XO Jet vs. Hoppyn: Private Jet Charter and Empty-Leg Membership Comparison

Introduction

XO Jet (now known simply as XO) and Hoppyn represent two very different paths into private aviation—one built on traditional charter pricing, the other on empty-leg flights and a flat annual fee. This guide is for travellers comparing private jet charter options and empty-leg memberships, specifically focusing on XO Jet vs Hoppyn. If you’re considering private jet travel, understanding the differences between these two models is crucial. The comparison matters because it directly impacts your cost, flexibility, and travel style: XO Jet offers guaranteed aircraft and on-demand charters, while Hoppyn provides access to deeply discounted empty-leg flights for flexible travellers.

XO is a digital marketplace providing access to thousands of vetted aircraft through a flexible travel model that includes whole aircraft charters and shared flights. Customers can book private flights with or without a formal membership, making XO accessible to a wide range of travellers.

What Are Empty Leg Flights?

Definition: Empty Leg Flights

Empty leg flights are discounted repositioning flights that occur when jets return empty after dropping off clients. These flights are typically listed days to weeks before departure and can be 50-75% cheaper than standard charters. Flexibility is essential for booking empty leg flights, as schedules are determined by the needs of the primary charter client.

Key Takeaways

• XO (XO Jet) is a major private aviation broker owned by Vista Global Holding. It focuses on on-demand private charter flights, jet cards, and membership programs, with typical one-way pricing ranging from roughly $7,500 for short light jet hops to $30,000+ for coast-to-coast super-midsize flights and well into six figures for transatlantic routes.

• Hoppyn does not sell hourly private jet charters or jet cards. Instead, members pay a transparent annual fee of $997/year to access otherwise-empty private jet repositioning flights globally, with no per-flight charges from Hoppyn's side.

• XO suits travellers who need guaranteed aircraft on precise dates. Hoppyn is built for flexible travellers who want private jet travel at a fraction of normal charter pricing by flying on empty legs.

• XO charter flights start in the high four to five figures. Light jet hops typically start around $7,500 one-way, and coast-to-coast super-midsize flights often exceed $25,000.

• The rest of this article breaks down XO's operating model, aircraft categories, typical routes and prices, memberships and jet cards, then contrasts all of that with how Hoppyn's empty-leg membership works.

What Is XO (XO Jet) and How Does It Work?

XO is a digital-first private aviation broker and marketplace owned by Vista Global Holdings—not a traditional airline or aircraft owner. XOJet Aviation was established in 2006 in Northern California, acquired by Vista Global in 2018, and later merged with JetSmarter in 2020 to create XO Global LLC..

XO operates primarily as a tech-enabled private jet broker rather than owning a fleet. It arranges private charter flights and by-the-seat options via third-party operators licensed under FAA Part 135 and EASA rules, providing access to thousands of vetted aircraft through a digital marketplace.

The core experience: this is how XO charter flights work on the app and website—you search routes, compare instant charter prices across cabin classes, and confirm a private jet flight in minutes. XO allows customers to book flights with or without a formal membership. The XO platform provides instant pricing transparency and real-time booking capabilities.

Where Hoppyn differs: we focus on giving members access to private jet empty legs worldwide through a flat membership rather than per-flight charter costs.

XO's Operating Model and Global Network

XO's Global Network

XO's strength is its extensive global network of partner operators and aircraft categories—not owning most of the jets itself. XO connects travellers to over 2,100 aircraft globally via its preferred operator partnership program, including Vista group operators like VistaJet, Jet Edge, Talon Air, and Air Hamburg.

Vista Members' Fleet and Coverage

Members can access the Vista Members' fleet of 350+ jets. The global network spans thousands of airports across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and destinations worldwide. XO features a 24/7 client service team for customer support and flight planning assistance, and provides 24/7 access to aviation experts.

Membership provides access to over 2,100 aircraft worldwide. The result is broad coverage across cabin classes—from light jets to ultra-long-range aircraft—with personalised service and app-based booking.

Hoppyn also leverages a global network of operators and premium aircraft, but specifically to capture unused empty-leg segments and make them available to members with no per-leg flight costs, while providing dedicated resources for charter operators to list and manage those flights efficiently.

