Jack Southan reveals how one private jet company is catering to the VIP party market by flying people to Sydney – and then LA – to celebrate New Year’s Eve two times over.
There is a growing trend among the wealthy elite to find ever-more extravagant ways to celebrate the festive season.
Companies invest huge amounts of money in lavish Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties – in November, a study by online events company Eventbrite showed that in the UK alone, almost £1 billion would be spent on corporate bashes this December – a rise (by an average per-person cost) of 32 per cent on 2009.
This behaviour is likely to continue to gain momentum in relation to the economic growth and financial stability of countries around the world. But is there a limit to how far we can go to make sure a single night goes down in history?
New Year’s Eve is probably the biggest party of the year. But there is pressure to find more exciting and unique ways to celebrate it. Do we go abroad? Do we pay to attend an event? It’s difficult to choose because you only get one shot, right?
Well, maybe not. For the ultimate experience, jet charter company PrivateFly can offer a chance to experience NYE twice in one night. It might seem impossible, but if you have the stamina and the funds, it can be done.
With the help of the world’s fastest passenger jet, the Gulfstream G650ER, travellers can start the night in Sydney, before hopping on their very own private jet to fly to Los Angeles for round two.
Marketing director of PrivateFly, Carol Cork, says: “This is the ultimate in luxury ways to see in 2016, in two of the world’s most exciting party cities. The flight time from Sydney to LA in a Gulfstream G650ER is around 12 hours, so with the 19-hour time difference, you can gain seven hours of party time by flying eastwards.
“This unique flight experience is only possible by private jet, as the timings are so tight – and there are no airline schedules to fit the itinerary.”
Supplied with a detailed itinerary, New Year’s revellers are given the most time-efficient and fun-filled recommendations for their 24-hour night out. They can choose from a party at the Sydney Opera House, clubbing at Marquee Sydney or dinner at the Park Hyatt hotel, followed by Cleopatra’s Ball in LA.
For those in need of sleep, there is a substantial break – 12 hours, in fact, onboard the aircraft. However, dedicated partygoers can continue the festivities in true VIP fashion with onboard music and entertainment, fine wines, champagne and bespoke catering served by personal flight attendants. Everything you could need.
If you’d rather recharge your batteries and be on top form for the second half, the spacious G650ER cabin provides a double bed and a bathroom with a digital shower, a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe, and ergonomic seats that fully recline and swivel – all to accommodate from between eight and 18 passengers.
There is no other celebration like this in the world and very few aircraft capable of allowing it, says Cork: “No civilian aircraft can currently overtake time. But the Gulfstream G650ER is the world’s fastest and furthest private jet, with a nonstop flight range of 7,500 nautical miles and a top speed of Mach 0.9, just under the speed of sound.”
She adds: “Supersonic private jets are currently at concept stage, and expected to be in operation by 2021. So that will allow even more extended hours of partying within the next few years.”
To charter the whole aircraft for a one-way trip there is a price tag of £151,000 all in, but with a full plane this equates to the much more manageable sum of £8,400 per person. It is decadence to the nth degree, but for those who can afford it, it will undoubtedly be a night (or two) to remember.
According to research from private jet charter company Victor, spending on private jets is up 2.8 per cent year-on-year since 2008. The top three markets are France (generating almost 20 per cent of flights), Germany (just over 15 per cent), and the UK (almost 13 per cent).