5 unusual flights (& prices) this week
Some of our flights are a relatively straightforward case of transporting business or leisure passengers from A to B as quickly and seamlessly as possible (an average of 4 passengers to be precise, according to our quarterly trends report). But other clients will choose a private flight due to unusual requirements – that make an airline flight or other transport unviable.
These are some of the out-of-the-ordinary flights keeping our Flight Team on their toes in the past week.
KENT TO MILAN WITH 5 CATS
Arranging private flights with pets is not that unusual for us. A growing number of our leisure clients take their dog or cat with them when they fly. On a private flight your pet can travel with you in the cabin, rather than in the hold. So it’s far less stressful for everyone.
But it is quite unusual for us to have more than one or two pets onboard one aircraft. In this case, it was five cats.
This client was travelling from their UK home in Kent, to their second property in Italy. And as they were spending the whole winter there, their five pet cats were coming too.
Flying with this many animals does require some extra admin and careful planning. It’s essential to make sure each cat has the correct pet passport and documentation, and this needs to be checked at the airport. But we also wanted to minimise the waiting time as much as possible, to keep the cats (and their owners) calm and happy.
But Rob, our Active Flights Manager coordinated every detail with the aircraft operator and airport teams (and made sure the cats’ favourite treats were waiting onboard), so that everything went purr-fectly to plan!
How much does it cost by private jet?
- Itinerary: London Biggin Hill – Milan Linate (one way)
- Aircraft: Legacy 600 (13 seats)
- Flight time: 1 hr 23 mins
- Price: £15,600
PARIS TO LYON WITH CONFIDENTIAL DATA
It’s not only live animals that need careful handling. Another recent flight involved the transport of some highly confidential company data, which needed to be relocated to another location. The clients were in Paris and the destination was Lyon.
To reduce risks, the data was saved on multiple hard drives which needed to arrive in three separate vehicles at the airport, with additional security alongside. And to be driven as close as possible to the aircraft steps.
There were only two passengers travelling on board, but timing was critical and logistics were complex. Multiple vehicles were needed in Lyon, with the same security considerations for transporting the data to its final location.
How much does it cost by private jet?
- Itinerary: Paris le Bourget – Lyon Bron (one way)
- Aircraft: Citation XLS (8 seats)
- Flight time: 46 minutes
- Price: €7,100
LONDON TO LITHUANIA MEDICAL FLIGHT
Our Flight Team has extensive experience in arranging all sorts of specialised transport, including medical evacuation and air ambulance flights.
This experience was required recently when a client required an immediate paramedic escort back to their home in Lithuania after a road accident in North London.
Our Flight Team was able to arrange the last minute flight quickly, and recommended a specialist Learjet 45 for the trip. We worked closely with the family, the aircraft operator and the medical teams, to ensure a seamless connection with the ground ambulances at both ends, and that everything went as smoothly as possible.
How much does it cost by private jet?
- Itinerary: London Luton to Vilnius International
- Aircraft: Learjet 45
- Flight time: 2 hrs 20 mins
- Price: €19,900
NAPA TO LA WITH 2 BOXES OF GRAPES
We’re used to working with clients to ensure they have their preferred wine onboard, but not so often the raw ingredients.
This client is a wine producer, based in the Napa Valley in California, and they has been invited at short notice to an event in LA. It was an opportunity to showcase their vineyard and he wanted to take two boxes of their recently harvested grapes along for the trip.
The client would need to be back in Napa that evening, so a same day return flight was needed. And as he was travelling alone (bar the grapes), a small jet was more than roomy enough for the short flight, and kept within his budget.
How much does it cost by private jet?
- Itinerary: Napa County to LA Van Nuys
- Aircraft: Embraer Phenom 100
- Flight time: 1 hr 3 mins
- Price: $5,900
ZURICH TO ROME IN A HURRY
Lots of our clients want to fly quickly. In fact our latest Private Jet Charter Trends report shows that 11% book to fly on the same day.
But this flight was for a particularly time-pressed Italian client. He actually has his own private aircraft, which he had used to fly from Rome into Zurich a couple of days earlier. But as the crew prepared for departure back to Rome, a technical problem with his own aircraft was identified. So the client was at risk of missing an important meeting in Rome less than four hours later.
Having used PrivateFly in the past, he called and we were able to identify a charter aircraft already on the ground in Zurich, which could be booked for an immediate departure. Less than an hour later, he was in the air and still able to make his meeting in Rome – with time to spare.
How much does it cost by private jet?
- Itinerary: Zurich to Rome Ciampino
- Aircraft: Embraer Phenom 100
- Flight time: 1 hr 25 mins
- Price: €5,230
Whether your requirements are straightforward or on the more unusual side, our 24-hour Flight Team are ready to advise you on aircraft and price options. Contact us or call +44 1747 642 777.
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