25. Private Jets

Private jets offer a stark contrast to commercial air travel, bypassing lines, security hassles, and crowded cabins. For a select group of executives and celebrities, they provide luxury and efficiency—you arrive minutes before takeoff, board via red carpet, and enjoy customized meals, drinks, and beds on multimillion-dollar aircraft. Yet this convenience raises questions about costs, subsidies, and environmental tolls, as explored through industry insiders and critics.

Ways to Access Private Jets

Private aviation includes over 23,000 planes worldwide, up from half that two decades ago, logging 5.3 million flights last year, mostly for business and leisure among the ultra-wealthy. Anthony Tivnin, president of Magellan Jets, a major broker serving 1,200 clients across 80 countries, outlines the options.

Buying a jet outright demands $7-10 million for a light model like a Phenom 300, or $60-75 million for larger ones like a Gulfstream G650; celebrities like Donald Trump ($100 million Boeing 757) and Kim Kardashian ($150 million G650ER) exemplify this. Annual operating costs exceed $1 million, covering $8,000 fuel fills, $12,000 monthly hangar fees, pilots' salaries, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation.