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With plenty of disposable income accompanying their high demands, cash-rich, time-poor luxury travellers are increasingly looking for ways to streamline their holiday experiences.
Travellers with cash to splash can speed up the travel process by using a combination of private jet charters, helicopter transfers, chauffeur-driven home-to-airport transfers and luggage delivery services.
Holidaymakers can fly in the lap of luxury by chartering their own private jet. Used by A-listers and business executives, jet travel has a string of benefits: think speedy boarding, leather seats, no queues, no baggage check, a view into the cockpit, oodles of space and lashings of legroom.
Plus, you can bring whatever you like into the cabin. Private air travel has none of the pitfalls associated with commercial air travel, such as cancellations, delays, missed connections and lost luggage.
What’s more, precious holiday time can be maximised by using a private jet as you only need to turn up to fly just 20 minutes prior to departure; there are no frustrating security checks or check-ins to withstand.
As well as being able to fly around bad weather that may ground a commercial flight, private planes can fly direct to remote destinations that are impossible to reach by scheduled services.
Private jets can also arrive much closer to a final destination than a commercial aircraft would be able to. Offering flexibility, using private jet charters means travellers can create their own schedule. Many jets are even equipped with Wi-Fi, essential for business travel and leisure travellers wishing to stay connected.
Providers such as leading aircraft charter provider Air Charter Service offer helicopter, executive airliner and private jet charter services, as well as a raft of small specialist aircraft to a huge range of clients, including celebrities, royalty and business executives.
With access to more than 50,000 aircraft worldwide and 130 different aircraft types, Air Charter Service can source the appropriate aircraft to meet the traveller’s requirements.
Anyone using the service will be provided with a personal account manager who can help with any special requirements, from making changes to the charter to arranging in-flight cuisine; travellers certainly don’t have to endure terrible airline food when chartering a private jet!
Those travelling short-haul may consider using an air taxi charter, which uses smaller aircraft. Air taxis are ideal for reaching smaller, local airports because the small size of the aircraft means they can land and take-off from shorter runways and landing strips.
The benefit of flying to a smaller airport is that travellers can arrive closer to their final destination than when landing at busier and larger hubs. Air Charter Service provides helicopters, propeller planes and light jets for air taxi charters.
Travellers who are fed-up with hauling their heavy luggage and sports equipment around, and loathe long waits at the airport carousel, can get someone else to do the leg work by hiring a luggage delivery service, such as Luggage Mule, which organises door-to-door shipping of your bags. The price of using such a service is often cheaper than excess luggage charges.
Those seeking to maximise their holiday time can do so by using private home-to-airport transfers. For those who want to travel in style, the most luxurious transfer on offer is a chauffeur-driven limousine, provided by the likes of Holiday Taxis. Similarly glamorous transfers can be arranged to whisk travellers from the arrivals hall to their hotel.
Upon arrival at a hotel or resort, luxury travellers should take advantage of VIP check-ins when available. This usually means that guests are able to skip traditional check-in by completing their registration details prior to arrival, then they can be escorted straight to their room when they arrive at their hotel where they can proceed with check-in procedures.
This hassle-free service allows guests to immediately relax and get into the holiday mood. Hotels offering this service include the NH Hotel Group who offer an early VIP check-in and late VIP check-out.
Many of these streamlined travel experiences are not just the preserve of the super-rich. Chartering a private jet, for example, may not be as expensive as you imagine. If you can fill the aircraft, the cost of the flight per person is comparable to a first or business class ticket, with all the time-saving benefits thrown in for free.