SFO777

Many long-range private jets most certainly have sleeper seats and couches. Indeed, some even have staterooms with king beds.



Although as long as money's no object, there's this private A380... http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image...96_964x515.jpg

gleff

Indeed you can't just say 'private vs F' .. there's a whole range of private...

* type of aircraft (and not just range, speed, but cabin size)
* how the aircraft is fitted
* how you pay to have it catered...

You can customize private air travel however you wish... and it's often not nearly as expensive as you think, at least it hasn't been the past couple of years, recession and political negativity around flying private.

It's a pretty competitive market, Netjets is bleeding, and if you have a handful of folks going between two relatively obscure points for business and it's the difference between a same-day turn and a three-day trip it makes all the sense in the world.

Me? I'm not important enough to warrant flying private, but I won't mind hitching a ride when someone who is is traveling! ^

And my solution to the 'no miles' problem is to put the flight on my credit card and take the reimbursement

mkt

An extremely wealthy uncle of mind has a few private aircraft. His regular bird is his Citation.

I flew commercial with him one time, SJU-PTY in CM Clase Ejecutiva. The things he said about the TSA would make some of the posters over at travel safety/security blush. And then the complaints about the (minimal) lines...

Private > First/Exec

kkjay77

In case of a private A380, the problem is that you can use only very limited number of airports.
But then, if one can afford such, then (s)he won't have problem securing another BBJ or gulf stream I guess.

k2o

Flying by private jet is pretty awesome.I've been lucky to do so more than I've flow fc. Someone mentioned not having lounges....I beg to differ, when utilizing an airport the private jets get pretty good service and their own private lounge. Food and drink is normally superb on private.

But alas, I do not have my own but am fortunate to fly with them a couple of times a year.

deubster

Indeed. Back in the early 80's I made a monthly visit to a client as the sole passenger in a Mooney 201. After the first few trips, I would have traded my "private plane" for FC, or even coach for that matter. No entertainment, no FA's or beverage carts, no reading lights, and noise too loud to have a conversation.

GodAtum

Slightly off topic but if you can afford to fly first everytime do miles and tiers matter?

PFKMan23

In my opinion, not really. Same thing goes if you can afford to have a private jet.

4now

Speaking as a leisure traveller, I find private jets to be generally over rated; particularly on longer flights.
Of course, I find airliner travel to be like Greyhound Buses flying through the skies.

RichardInSF

With the possible exception of flights to Tokyo where private planes are not allowed to land -- I heard they have to go to Nagoya which means you don't save time when you throw in the Shinkansen ride and other ancillary stuff.

Barring having the bed luxury of the Google guys 757 (or better), for most folks flying private jets, the ground experience is the best part. Life without TSA is worth a lot, as is having the plane leave when you arrive -- not before and not after.

number_6

Very limited ... over 100 airports are A380 capable, in all parts of the world (even remote and unlikely destinations like NAN in Fiji, if you crave a trip to a south pacific island). Of course the first private A380 is being delivered in 2012 (to Saudi Arabia, surprise, surprise) and there isn't a delivery position open for the next 4 years.

I generally eschew using the G4 I have access to in favour of flying CX F trans-pacific (but do use it trans-Atlantic).

fly2nrt

Completely untrue.

elitetraveler

That's why you bring friends on your pj

merlin

The only downside would be getting landing rights for certain last minute intl trips. Next to impossible to fly to China or India for example with less than a couple days notice. Most other places can be persuaded with the right amount of cash Oh, and sometimes difficult to obtain prime slots at a place like Frankfurt for example. Other than that, private all the way!

elitetraveler

Paris, Frankfurt, London all have numerous alternatives for private jets. In fact I believe when LPJ was operating with NetJets they were using an alternate to FRA - about 20 minutes by car transfer.