Aircraft Categories Available Through XO

XO charters span multiple aircraft categories, which directly affect price, comfort, and range for private charter flights:

• Light jets (e.g., Cessna Citation CJ3, Phenom 300): 6–7 seats, ~1,500–2,000 nm range. Best for 1.5–3 hour hops like New York–Boston or Dallas–Houston. Hourly rates run roughly $4,500–$7,000.

• Midsize jets (e.g., Citation XLS, Hawker 800XP): 7–9 seats, 2,500–3,000 nm range. Suitable for routes like New York–Miami or Chicago–Denver, at roughly $6,500–$10,500/hr.

• Super-midsize jets (e.g., Bombardier Challenger 300, Praetor 600): 8–10 seats, 3,000–3,500 nm range. Often used for coast-to-coast missions like Teterboro–Van Nuys.

• Large cabin jets and ultra long range jets (e.g., Gulfstream G450/G650, Bombardier Global 7500): 12–16+ seats, 4,000–7,500 nm range. These handle flights like New York–London or Los Angeles–Honolulu nonstop.

Hoppyn members can see a similarly wide mix of aircraft types on empty-leg flights—light jets through long-range jets—but we don't charge different hourly charter rates by category. Access is included in the annual membership.

Popular XO Routes, Use Cases, and Seasonal Demand

XO charter flights tend to concentrate on high-demand business corridors and leisure hotspots, where private jets and empty legs are most common.

Popular XO Routes

• Teterboro (TEB)–Van Nuys (VNY) for coast-to-coast travel

• New York–Miami/Fort Lauderdale

• New York–Aspen during ski season

• Los Angeles–Hawaii

• New York–London for transatlantic travel

Seasonal Demand and Event-Driven Spikes

• Ski season (Dec–Mar) to Aspen and Vail

• Winter travel to Palm Beach and Miami

• Summer trips to the French Riviera and Ibiza

• Event-driven spikes: Super Bowl, Art Basel Miami, Monaco Grand Prix

During these peak windows, dynamic pricing can push charter prices 20–50% above typical levels—even for frequent users with an XO membership.

Our empty-leg flight board at Hoppyn also gets busier around these same dates and destinations. But instead of paying per-trip markups, members maintain the same flat annual membership fee and can use location-based tools like our City Hub for spontaneous empty-leg deals to simply browse flights that match their flexibility.

XO Flight Types: Private Charter Flights, Shared Seats, Shuttles, and Empty Legs

XO features a flexible travel model including whole aircraft charters and shared flights. Here's how each format works:

• Full aircraft charters: XO's core product. You book the entire aircraft for your party with dynamic pricing based on distance, aircraft category, fees, and demand. XO offers full aircraft charters for maximum privacy.

• By-the-seat and shuttle flights: You purchase individual seats on preset routes and times. Shuttle flights operate at fixed times with lower prices—think New York–South Florida with all-first-class seating, open bar, and private terminals.

• XO empty legs: Discounted repositioning flights that would otherwise fly empty, sometimes called dead legs. These flights can be 50-75% cheaper than standard charters. Empty leg flights are discounted repositioning flights for cost savings, sold as jet deals. These flights occur when jets return empty after dropping off clients.

• Crowdfunded flights: You propose a route, others join to split costs, and the flight confirms once enough seats are filled.

Hoppyn is built entirely around empty-leg flights. Instead of paying discounted charter prices for each empty leg, our members pay one yearly fee to access and request available empty-leg private jets globally without any per-flight charter bill.

XO Charter Pricing and Typical Cost Ranges

Pricing on XO flights is dynamic and varies based on multiple factors, including demand. Even with jet deals, private charter flights remain a high four-to-five-figure purchase for most trips.

Here's what typical mid-2020s pricing looks like:

• New York–Boston (light jet): ~$7,500–$12,000 one-way

• New York–Miami (midsize jet): ~$15,000–$22,000 one-way

• Teterboro–Van Nuys (super-midsize): ~$25,000–$35,000+

• New York–London (ultra long range aircraft): ~$80,000–$150,000+

Dynamic pricing is influenced by ultra-long-range aircraft and aircraft type. These prices usually exclude 10–25% extra in taxes, fuel surcharges, de-icing, catering, and ground transportation—standard in private aviation. Non-member bookings on XO incur transportation—standards for each segment on top of the base charter cost.

The XO app occasionally highlights jet deals and promotional routes, but the underlying model is still pay-per-flight charter.

