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Pie in the sky, or something more substantial? When it comes to private jet charter, anything’s on the menu.
Everyone has their own ideas of what it’s like onboard a private jet. For some it’s champagne, caviar, and chandeliers swinging from the ceilings during take-off; for others, it’s a sea of monochrome grey and TVs showing spreadsheets and pie charts. As with most things, the reality’s somewhere in the middle. Private jet charters can be luxurious, but there’s also often a focus on business, and there are all sorts of purposes in between that aren’t as frequently mentioned.
With such a range of potential options and specifications when it comes to private aircraft charter, what can we expect in the realm of plane food? Surely a business lunch on-board a turboprop isn’t the same as what a VIP is served when flying privately between continents? What about a family looking to head to the alps for an indulgent getaway?
Companies like Skyllence are used to dealing with questions like these, which is why they’re among the best in the business when it comes to private air charter. “The plane food menu is one of the cornerstones of a luxury experience, and we get so many questions about it year after year. It makes sense when you think about it – for those looking for luxury, choosing what you eat can be a real difference-maker, so we’re all too happy to assist in ensuring that everyone gets exactly what they want and has the best experience possible!” says their xxx, xxx.
This article will break down the world of private jet meals, helping to guide your expectations when it comes to private aircraft so that you’re left satisfied and well-fed when chartering private jet travel. From dietary requirements to types of cuisine, there are a whole range of options to consider that allow charter private jet providers to cater for your every need. All you have to do is decide!
The Logistics
Let’s get the boring part out of the way first. No amount of luxury catering can defy the laws of physics, and if your private jet chartering experience consists of a turboprop and a 45-minute hop from one airstrip to another, then you may have to hold off on the hog roast. Setting appropriate expectations is important as it avoids inevitable disappointment, because the fact of the matter is that unless you’re on a longer flight then plane food just isn’t really relevant.
If you go midsize when you charter a private jet, then you can really start to get your teeth into some more substantial meal options. The increased size of these private jet flying solutions mean that the plane food menu can be lengthier, more elaborate, and inclusive of more unique dishes. There’s a caveat, of course, in that kitchens on midsize private jet service vehicles are still not what you’d call fully-equipped. While they’re a step above what you’d find on a turboprop, you’re still largely confined to pre-prepared meals that are then brought up to temperature before being served on board.
At the top end of the food in plane experience scale are ultra-luxury private jet charter services. The sky – or, rather, the depth of your pockets – is the limit here, as the kinds of behemoth carriers that VIPs call their home can accommodate all manner of support staff. This means food cooked fresh to order, the finest ingredients, and silver service on board. Before our mouths start watering too profusely, though, let’s consider the next set of prerequisites that you should sort out before you depart.
Dietary Requirements
Ok, so your private jet services are booked and you’re abreast of the facilities that will be available for food preparation. That’s good, but anyone with an allergy will tell you how crucial this second step is. Informing your private aircraft hire provider of dietary requirements keeps everyone onboard safe and sound, ensuring no allergic reactions mid-flight that would be extremely difficult to deal with.
Not only are you able to ensure the safety of your fellow passengers, but the control that flying private jet style gives enables you to tailor the experience exactly as you want it. That means that gluten-free or vegan food, as a couple of common examples, can be requested, and you can ensure that your ordinary dietary routine isn’t interrupted when you eat your food on plane tables.
You can even take this a step further. If you’re an athlete, you’re trying to lose weight, or you simply want to build muscle, then no doubt your nutritionist or personal trainer has some strong opinions on what you should put into your body. Why should this stop when you travel? After all, you don’t want to lose your hard-earned progress simply because you were too shy to inform your private charter jet provider about what you can and can’t eat.
The message here is simple, then: whatever the reasons for your restricted diet, be sure to let your provider know and help them to help you make your private jet flight the best it can be. That way there won’t be any surprises on the plate, nor any surprises on the scale when you arrive back home!
Choices, Choices
Now that you know what kind of private aircraft you’re flying on and you’ve told your provider of your dietary needs, you’ve got a few options. You could leave it up to them to decide on the best plane food. This isn’t a bad idea, especially when you remember that they do this for a living. Often, private jet charter flights are booked by people who don’t know, don’t care, or simply don’t have time to worry about the whole food on plane situation. In these cases, the best private jet services are required to step up to the plate and make a decision.
