The greatest advantage of private air travel is that it sidesteps the most troublesome portions of any aerial journey—the part on the ground. It sidesteps public airport terminals with their crowds and queues; it cuts out the need for transits with point-to-point travel; and the schedule is whatever you need it to be. The air, though, is a stiffer challenge. Although business jets are generally more pleasant than commercial airlines—they are usually quieter and their cabins pressurised to lower altitudes, for example—the reality is that its passengers are still cooped up in a confined space for hours on end. This is something that VistaJet, a global leader in private jet charter, takes seriously. Beyond the logistical benefits of its membership-based services, such as the flexibility, reach, and consistency of its hundreds-strong fleet, the company goes to great lengths to make its in-cabin experience a cut above the rest.
One of the keystones of this experience is Private Dining. The company has an entire department dedicated to on-board meals and has developed a strict logistical system to ensure everything is brought on board as fresh as possible—which includes working with various suppliers and chefs to create a tailor-made experience. “Private dining is a big part of the service on board. When you’re flying private, you don’t expect anything other than what you would do normally,” explains Amy Yang, vice president marketing, APAC & IMEA for VistaJet (pictured above). “We are more than a company that flies from A to B. [It’s about] a replication of the client’s lifestyle. So, if the client enjoys meals in a Michelin-starred restaurant, there’s no reason why we cannot do that for them on board the aircraft, when they’re flying with their families or business partners.
“That’s why we partnered with Michelin-starred chefs and top restaurants around the world to create our gastronomy campaigns, which features some of the most sought-after cuisines,” she adds. One these recent partnerships is with Mauro Colagreco, the chef behind the three-starred restaurant Mirazur in Menton, on the French Riviera. His bespoke menu will be available to VistaJet clients flying out of Nice Airport. Another such partnership is with Beefbar, founded by Riccardo Giraudi, and renowned for its premium meats, name-brand steakhouses, and egalitarian approach.
View more of the interiors of VistaJet’s Bombardier Global 7500
The attention to detail extends beyond the cuisine as well. On VistaJet’s Bombardier Global 7500 jets—its longest-range aircraft, capable of flying non-stop for 17 hours up to 7,700nm and seating up to 14—one finds plush leather upholstery and alpaca wool blankets on its electrically adjustable seats. The amenity kits are by Guerlain, and the cutlery and tableware are from Christofle. “Again, if you go to our clients’ homes, they probably have a similar quality of tableware. There is no reason why we shouldn’t have the same standard when they’re flying [with us],” Yang explains.
Ultimately, the guiding principle is whatever the client requires. “A lot of our clients are very health-conscious these days, and it doesn’t always have to be the most expensive meal, but it’s what is right for them,” Yang says. As VistaJet deals with an extremely select clientele, every relationship is personal by nature, and understanding a client’s particular requirements is key. “From the first flight they take with us, every single comment they make—whether the temperature is right for them, when they prefer to rest, or how they prefer the cabin to be set up before they take off—we take note of all that. And then we won’t need to ask the same questions next time. So, we do a lot of groundwork to make the flying experience as seamless as possible for clients,” she explains.
Tending to these requirements are a perhaps underrated part of VistaJet’s service: its consummately professional Cabin Hosts. Experts in all aspects of the aircraft’s cabin—expanding and joining tables for dining, or turning seats into beds, for example—they have received extensive training to be one-stop solutions for anything on board. Some of the entities VistaJet works with include the British Butler Institute, Norland College in the UK for childcare and nannying, and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust for any sommelier-like services. The Cabin Hosts are even trained in pet care.
One uniting aspect across all these services is consistency. No matter the VistaJet aircraft dispatched to a client, the experience will be similar to the one that was sent before it. This is especially true of the layout—on the Global 7500, this means that the first section is seating and tables, the middle is a lounge with television and sofa, and the rear section has a double bed and small library, and it will reliably be so. Travel can be hard, even in a private jet, and little moments of dependability make it feel just a little more like home.
