Considering what the ‘best’ is in any field is a complex endeavor. The first question one has to ask is: How do I set the criterion? What are the things that something has to excel at in order to be considered the ‘best’? For consumer products, this conversation becomes a little easier. A consumer product is made for the consumer and thus the consumer’s satisfaction is the ultimate criterion of the quality of that product. Luxury private air travel is a high-income product enjoyed by only the top 1%, especially considering the fact that even the cheapest of private aircrafts that you can buy are over the $2 million mark. From that, the prices can balloon over $100 million for the absolute best in class. Even this number is dwarfed by the prices of custom aircrafts made for billionaires who want nothing but the best for themselves. This is exactly what we are discussing today. If you stop thinking about prices for a second, what is the best way to transport yourself over the seas in different size classes? What are the jets that have become iconic because they have stood the test of time and have dominated their particular category because the packaging of features that they allow is beyond any other? What are the aircrafts that the top 1% of the top 1% use for themselves? So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
Bombardier Challenger 300/350
The first entrant on our list comes from the venerable Bombardier house of private jets. Being described as the ‘triple seven of private jets’ is no mean feat. A range of 3200 miles means that you can cross the entire width of the US without much fuss. It’s been in service for nearly 2 decades which further affirms its reputation as a dependable luxury aircraft. A used Challenger 300 can cost anything from $7 million to $20 million which is a great deal considering the amenities on board this iconic aircraft. For people looking to buy into the legendary Bombardier name, this is a solid choice.
Textron Aviation Cessna Citation Latitude
The name’s quite a mouthful, but the aircraft certainly deserves the sheer number of syllables uttered in its name. Having a capacity of 7-8 people, this midsize aircraft is a solid choice for people who are looking for a ‘jack of all trades’ aircraft. A range of 2700 miles is certainly not the best that you have seen but considering the price $20 million for a new one, it does give you solid bang for the buck. The 6 feet of headroom is also a nice touch, this means that the vast majority of people will have no issue walking upright in the aircraft.
Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty
When you hear the words ‘air’ and ‘bus’ uttered in one syllable, you imagine a large double decker bus with wings flying through the clouds. The ACJ TwoTwenty is the closest thing to that description in private air travel. A whopping passenger capacity of 18 only serves to drive home the point. Also, did I mention the fact that it is a conversion of Airbus A220-100 (an aircraft that can seat over a 100 people)? There’s more, 6 different cabin zones, private offices and a king-sized bed are all configurations that you can opt into. These lofty numbers start to make even more sense when you consider the price tag, $80 million.
Gulfstream G650/G650ER
The name ‘Gulfstream’ conjures images of top-level executives, billion-dollar mergers and IPOs. Gulfstreams are considered by many to be at the top of the pile by most people when considering private air travel. The G650 series is a great example of why that is 100% deserved. A top speed of 0.925 mach means that this is as close to supersonic air travel that one can get. Some other impressive numbers include a range of 7500 miles and a wallet shattering price of $66.5 million. Some celebrity owners include Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Steven Spielberg, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. I would say that this is quite a club to be buying into. If you have the money and taste to be buying a G650ER, there is a very good chance that your Wikipedia page is longer than most novels.
Embraer Praetor 500
Whenever I hear the word ‘Praetor’ in a product, I’m willing to commit most of my net worth to buy that thing. In the case of the Embraer Praetor 500, this won’t be nearly enough. A price tag of $17 million puts it firmly in the category of midsize jets. The range of 3300+ miles means that coast to coast travel is not an issue. A cabin height of 6+ feet is also a great feature of an already loaded aircraft. It can comfortably seat 6-8 people with a 7-seat configuration that allows the seats to turn into beds.
Bombardier Global 7500
A true behemoth, the Bombardier Global 7500 is quite literally global with its massive 7700 miles range. The living space inside the jet into 4 parts. On top of that, there are arrangement options that offer a walk-in shower, a media room and even a private office. All of this does not come cheap at all. A price tag of $73 million is a mindboggling amount of money, but people clearly think its worth the price. As the Global 7500 is on the way to becoming a hallmark of the ultra-long-haul fleet of Flexjets.
Dassault Falcon 6X
If there ever was an aircraft equivalent to a business district, it would be this. An absolutely massive cabin size means that the cabin height comes out to 6’6 and the width comes out to 8’6. The range comes in at 5500 miles. For perspective, it can fly non-stop from Moscow to Singapore. The top speed of Mach 0.90 is also a good touch. One feature that might come under the radar is the fact that it can land in airports with landing strips under 3000 ft.
Pilatus PC-24
A price tag of $2.2 million means that this jet comes in the ultra-cheap category. Described by the Pilatus website as ‘The Super Versatile Jet’, we are inclined to agree with that statement. It can seat 11 people with minimal staff. The range of 2000 miles is extremely impressive for an aircraft in this price tag.
So, these are the best luxury private jets that you can buy. Everything from the light Challenger 300/350 to the absolute unit that is the Dassault Falcon 6X has been covered by us today. This list includes a variety of aircrafts specializing in different mission profiles. Just like any other thing that you might buy, private aircrafts are all vehicles for your expression. They are living evidence of the entrepreneurial spirit of human beings that has led us to achieve truly astonishing things. If you can afford a private jet, you are either a very accomplished person or won a lottery ticket. Either way, you’ll be looking good traversing the skies in any of these awesome jets. While we haven’t really focused on the outside aesthetics of these aircrafts, they could also be very instrumental in the overall decision of which aircraft to choose. Happy Flying!
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