Usually, they’ll decide on crowd pleasers that are healthy, tasty, and relatively inoffensive. Think about it from the point of view of a private jets charter provider. They want food that’s going to go down well, but they have no info regarding passengers’ tastes. Divisive food, love-it-or-hate-it dishes, and controversial options are off the menu, then. Instead, staples such as chicken and rice, salads, and fresh pasta dishes are more likely to be selected – all elevated to a level befitting luxury private jet food, of course.
Your other option is to get involved in the choice of menu yourself. This could be as straightforward as providing your private jet concierge services with a few pointers to get them started: “I really just feel like fish, thanks”. You might even want to be more specific – after all, it’s your luxury private jet service, so you’ve got every right to be as picky as you want. Before you hand over an itemised list, let’s take a quick look at some of the factors to consider when choosing your private jet food menu.
Size
We’ve already covered the limitations that the size of aircraft place on your menu, so there’s no need to tread over the same ground there. You know by now that even the best private jet charter service can’t make salt-baked salmon happen on-board a Hondajet, but are you sure that’s what you’d want anyway? There’s a temptation to think of private jet food in terms of ultra-luxury, and you’ve every right to want the best experience possible. Think about it more pragmatically though, for a moment.
Are you sure you want a huge meal mid-air? Often, private jet flights are taking families on holiday or business clients to attend meetings. Ask yourself: how are the purposes of their trip served by eating a mid-air feast and then needing to sleep it off when they arrive? If you ask the same question of your own trip, you might find that it’s a better option to instead take in some light bites as part of your private jet menu, keeping you fresh and ready to get on with your journey when you land.
Taste
Obviously whatever you eat should be tasty – that’s a given for any private jet catering menu. What does tasty mean, though? Spicy? Sweet? Sour? A word of advice: you don’t want to risk making the trip uncomfortable for yourself by inducing gastric upset, so perhaps for the time being keep things a little simpler. Fresh ingredients prepared well and cooked expertly is the name of the game – keep the gastronomic exploration for when you land and can sample local restaurants!
Fellow Passengers
This might seem obvious, but people often get carried away with the luxury of private jet travel and forget to keep an eye out for the people they’re travelling with. The dietary requirements, allergies, or cultural sensitivities of your fellow passengers can all make choosing a menu a more difficult task, and one that should involve consultation and feedback between the whole team. Private charter jets should be incredible experiences for everyone on board, and if the food menu doesn’t contribute to that then whoever put it together might end up with the blame.
To avoid this, make sure that you check with your fellow passengers about their requirements, allowing you to ensure that the food on private jets is in-line with the rest of the experience and doesn’t leave a bitter taste. If that all sounds too much, don’t worry – you can always ask your private travel provider to do it and save yourself the hassle!
Something to Drink?
There’s one final part to the private jet catering experience that we haven’t covered yet, and it’s arguably the most important. To those who don’t fly private very often, the Hollywood perception of private jet charter often prevails. Champagne corks popping, whisky on ice… we’ve all seen these kinds of depictions, but the reality of chartered private travel is a little less exciting.
Private jet travel is used by clients ranging from sports teams to governments, and the idea that when you fly private jet there’s a party involved couldn’t be further from the truth. When it comes to the drinks aspect of the private jet catering experience, most often tea, coffee, and water are the orders of the day. That’s not to say that alcoholic beverages are banned, of course, but it’s important to set expectations and address stereotypes.
That being said, if you’re flying private jet with a group of friends heading towards a bachelor party, for instance, then naturally you might partake of a little light refreshment. The FAA says that alcoholic beverages can be served by the certificate holder operating the aircraft – in this case, the cabin crew. That means you’re free to order whatever drinks you’d like, but the same regulations also state that you shouldn’t be served if you’re already intoxicated while ordering. Alcoholic drinks are permitted, then, but drunkenness is clearly not, so moderation and maturity are expected when it comes to alcohol on private jets.
A Taste of What’s in Store
Hopefully this article has helped to shed light on some of the topics that you should consider when thinking about what kind of food and drink you’re going to be consuming on board your chartered private jet flight. If you opt to organise things yourself, then the tips above should ensure that your thirst is slaked, hunger is satisfied, and friends are kept onside. If you’d prefer that it’s left to the experts, then that’s a great choice too – after all, it’s what they’re best at!
“We’re very frequently involved in putting together menus for clients who don’t have the time or the inclination to be selective when it comes to private jet food” says Skyllence CEO, Vilma Vaitiekunaite. “To tell you the truth, we actually quite enjoy this as it gives us the chance to make things a little extra special and add those finishing touches that go into world-class service. Surprising a client with a menu that exceeds their expectations is a great way for us to show that we’re attentive and capable, so when clients leave it to us we’re all too happy to oblige!”
