What do you do if you’re a crazy, busy tech mogul or one of those famous stars who wants to travel fast and in luxury, but without all the hassle and costs that come with actually owning a private jet?
That’s the solution offered by subscription-based private aviation company Flexjet: the ability to operate a private jet without the need to purchase or staff it.
Their conversations are simple. We’ll get you where you need to be, and we’ll do it in style. They asked me to give it a try and it seemed rude to say no.
This attraction is immediately obvious from the moment I join the team that is rapidly moving across the Atlantic from London to New York.
On a weekday morning, a driver picks me up from my home to take me to a private airport outside London. We breeze towards the runway at Farnborough Airport as if we were traveling on the road.
There is no queue; You don’t have to wait long for your bags to be scanned. Instead, guests put on slippers and relax aboard a customized Gulfstream G650. The plane looks like something out of an episode of Succession and has a maximum range of 11,500 km and a speed of Mach 0.9.
It’s this speed and comfort that attracts customers, Marine Eugène, Flexjet’s European Managing Director, tells me on board.
The business’s customers have two things in common: They both need to get places fast and can afford to pay for it.
“When you join a program like ours, they want something that will make things easier,” he says. “So when they think about buying another company, buying another house, everything becomes very complicated.
“Whereas if they come to us, we guarantee them that if they need to go to an airport, anytime, anywhere, whether it’s in London, New York, Paris, we will come and pick them up. “This is actually a way to make their lives easier.”
In addition to speed, those lucky enough to travel by private jet also have the flexibility to do so as they wish. A fully staffed team anticipates every need of its guests while working or relaxing: a hot towel when you need to freshen up, a coffee or meal, a selection of wines, champagne and cheeses.
I’ve discovered that this extends to spoiling your inner child. I was invited to sit in the cockpit as we took off from Farnborough for the nearly seven-hour flight. We are flying towards the clouds with the hum of air traffic codes ringing in my ears.
Of course, all the normal flying rules don’t go out the window: I’m politely asked not to talk and talk in case I accidentally cause an emergency with idle chatter. Definitely Don’t press anything.
Once you get in the mood, tables are set quickly. The food, which includes smoked salmon eggs benedict for breakfast and steak salad for lunch, is delicious and leaves no trace of being cooked thousands of feet up. Served with a supporting Bloody Mary to prevent jet lag. I suspect this will also stop the impending cold.
Its surroundings are also at the peak of luxury. The décor is modeled after the exclusive Bentley Mulliner Bacalar sports car, which costs up to £1.5 million. Every detail, down to the stitching of the seat cushions, was specially designed.
The same crew may travel on every customer flight; This means they get to know regulars personally, right down to their food and drink orders. The experience is so pleasurable that it makes a long-haul flight seem so short.
When we land across the Hudson at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, we have time for a coffee before being guided towards the waiting helicopter for the full Logan Roy experience. The airline recently launched ‘point-to-point’ service in Europe.
Disembarking from the plane, the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter will take you to a helipad in the city center, leaving traffic on the ground behind. It is now available in London, at a landing site in Battersea, as well as in the US Northeast and South Florida. For time-strapped business executives, this cuts down on waiting time in traffic while rushing to meetings.
However, we follow a quieter route. To our surprise, we took a wide circle around Manhattan, passing the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center. The standout: A bird’s-eye view of Central Park in front of the cars on the ground takes us from Hudson Yards to the Aman New York on 5th Avenue—often cited as the city’s most expensive hotel.
It’s a taste of luxury that few get to experience, and it’s extremely stress-free unless you’re afraid of heights. “It’s very addictive as a way to travel, it’s very powerful,” Marine says. But it comes with a hefty price tag.
The service markets itself to ultra-high-net-worth individuals and corporate entities who fly over 50 hours per year. In practice, this means your wealth is measured in millions.
However, for those with money, this convenience is worth it. Private air travel has increased post-Covid as business travelers face long waits at airports. Others chose this over commercial offerings for health reasons.
In Europe, demand growth is “beginning to settle” but remains above pre-pandemic levels. Flexjet is among the companies that say they do not yet know how many of those who turn to private air travel will stay in the long term, but are “optimistic” about the market.
In the context of the climate emergency, you could be forgiven for wondering whether private travel is necessary. Shouldn’t we all try to fly less, I ask?
The company says it already offsets each flight’s emissions by 300% to account for both carbon and non-carbon emissions, and private aviation accounts for 2% of all aviation emissions, which in turn account for 2% of all global emissions.
But it is moving towards Sustainable Aviation Fuel, a less polluting type of biofuel that the industry hopes can be used to replace conventional fuel.
“The climate impact of air travel is another driver of change, and at Flexjet we will continue to develop our sustainability offering over the next few years,” says Marine. “Flexjet has committed that by 2030, 12% of its fleet’s annual fuel consumption will come from SAF, the first and only private aviation company to set a concrete target that exceeds broader aviation industry targets.”
Flexjet had planned to merge with Chelsea FC owner and chairman Todd Boehly’s Horizon Acquisition Corp II and become a publicly traded company. Last year, the highly anticipated deal worth an estimated $3 billion was canceled with chairman Kenn Ricci saying he believed the move was “in the best interest of our aircraft owners, employees and other stakeholders.”
However, this is not expected to slow growth. To meet demand, Flexjet added more than 80 aircraft by the end of 2023 compared to the beginning of 2021. An additional 1,400 employees were hired during the year, including 388 additional flight crew members.
Customers who receive this service will undoubtedly experience the most painless and possibly the most luxurious trip of their lives. But unfortunately for those of us who don’t have the dosh to spare, it’s back to economics. Oh, it was fun while it lasted.