See the world’s greatest places in one month on a flying cruise
Luxury hotel companies like Crystal Cruises, Peninsula hotels, Aman resorts and Four Seasons Hotels are offering flying cruises for wealthy travellers
So you want to see all of the world’s greatest sights … in 29 days?
Good news: For the first time ever, it’s a realistic proposition.
But there’s a catch: You’ll have to do it on a private jet. And it’ll run you US$159,000 per person.
At least that’s what Edie Rodriguez, chief executive officer of Crystal Cruises, is proposing with the company’s soon-to-launch AirCruises, whose first “Around the World: Iconic Sights” tour will pit stop in Easter Island, Uluru, Lhasa, Jaipur, Victoria Falls, and Prague (among others) — all between Oct. 21 and Nov. 18.
Crystal isn’t alone. Luxury hotel companies from Peninsula hotels to Aman resorts and Four Seasons Hotels are getting in on private jet tours; the latter has partnered with global star chef Rene Redzepi for a US$135,000 culinary dream trip that spans much of Europe and Asia. So are safari outfitters such as Great Plains Conservation and AndBeyond, which is using private jets to link otherwise difficult-to-connect destinations, such as Kenya and Botswana. (The safaris range from US$75,000 to US$116,500 per person.) Top-notch operators Abercrombie & Kent and National Geographic are offering global vacations built around exclusive charters. And the list keeps growing.
A Whole New World of Opportunity
“Private jet travel inquiries have grown by at least four of five times in the last few years,” explained Michael Holtz, a travel specialist at SmartFlyer who is an expert on complicated aviation inquiries. “But up until about three years ago, only one or two companies were offering private jet trips at all, and none of them were really marketing in a big way.”
And why should they? There’s no sense in turning your company into a household name if almost all households can’t afford your product.