Ben Schlappig from One Mile at a Time – Reports

While Four Seasons is primarily known for its luxury hotels, the brand also has a “private jet” that operates some pretty amazing journeys. I recently had the chance to check out the plane that operates these flights during some downtime at Paine Field (just outside of Seattle), and wanted to share some impressions about what I learned.

I knew going in how nice the plane would be (based on the pictures), but what really impressed me was the soft product, from the staffing levels and customization, to the free flowing Dom Perignon…

The basics of Four Seasons Private Jet journeys
With Four Seasons Private Jet, the luxury hotel brand has essentially created a luxury “air cruise” concept, whereby a few dozen people can travel around the world on a semi-private jet, experiencing all kinds of amazing destinations and hotels, without the hassle usually associated with air travel.

These journeys typically last two to four weeks, and visit all kinds of interesting destinations. For example, it’s not often you can visit Kyoto, Bali, Rwanda, the Seychelles, and the Galapagos Islands, all on one trip, but that’s exactly one of the journeys that’s offered.

As you’d expect, this comes at a hefty price tag — in some cases over $200K per person — though Four Seasons also spares no expense with what it offers guests. I think the main draw of this concept is how seamless it is — you just show up, and all the other details are handled for you.

Anyway, for the purposes of this post, I wanted to look specifically at what you can expect onboard the jet, which is what I got to see firsthand.

The Four Seasons Private Jet is an Airbus A321LR
For some background, the plane used for Four Seasons Private Jet journeys is an Airbus A321LR, which is the largest and longest range version of the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. The plane has the registration code G-XATW, and the plane was delivered in late 2020. If you’re curious, you can track the plane’s location here, and see all the fun places it flies.

For those curious about the arrangement, Four Seasons doesn’t actually own this jet. Instead, the plane is owned and operated by Titan Airways, which is a UK-based charter operator that has a reputation for being reliable (the company even does UK government charters). Then the journeys are managed in partnership with TCS World Travel, which is a company that specializes in private jet expeditions.

I’ve gotta say, the Four Seasons A321LR has to be one of the sleekest planes in the sky. How sexy is this livery? If you look at the plane from some angles, it looks black…

…but in reality, the plane is actually purple (or aubergine, as it was described to me).

The Four Seasons Private Jet has the capacity for 48 passengers. The cabin is in a 2-2 configuration, with seats that transform into fully flat beds.

It’s awesome just how spacious these seats are. There’s no small footwell you have to squeeze your feet into (unlike in some other modern business class seats), but rather you have a huge ottoman, so that you can really stretch out.

These seats are comfortable for lounging, and then when you’re ready to sleep, the seat can be transformed into a fully flat bed.

As far as technology goes, the Four Seasons Private Jet offers unlimited free Wi-Fi, and passengers also have tablets for entertainment. Those tablets don’t just have movies and TV shows, but also have the activities for the next destination, and all kinds of other information about the journey. Each seat also has an AC and USB-C outlet, so that you can keep your electronics charged.

In addition to guests, Four Seasons Private Jet has quite the entourage on these journeys, so in the back of the cabin there are 12 pretty typical economy seats, intended for the crew.

Just for context, the typical A321 is configured to carry 200+ passengers, so this is on a totally different level. For that matter, La Compagnie operates the same type of plane in an all business class configuration, and the airline has 76 seats. So the amount of personal space here is beyond impressive.

It’s also worth mentioning that while there are more cutting edge business class seats out there nowadays, the design with open pairs of seats is deliberate. Most people traveling on these itineraries are couples, and want to enjoy the journey together. Furthermore, a vast majority of flights are daytime flights that aren’t long haul flights, so most guests don’t want to sleep during the flights.

The Four Seasons Private Jet has a lounge & spacious bathrooms
In the back of the aircraft, the Four Seasons Private Jet has an onboard lounge, where passengers can socialize or stretch their legs.

This is also where you’ll find the Dom Perignon display, as Dom Perignon is the official champagne of Four Seasons Private Jet, and it’s free flowing throughout the journey.

As far as bathrooms go, the Four Seasons Private Jet has two lavatories for guests, which are considerably more spacious and luxurious than your typical narrow body aircraft lavatory.

The Four Seasons Private Jet crew & service details
I was impressed by just how well staffed the Four Seasons Private Jet is. For one, you have three pilots and six flight attendants from Titan Airways, and the flight attendants receive training from Four Seasons.

But that’s not the extent of the crew. The Four Seasons Private Jet also has two chefs, a concierge, a trip coordinator, and even a physician. That means you can actually plan what you’re going to do at your next stop while you’re onboard.

I was able to ask the executive chef some questions, as I was curious about her background and the logistics of food preparation. Her background was that she was a chef at many Four Seasons properties for years, prior to working on Four Seasons Private Jet.

As far the actual cooking and preparation of food goes, of course there’s not a “real” kitchen onboard the plane, since you can’t have open flames. However, she explained that she personally cooks all the food during the trip, in each case working in an airport catering facility with ingredients specifically for Four Seasons Private Jet guests.

So the food is truly all prepared by her and her assistant. It’s not often you can give feedback to the person who personally cooked your meal when flying…

The Four Seasons Private Jet has endless food, drinks, & amenities
Just about everything with the Four Seasons Private Jet experience is customized, and that includes with food and drinks. Not only can dietary restrictions be accommodated, but preferences can be as well. If you have anything in particular you want — whether it’s a specific type of food or a certain bottle of wine — the staff will do everything in their power to make that happen.

As a standard, all segments over three hours offer a full three course meal service, and you’ll find everything from caviar to Dom Perignon on the menu (of course!). While you can of course eat whenever you want, it was explained that they generally serve meals at certain times based on how passengers are feeling, so that everything can be displayed on beautiful carts, rolled down the aisle, etc.

Beyond the main meal services, the crew can prepare just about anything else for you, and there are drinks and snacks in the onboard lounge as well. One thing is for sure — no one will get off the Four Seasons Private Jet hungry.

Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was the amenities offered to guests. Of course there’s a Four Seasons pillow and blanket, and you’re even given one of the blankets to take home with out at the end of the journey.

You’re also given some awesome weekender bags and amenity kits stocked with all kinds of goodies, which you’re also free to take with you (and they’ll be refilled throughout the journey).

Heck, the Bose headphones at each seat can even be taken home at the end of your trip.

Bottom line
While taking a Four Seasons Private Jet journey won’t be within my budget anytime soon (or ever!), being able to tour the plane on the ground was the next best thing. As someone who loves airplanes and luxury hotels, the Four Seasons Private Jet is a pretty special product.

It goes without saying that this makes for a very comfortable home when traveling between all kinds of exotic destinations. While the interior is exactly what I expected (since I had seen pictures), the impression I got of the soft product exceeded my expectations, as this experience really is luxurious and customized on a level you won’t often find in aviation.