Contrast this with Hoppyn: instead of paying $15,000+ per New York–Miami private charter flight, members pay a flat annual fee of $997/year to access as many empty-leg flights as they can successfully book.

XO Memberships, Jet Cards, and How They Compare to Hoppyn

XO Membership Tiers

XO offers a subscription-based membership service for private jet travel, plus on-demand non-member bookings. Here's how the tiers break down:

• XO Membership requires a minimum deposit of $100,000 (refundable), with annual fees around $995. Members receive preferential pricing compared to non-members and can access competitive pricing with fixed hourly rates through Elite Access (e.g., $6,850/hr for light jets, $7,950/hr for midsize jets).

• XO Reserve requires ~$250,000 deposit. Members of XO Reserve enjoy no blackout dates and additional flight assurance, plus guaranteed availability and enhanced partner perks.

Jet Cards

Jet cards within the Vista ecosystem sell prepaid blocks of flight hours at fixed hourly rates by aircraft category, targeting travelers who log enough flight hours to justify the spend. XOJet launched Selectravellers as an earlier iteration of these programs.

Members earn loyalty credits on flights which can apply to future travel. Membership includes dedicated aviation advisors for planning assistance. Members enjoy priority access during peak travel periods.

Even with all of this, per-flight costs remain substantial. The value is predictability, not affordability.

Hoppyn Membership Comparison

Hoppyn flips this: one flat annual fee of $997 for access to unlimited empty-leg flights once confirmed, with no need to wire six figures into a deposit account. No fractional ownership. No jet cards. No competitive pricing tiers to decode. If you want private jet access without the capital commitment, here's how it works.

XO App Booking Flow vs. Browsing Empty Legs with Hoppyn

Both XO and Hoppyn rely on digital platforms, but the booking process reflects different philosophies.

XO App Booking Flow

1. Download the XO app.

2. Create an account.

3. Enter your route and date.

4. Choose passenger count.

5. Filter results by aircraft categories or charter type.

6. Explore flights, tap to book, and pay per trip.

7. The XO app allows real-time flight tracking and updates. Passengers can manage bookings through the XO app easily. The customer support team responds promptly to inquiries, and dedicated support is available for XO members via phone.

Hoppyn Booking Experience

1. Join the membership.

2. Log into a flight board listing available empty-leg private jets worldwide.

3. See departure dates, routes, aircraft categories, and empty seats.

4. Join waitlists for legs that fit your schedule.

5. Once confirmed, there is no per-flight charter invoice.

The mindset shift matters. XO users think: "I need a private jet on this exact date—what will it cost?" Hoppyn members think: "I'm flexible—which empty-leg flight can I grab without paying charter prices?"

Private Charter Flights vs. Empty Legs: Which Makes Sense for You?

This comes down to three variables: schedule rigidity, budget, and how often you fly.

Private charter flights via XO (on-demand charter) are best when you need specific dates, guaranteed aircraft on demand, and routes without frequent empty legs—like last-minute business meetings or complex multi-city itineraries.

Empty legs work best for flexible travelers. Empty legs are typically listed days to weeks before departure. Flexibility is essential for booking empty leg flights. You adapt departure dates, fly slightly off-peak, and plan trips around available repositioning flights rather than commercial travel schedules, much like Hoppyn’s empty leg flights from Toronto model that rewards travellers who can work around repositioning segments.

For frequent flyers, private charter flights at $15,000–$50,000+ per leg add up fast. A Hoppyn membership can unlock multiple empty-leg flights across a year for less than the fuel surcharges on a single XO charter.

Hoppyn doesn't compete with XO on guaranteed charter availability. But if your goal is more private jet travel without private charter pricing, an empty-leg membership is dramatically more cost-efficient.

Safety, Service Standards, and Data Practices

Regardless of price model, safety is non-negotiable in private aviation. XO flights are operated by licensed carriers (FAA Part 135, EASA equivalents) that undergo rigorous safety audits. Crews receive comprehensive training, and aircraft are maintained to strict standards. XO emphasises premium onboard service through private terminals, fast security, and high-end catering.

Hoppyn also works only with established, vetted operators for empty-leg flights. We prioritise the same core standards—proper certification, professional crews, and priority seating. The difference is that Hoppyn strips out opaque pricing for the flight itself. Membership programs do not alter safety standards.

