The luxury of time-saving has been pushed as a major advantage and selling point of private jet travel by Abercrombie & Kent during the Globetrotting showcase at Virtuoso Travel Week 2023 in Las Vegas.
According to D. Shawn Johnson, SVP, Sales – North America, Abercrombie & Kent, guests who book on the recently released 2024 Wildlife and Nature: Around the World by Private Jet are getting “great value” when booking the US$168,000 per person itinerary.
Beginning in Kona, Hawaii, the 26-day journey’s flight route includes direct flights to Nadi, Fiji, then Hobart, Australia; Denpasar, Indonesia; Sri Lanka; Mauritius; Lusaka, Zambia; Salvador, Brazil; Manaus, Brazil and concludes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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The itinerary includes a total of 55.5 hours in flight. And that is aboard A&K’s custom-designed Boeing 757 with its “private club in the sky” feel, equipped with just 50 lie-flat VIP First class seats, and onboard which is served the house champagne of Dom Perignon.
Johnson says the custom-designed interior of the aircraft is so luxurious that “guests get excited about their next flight” on tour and experiencing the culinary and food & beverage program offered aboard, as well as socialising with newfound friends.
Referencing the time-saving, Johnson explained to Virtuoso travel advisors during the Ultraluxe Community session that if guests were to use commercial flights on the same route as the newly released around-the-world journey, it would equate to nearly double the amount of flying time.
“If you were to do this commercially, you would have 117 hours flying and that would not be First class.” That would comprise a combination of Business, Economy and a few First class options. And the commercial flight routing would require 77 hours in layovers, “including five forced overnights – not recommended”.
The cost of those commercial flights would equate to approximately US$30,000 per person, or put into perspective, a bit over one-fifth of the total cost of A&K’s itinerary.
Other selling points Johnson passed onto advisors was that the A&K Private Jet trips include a dedicated flight crew of 16, one tour director, three tour managers, multiple guides sourced locally who experts in their field in their destinations, a professional photographer, a physician and a luggage manager to ensure guests’ luggage arrives “magically” at their next hotel room, all the way through the journey.
Johnson said the private jet itineraries often feature “one-of-a-kind accommodations” and that’s what sets it apart from a competitor in the same space that is operated by a luxury hotelier.
“Abercrombie & Kent is not anchored to particular properties. We put the experience first and the accommodation portfolio second.
“Sometimes the nearest five-star hotel is a thousand miles away, so we’ll take a three- of four-star property and convert it to a 4.5-, 5-star experience. We can pick and choose the property that best suits their taste.”
In the past, there have also been instances where A&K Private Jet takes over a 1-star property and elevates the experience to 5-star by bringing in its own mattresses, linen, chef, service staff, cutlery, crystal, etc to ensure it meets the expectations of the affluent traveller.
Meanwhile, Abercrombie & Kent founder, Geoffrey Kent and his wife, will lead a new Around the World itinerary next year. An Inspiring Expedition by Private Jet with Geoffrey Kent will begin in Japan and Kanazawa on 13 October 2024 and travel to India, Valetta, Malta; Dakar, Senegal; Saint Helena Island, UK (between Africa and South America), Punta del Este, Uruguay; Easter Island, Chile and Papeete, French Polynesia, concluding in Los Angeles.
Ahead of that new journey, in August 2024, will be another private jet trip led by Geoffrey Kent that will explore Italy and The Palio. Details on that trip will be announced in the future.
