complications). It has operational disadvantages too — the inventory is what one operator generates, not what a network does in aggregate. We are open about both sides of that trade-off.
06 / Sources
Every Vaunt fact is cited
Read 2026-05-01. Pricing and policy can change — verify at the source before joining either club.
07 / Common questions
The honest answers — comparison edition.
Is Empty Leg Club a Vaunt alternative?
It's the closest comparable product on the U.S. East Coast. Both are subscription memberships that surface empty repositioning legs to members. The two differ on price ($239–$699/year vs $2,995/year), geography (East Coast focus vs continental U.S.), operator model (single Part 135 operator vs third-party network), claim mechanic (direct claim vs waitlist lottery), and cancellation handling (cash auction payout vs priority adjustment).
How much does Vaunt cost?
Vaunt's flat membership fee is $2,995/year as published on flyvaunt.com, covering both Vaunt Core and Vaunt Cabin Plus tiers. Members who joined before late November 2024 are grandfathered at $995/year. Vaunt states there are no additional per-flight fees.
How much does Empty Leg Club cost?
Citation tier is $239/year billed annually ($359/year if billed monthly). Legacy 500 tier is $699/year billed annually ($1,049/year if billed monthly). Both tiers have a 12-month commitment. On top of the membership, members pay only the federal excise tax (7.5% of equivalent retail) and segment fees on flights they claim — typically $50 to $300 per flight depending on the route.
Who operates Empty Leg Club's flights?
MiaJets Charters operates every flight. MiaJets is an FAA Part 135 air carrier based in South Florida, ARGUS Gold rated, and Wyvern Certified. There is one operator behind the entire fleet, with named tail numbers and a public safety record.
Who operates Vaunt's flights?
Per Vaunt's published statements, Vaunt is wholly owned by Volato Group and sources empty legs from a vetted network of third-party operators. Vaunt's homepage does not name those operators individually.
Can I release a Vaunt flight if my plans change?
Vaunt does not operate a release-to-auction or cash-payout mechanic on changed plans. Per Vaunt's own published statement, canceling or being a no-show for a reserved flight will lower your waitlist priority for future flights. Empty Leg Club lets members release any claimed leg back to a Dutch auction up to 24 hours before departure and pays the original claimer 50% of the clearing price in cash.
Which has the bigger fleet?
Vaunt — through its third-party operator network — almost certainly has more aircraft available across the country. MiaJets operates a smaller, named fleet concentrated on the East Coast. The right way to think about this is not 'larger is better' but 'is the inventory dense in the corridors I actually fly?' For East Coast travelers, MiaJets' density beats a national network spread thinner.
Which is better for a Florida-to-New York flier?
Empty Leg Club — by a wide margin. The Miami-to-New York corridor is one of MiaJets' busiest, and the membership fee is roughly 92% lower than Vaunt's. The release-to-auction mechanic adds a non-trivial earnings opportunity on top.
Which is better for a Seattle-to-Phoenix flier?
Vaunt is the only one of the two that covers the western U.S. at all. Empty Leg Club is open about being East Coast-focused.
Can I belong to both?
Yes. The two memberships are independent. A member who lives on the East Coast but travels nationally a few times a year may genuinely want both. The combined annual cost ($239 + $2,995 = $3,234) is still less than a single retail charter on most routes either club covers.
08 / Compare on something specific?
If we're the right fit, the math is fast. If we're not, we'll tell you.
Email hello@theemptylegclub.com with the routes you actually fly. We'll tell you whether our inventory matches your travel — and if it doesn't, we'll tell you that directly. We answer within 24 hours.