Both platforms collect personal data as part of the booking process. Review privacy policies before signing up with any aviation platform.

How Hoppyn's Membership Turns Empty Legs into a Private Jet Travel Tool

Hoppyn exists to flip the usual private charter equation. We use empty-leg flights—traditionally a side benefit for brokers—as the primary way members fly private without paying charter rates.

Here's what an empty leg is in plain terms: when a private jet needs to reposition after dropping off charter clients (say, flying empty from Miami to New York), that segment becomes a dead leg generating zero revenue. About 30% of all private flight segments are these repositioning flights.

Hoppyn's model is straightforward:

• Pay a transparent flat annual fee of $997/year

• Access a global board of empty legs updated daily

• Join waitlists or request available flights

• Once confirmed, fly with no per-flight cost from Hoppyn

No hourly charter quotes. No jet cards or six-figure deposits. No hidden booking fees. Members still enjoy the core private aviation experience—private terminals, minimal check-in, direct flights to secondary airports—because they're flying on the same premium aircraft used for full-fare charters.

If you've been pricing out XO charter flights and finding them out of reach, Hoppyn lets you experience private jet travel differently—by planning around empty legs instead of paying for entire aircraft.

Is XO the same as XOJet, and does it own the aircraft?

"XOJet" was the original brand founded in 2006, later acquired by Vista Global and merged with JetSmarter to form XO Global LLC. Today, consumer branding is simply "XO." XO primarily acts as a private aviation broker, and most XO flights are operated by third-party FAA- and EASA-licensed charter airlines. Some Vista group companies (like VistaJet) operate dedicated fleets, but day-to-day XO charter flights generally come from a mix of partner operators.

How do XO's empty legs differ from empty-leg access through Hoppyn?

XO usually prices empty legs as discounted one-off charter flights—often 50–75% off standard rates—so you still pay several thousand to tens of thousands per leg depending on route and aircraft category. With Hoppyn, the cost per empty leg from our side is zero after you've paid your annual membership. Both rely on the same underlying concept of repositioning flights, but XO treats them as discounted charters while Hoppyn turns them into a recurring membership benefit.

Can I use XO for some trips and Hoppyn for flexible empty-leg travel?

Many travellers mix models: booking full private charter flights on platforms like XO when they must travel on fixed dates, and using empty legs via Hoppyn whenever their schedule allows. If you want to fly private multiple times per year without paying charter prices every time, adding a Hoppyn membership can significantly lower your average trip cost.

Are private charter flights with XO more reliable than empty-leg flights?

Standard private charter flights booked through XO are built around your schedule, making them more predictable. Empty-leg flights—whether through XO or Hoppyn—can change or cancel if the primary charter flights shift. Hoppyn members should understand this trade-off upfront: you exchange some schedule certainty for the ability to fly on private jets without typical charter fees.

How do I decide between a private jet membership like Hoppyn and buying a jet card?

Start by estimating your annual private jet hours. If you routinely fly 25–50+ hours per year on fixed dates, jet cards with fixed hourly rates may make sense despite large deposits. If you want to experience private jet travel more frequently but are price-sensitive and flexible on timing, a low-cost membership like Hoppyn focused on empty-leg flights can unlock far more trips for the same total annual spend. Compare one year of charter spending for a few trips versus one year of Hoppyn membership with potentially multiple empty-leg flights—then choose the model that matches your budget.

Conclusion

Choosing between XO Jet and Hoppyn depends on your travel needs and flexibility. If you require guaranteed aircraft on specific dates and value the predictability of traditional private charter pricing, XO offers a comprehensive, tech-enabled platform with access to thousands of aircraft across all cabin classes. However, if your schedule allows flexibility and you want to experience private jet travel at a fraction of the typical charter cost, Hoppyn's flat-fee membership model leveraging empty-leg flights provides unmatched value and access.

With Hoppyn, you can unlock private jet travel opportunities worldwide without the hefty per-flight charter fees, making private aviation more accessible than ever. Many travelers combine both models—using XO for fixed-date trips and Hoppyn for flexible travel—to maximize convenience and savings.

Ultimately, understanding your priorities around cost, schedule, and flight frequency will guide you to the best choice. Whether you prefer the certainty of XO's on-demand charters or the affordability and adventure of Hoppyn's empty-leg membership, both platforms offer unique ways to enjoy private jet travel on your terms.