Luxury hotel chain Four Seasons is upgrading its private jet experience with the promise of round-the-world tours which will 'evoke the bygone glamour of air travel'.
A highly-customised Airbus A321LR will let wealthy travellers take wing from early 2021 and once in the air, enjoy everything from cocktail masterclasses and spa treatments to meals crafted by an on-board executive chef.
Like Four Seasons' current Boeing 757-200ER, the A321LR plane will open up bespoke adventures around the world, with Four Seasons arranging the trip itinerary and lodging at each stop.
“Our guests are fascinated with the idea of really being in our hands for three weeks,” says Christian Clerc, president of worldwide hotel operations. “We felt we had to continue to enhance the experience.”
Booking for 2021 will open in the middle of this year and vary based on itinerary, which will be announced later this year; pricing on the current jet starts at US$147,000 per person.
The Airbus A321LR will be tailored by Four Seasons and have room for 48 passengers. The company chose the Airbus model because it allowed for greater customization and can go on longer flights, enabling more direct routes, Clerc says.
Renderings provided by Four Seasons show interiors which are more sedate, with earth-toned carpeting and matching pillows replacing the spritely blue-and-orange color scheme of the previous jet.
One of the new model’s key features is a lounge area, including a full bar staffed with a mixologist. The idea is to allow guests to mingle in the space and learn from staff about the next destination through hands-on seminars.
“We wanted it to be functional but also very elegant, so you don’t have a lot of clutter there,” Clerc says.
The seating area has been similarly rethought to emphasize socializing. Custom-made seats by Optimares, with leather from Italian producer Poltrona Frau, are paired with personal ottomans to allow travelers to speak more comfortably face to face, not just side by side.
When the beds are extended flat, the ottomans also extend the bed length.
And the bathrooms are larger and more elegant, Clerc says, “the closest you’ll have to a residential bathroom.”
Mitigating in-flight boredom is a top concern of Four Seasons. In the lounge area, a series of artisans will showcase their craft in interactive workshops.
For instance, guests can meet and learn from Four Seasons chefs, mixologists, wellness experts, and arts and culture specialists. Each seat will also be equipped with an individual iPad for video streaming.
On the new jet, Four Seasons chefs have an expanded galley area to create journey-inspired menus and whip up spur-of-the-moment surprises, the company says.
Currently there’s a single executive chef for the entire journey, but visiting chefs may join for parts of the trip to mix up culinary styles. Clerc says this will allow for more customization around individual tastes.
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