Business

For 1-percenters, this plane includes a private chef and a wine cellar

Crystal Skye, a custom-fitted 777, carries a maximum 88 passengers. It is part of the Crystal Cruises luxury fleet.
Crystal Skye, a custom-fitted 777, carries a maximum 88 passengers. It is part of the Crystal Cruises luxury fleet. Crystal Cruises

Afternoon tea served in the private dining room, a cashmere throw for your creamy leather flatbed seat, wine tastings with the private chef and cooked-to-order eggs delivered by your sky butler.

Tables in the tea lounge / bar aboard Crystal Skye charter aircraft can flip over to reveal electronic gambling tablets.
Tables in the tea lounge / bar aboard Crystal Skye charter aircraft can flip over to reveal electronic gambling tablets. Jane Wooldridge

Even for those lucky fliers who regularly sit in First Class, amenities aboard the new Crystal Skye charter 777 hit the fantasy level.

The new aircraft, showcased Wednesday in Miami, is part of the Crystal Cruises luxury fleet of ocean cruise ships, river cruising vessels and private charters flights.

Crystal originally planned to offer organized trips via the custom-outfitted plane but switched to charters at the request of customers, said Crystal CEO Edie Rodriguez. Three bookings have been finalized, including one with the National Hockey League and one with a couple celebrating an anniversary. Another dozen are in process, she said.

The plane holds up to 88 guests and can fly up 18 hours without refueling. Costs depend on the length of flight, fuel requirements and destination landing fees, said Rodriguez. The general ballpark: $55,000 per hour.

Crystal Cruises President and CEO Edie Rodriguez aboard the company’s new luxury charter aircraft, Crystal Skye.
Crystal Cruises President and CEO Edie Rodriguez aboard the company’s new luxury charter aircraft, Crystal Skye. Jane Wooldridge

For a New York-to-Paris flight, the price would be about $475,000 — or about $5,400 per person. A one-way first-class ticket on in September for that same route costs more than $8,730 on American.

But not every charter customer fills every seat, said Rodriguez. The anniversary couple have invited a total of 58.

The staff includes three pilots, the chef, a mixologist and a sommelier.

Among amenities aboard Crystal Skye are toiletries by Etro.
Among amenities aboard Crystal Skye are toiletries by Etro. Jane Wooldridge

Among Crystal Skye’s special touches: Bose headsets; Etro bathroom amenities; 25-inch seat-back screens; unlimited wireless, phone calls and live TV; iPads; meals created by the private chef and wines from the extensive cellar. Tables in the tea room / lounge flip over to reveal electronic gaming tablets.

Good news: Guests get to keep the jammies and slippers.

This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 1:41 PM with the headline "For 1-percenters, this plane includes a private chef and a wine cellar."

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