INSIDE AIR TRAVEL
Airbus A380 Flying Palaces for VIPsSave a little sympathy for the billionaires out there. their calendars are packed with international events. They attend summits on government fiscal policy and meet politicians to discuss emergency funding for drought-ridden nations. Or, as was recently reported about billionaire investor Warren Buffett, they perform financial feats like bailing out Lloyds of London.
For billionaire aviation enthusiasts ownership of a customized Airbus A380 represents treasure beyond price. And while commercial passengers are likely never to experience the deluxe accommodations of the privately owned Airbus A380s of the future-- as seen here--it seems some are willing to spread the wealth. British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has already declared his intention to install for the general flying public a range of products in the Upper Class cabin on his Virgin Atlantic fleet of Airbus A380s, including double bedrooms, bars, beauty salons and casinos.
Transporting your entourage from country X to country Y in time for the next urgent gathering of the great and the good can be a complex undertaking. When they fly commercial, billionaires and their fellow travelers must struggle through seething crowds at airport terminals and wait in long lines for airline check-in and security processing. They sit scrunched like human pretzels in too-small seats where flight attendants sometimes cannot even provide a drink of water.
Or they do something about it.
Eager to make their trips as hassle-free as possible, many of these individuals have taken to flying on private jets. Typically these small airplanes carry between six and 20 people, and check-in is handled at the general-aviation section of an airport. Passenger boarding and disembarkation take place on specially reserved areas of the tarmac, and helicopter connections can usually be provided if required.
Recently, however, a new trend has emerged at the very top of the market: the conversion for private ownership of much larger--and more expensive--jets that are normally associated with commercial airlines. These are planes like the Airbus A319 and A320; the Boeing 737, called the 737BBJ and 757; and even the twin-aisle wide-bodies such as the 747, 767 and 777. All have been sold to private customers, including two 767s last year to the founders of Google.
Then there is the Airbus A380 superjumbo --a 555-passenger, double-decker jet set to be introduced into commercial service next year pending FAA approval. Aviation officials predict it's just a matter of time until it takes to the skies with all the trimmings of a private palace.
What might the double-deck luxury interior look like? Lufthansa Technik, a provider of technical support and maintenance for over 300 of the world's airlines and operators, has designed an Airbus A380 for potential private clients that includes rooms with king-sized beds, deep pile carpeting and en-suite bathrooms; an office with Web and e-mail access; a dining room that can be used for entertaining guests or conducting business meetings; and a theater.
So perhaps in the future, even non-VIP passengers will be able to enjoy an era of luxurious and glamorous flying made possible by this new airplane.
In February 2007 Airbus has received its first preliminary order from an unidentified customer for a VIP-configured A380 ultra-large airliner.
By Jennifer Coutts Clay, she is also the author of "Jetliner Cabins", available at jetlinercabins.com and amazon.com
Copyright © 1996-2007 Pyramid Media Group, Inc. / Air Travel Media Inc.
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