When flying first isn’t enough, there’s pimping rides in the sky.
Billionaires are eschewing the puny $65 million Gulfstream –the private jet of choice for many executives — and opting to buy and customize their own commercial Airbus A380 or Boeing 747 models.
Boeing and Airbus have reportedly had a spike in private sales to the super-rich of these planes — designed to carry hundreds of passengers at a time.
The reason?
Airbus commissioned a “Billionaires Study” and it turns out the very wealthy often like to travel with numerous family members or dozens of business associates.
According to Wired, big jet manufactures have been stripping their commercial models of economy seating and replacing them with luxury interiors since the late 1990s. But a new influx of foreign big spenders from Russia, China and the Middle East has led to an expansion of the private jumbo jet business.
Since 1997, Airbus has sold over 170 private air crafts. Boeing, which opened its custom division in 1996, has finished 195 units out of 217 order.
So what features can one expect on a custom luxury jet? Queen sized bedrooms with wood paneled closets. Bathrooms with luxury jet showers. Grand sitting rooms and meeting areas that could comfortably accommodate every member of the board.
Airbus and Boeing have not disclosed the exact cost of these ultra-luxe planes, but Wired estimated that these planes can fetch anywhere between $80 million to a whopping $300 million.
This comes as commercial carriers are ramping business and first class features. In May, Etihad Airlines announced its super-luxe flying apartments, which come with a living room, separate bedroom and and an en-suite shower.
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