In The Air

When you’ve got a spare quarter of a million dollars lying around for your next Australian short break, not even the sky’s the limit.

In The Air 

When you’ve got a spare quarter of a million dollars lying around for your next Australian short break, not even the sky’s the limit.   

Few things in this world say “high-flying über-rich” quite like rolling up to your holiday destination in a sleek, modern private jet. For the most part, though, Learjets are something that happen to other people – usually either celebrities or business executives. And it’s these same people that have been flying around the country for business purposes that are now turning to the private jet for the ultimate in luxury holidaying.

“Use of private jets in Australia has doubled in the past four years,” says Barry Graham, CEO of JetCorp Australia (02 9699 6411, www.jetcorpaustralia.com), which has access to a fleet of more than 2000 private jets and helicopters worldwide. “That’s all thanks to a resource boom – remote mining sites, for example, could not operate without them – and the simple fact that we’ve got more billionaires. To be competitive globally you need to be flexible, mobile and maintain privacy at the highest levels. You need reduced flight times to remote destinations, no wastage of time and you need to reach multiple destinations in one day. And for those that can never be fully on holidays, you can also do work while you’re flying. And now the same people that have become accustomed to travelling in them for business are using them for leisure.”

Let’s face it, once you’ve flown down the pointy end of a commercial jet, sampled the legroom and the better class of food and entertainment, it’s extremely difficult to return to cattle class; the rise in the use of private jets for leisure stems from exactly this impulse. But, although they’re rich on the stocks and bonds side of the equation, private jet users tend to be extremely time poor. They do not wish to line up and go through security checks with the rank and file. With a private jet, says Graham, “your entire holidaying experience, from start to finish – including catering – is absolutely top of the line. Straight from jet to limo to destination.”

So what are people looking for in this form of transport – is it speed? Sexiness? Legroom? “All of those,” says Graham. “Some people figure a compact jet is going to deliver a destination very quickly – they’re not wilful or wasteful, but they know what they like and they’re happy to pay for it. They want good quality jets with a bit of space. In the compact line, that would be a Cessna Citation VII, which has a stand-up cabin, on-board toilets and good galley facilities with a good turn of speed – 840km/h, with endurance of up to five hours at that speed without stopping to refuel.

“Then there’s the Learjet 45 XR. Very sleek, very sexy. It looks fast and is fast. A Gulfstream or Global Express will go everywhere in the world with only one stop – they fly up above the commercial airliners – so that’s for inbound visitors. Then once they’re here they want to hit all the big icons in as little time as possible – The Reef, The Rock, The Rainforest – all in a week. And they’re more than happy to spend the money to get a premium experience.”

And we’re talking serious money. Running costs alone are stratospheric. For the smallest, most compact jet available you’re looking at around $3500 an hour, which includes fuel costs, landing fees, food and board for pilots and crew where necessary, as well as onboard catering and entertainment – which extends to pretty much anything the client can dream up, all the way down to which newspapers you prefer and which movies you haven’t caught up with yet.

That figure leaps to $5000 an hour for a midrange jet such as a Cessna Citation VII, and $9000 an hour for larger jets like the Global Express. JetCorp Australia also charters high-end, twin-engine turbine helicopters with a ground speed of 250km/h for around $4000 an hour – perfect for quick jaunts to your nearest wine region or ski field.

No two charters are alike. JetCorp works closely with Travel Beyond (www.travelbeyond.com.au) to bolt on accommodation, ground transfers, tours and other extras, while Graham and his team take care of all the air travel. Graham cites the recent example of a group of six who visited in a ten-seater Bombardier Challenger 604. They took in the bulk of the major Australian icons, including Sydney Harbour Bridge, Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, and even had time for a stop-off in Hobart, plus a quick zoom across the Tasman to New Zealand. “This was a US family of three with their partners,” says Graham. “They spent seven days and $250,000 for that trip. And a booking like that is not unusual.”

Bill Peach Journeys
Onscreen explorer extraordinaire Bill Peach runs a swathe of what he refers to as luxury “flightseeing” tours of Australia. For more than a quarter of a century, Bill Peach Journeys has provided quality high-end tours to those wishing to visit all corners of this country in style.

Setting aside their international adventures, air-based itineraries include: a 12-day Great Australian Aircruise (a vast loop ex-Sydney that takes in Uluru, Broome, Birdsville, Kakadu and everything in between); a 12-day Great Southern Aircruise (a similar range, but cutting east to west from Sydney via Broken Hill, Coober Pedy and Kalgoorlie, then looping back via Perth, Margaret River and across the Great Australian Bight to Kangaroo Island); and a terrific 12-day World Heritage and National Park Aircruise (including Cradle Mountain, Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef, to name just a few), with each of these costing a shade over $12,000 per person.

Each Bill Peach journey is inclusive of meals, accommodation and other extras – with a focus on five star lodgings and fine cuisine distinct to each region visited. All the air travel is done in a 34-seat Dash 8, which means group sizes are also comfortably small. Call (02) 9693 2233 or check out www.billpeach.com.au for more info.