What It’s Like Aboard a Jet Where Every Seat Costs $108,000

This summer, tour operator Abercrombie & Kent announced the launch of its “private jet” trips around the world, hosted on a specially outfitted Icelandair 757-200ER with just 50 lie-flat seats. Each ticket costs $108,000, and we got a look inside.

By Paul Brady

Photography by Paul Brady

November 4, 2014

The clamshell-style seats also have a built-in massage function.
While the in-flight experience is a big draw, A&K has also arranged stays at some of the best hotels in each destination visited on the itineraries. On Easter Island, guests stay at the Explora Rapa Nui; in Sydney, at the Park Hyatt; in Agra, at the Oberoi Amarvilas.

Each seat’s footrest doubles as a “companion seat,” so other guests can stop by for an in-flight cocktail or conversation as they might in Cathay Pacific’s or Etihad’s first-class cabins.
How popular are the trips? A round-the-world journey (Oct. 12–Nov. 6, 2015) is already sold out, and A&K says its February 20–March 10 (2015) trip through Africa has “limited seats remaining.”

There's no built-in in-flight entertainment system, but the cabin crew can equip each seat with a gooseneck stand to hold an A&K-provided iPad loaded with movies and music or a passenger’s own tablet in a comfortable viewing position.
The lavatory doesn’t have a shower, though it’s certainly nicer than you’ll find on most 757s.

Aviointeriors designed the seats onboard the aircraft, which are upholstered in Italian leather, stretch 79 inches and feature numerous electric plugs for recharging tablets along the way.
Other companies are competing with A&K’s offering. Four Seasons, National Geographic Expeditions, and Remote Lands all have their own charter jet trips, priced anywhere from $49,950 to $119,000 depending on the itinerary. None, though, offer the fully flat seats available on the A&K jet.