![Living the dream on a private jet.](/web/20161126083416im_/http://www.traveller.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/7/d/d/0/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gr7ci2.png/1472795407351.jpg)
It's the dream, isn't it? Hiring a private jet to travel in peace and luxury, far removed from the seat-kickers and screaming babies of airline travel.
But for some private jet travellers, serenity and solitude simply aren't enough: they won't travel without specifying a bunch of weird and wonderful requirements. Cashmere blankets, organic coconuts, a whole plane just for their pet… as these private jet companies reveal, nothing is too outlandish – or expensive – in the world of luxury travel.
Bizarre entertainment
"One of our high-profile clients is obsessed with the colour pink. So we had the aircraft interior seats re-covered with pink fabric, pink food including prawns and macaroons, pink champagne, Pink Floyd was playing, even the pilot wore a pink shirt. As he was hosting VIP guests on board, we welcomed them to the aircraft with a pink carpet." – PrivateFly
"One of the families that regularly travel with us specifically asks for the theme of Mamma Mia! to be played just after take-off. So of course, we oblige." – Magnus Aviation
One client used to insist on having a MacDonald's Filet-O-Fish burger during the flight. It had to be collected right before take-off, as they had to have it - hotMagnus Aviation
"Recently we arranged a Scottish-themed flight for a client's 100th birthday. They wanted bespoke tartan seat covers, a fine-dining Scottish menu, and a bagpiper at the aircraft steps." – PrivateFly
"One client insists on only listening to music by pianist Liberace for the whole flight, while another demands specific blankets and pillows made of 100% cashmere. We have also packed an entire plane with white Casablanca lilies, simply because a passenger requested it." – Jetsmarter
Fussy eaters
"One client used to insist on having a MacDonald's Filet-O-Fish burger during the flight. It had to be collected right at the last minute before take-off, as they had to have it hot." – Magnus Aviation
"An open flame is not permitted on an aircraft unless you have a fireman on board. One client wanted to have her 50th birthday cake candles lit on her birthday trip to Florence, so we arranged for a fireman to go along too. Luckily it was a large aircraft with seats to spare." – PrivateFly
"We were once asked to stock the plane with only Cool Ranch flavour Doritos and bottles of Sparkling Ice Kiwi Strawberry. On a different trip, a client hired food tasters beforehand, to check that the in-flight catering would suit their palette." – Jetsmarter
"Another health-conscious passenger wasn't sure where he wanted to fly, but it had to be home to the highest percentage grade organic coconuts. We sourced a farm in Fiji and arranged the flights." – PrivateFly
Wasteful journeys
"One client paid for their favourite Michelin star chef to cook them a meal in New York, and we delivered it by air to them in Chicago." – Jetsmarter
"We have sent a jet from Cannes to London and back, just to pick up a client's favourite wine from their home wine cellar." – Magnus Aviation
A couple once took a flight to nowhere, paying nearly seven figures for a six-hour trip which ended in the same place that they started - JetSmarter
"We have dispatched a jet to transport Birkin Bags back to a client's hometown after a shopping spree. On another occasion, we flew a mobile phone from New York to South Florida for a client who had left it at home by accident." – Jetsmarter
"A client once hired a jet to fly their much-loved family dog from London to Madrid, to be united with her owner. The dog flew alone, with the whole jet to herself. We have also flown a parrot from Manchester to London, when the trip was somewhat out of its flight range." – PrivateFly
Strange things people do in the air
"There's a celebrity who flies weekly across the country with a team of stylists. They spend the entire flight trying on outfits, doing alterations and laying out outfits for the upcoming week." – Jetsmarter
"A couple once took a flight to nowhere, paying nearly seven figures for a six-hour trip which ended in the same place that they started. They had a very expensive bottle of wine, mid-air spa treatments, expert skin care, and a manicure/pedicure. They brought a world class chef on board, and one of the world's most well-known opera singers to sing to them for an hour." – Jetsmarter
"We have a client who flew one of the world's best poker players with him on his plane from Europe to Vegas, just so he could practice for a two-day gambling spree in Vegas." – Jetsmarter
"Every year we get requests from people who want to enjoy New Years Eve twice. So for £135,000 we make this possible by flying in the Gulfstream G650 (the world's fastest and furthest-ranging jet) from Sydney to Los Angeles, flying across the international date line to see in the New Year in style at both of these cities." – PrivateFly
See also: How rock stars fly - inside the world's best private jets
See also: Airline unveils private suites with sliding doors
The Telegraph, London
Comments