The new African Wonders and Asia Unveiled offerings allow adventurous customers to explore the Global South in luxury, priced at $148,000 and $142,000, respectively. Image credit: Four Seasons
Hospitality group Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is taking travelers to new heights.
The brand is out with its first private jet itineraries for 2025, accommodating families and flexible voyagers with shorter trips than in years past. The new African Wonders and Asia Unveiled offerings allow adventurous customers to explore the Global South in luxury, priced at $148,000 and $142,000, respectively.
“Each Four Seasons Private Jet Experience has been crafted with a singular focus on our guests, building itineraries that celebrate the journey as well as the destination, and ensuring that each moment can be personalized to make the experience that much more memorable,” said Alejandro Reynal, president and CEO of Four Seasons, in a statement.
“With Four Seasons' genuine heart on display each step of the way, there is truly no travel experience quite like it.”
Continental divide
Planned by Four Seasons travel experts, the first two itineraries for 2025 are all-inclusive and customizable.
Flying on one of Four Seasons’ exclusive jets, travelers will get bespoke 24/7 service, a range of vibrant flavors via both three-course meals and simplified menus, and, of course, views from the sky. With interiors designed for socializing, inspired by the glamor of mid-century aviation, the flights are tailored for exclusivity aboard the custom-designed 48-seat Airbus A321neo LR craft.
African Wonders passengers will take off in Greece on Dec. 29, 2024, and travel around the southern continent through Jan. 10, 2025. Stops will include Egypt, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mauritius, Zambia and South Africa.
Meals and snacks are based around the itinerary destinations, providing constant bites between meals. Image credit: Four Seasons
For $148,000 a person, based on double occupancy, and $140,600 per child between the ages of 7 and 14, bookings cover the plethora of activities and wanderlust-friendly destinations on the schedule for the journey.
From pyramid gazing to spotting wildlife over the Serengeti in hot air balloons, the itinerary is packed with outdoor adventures.
Champagne breakfasts in the African bush, bamboo forest hikes through Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, gorilla encounters, island horseback riding and viewing the world’s tallest waterfall in Zambia are all on the table.
Additionally, guests will enjoy accommodation at Four Seasons stays throughout the journey, including the brand’s tropical Mauritius resort, where snorkeling, private villas and sailing opportunities await. The country is reportedly turning into a millionaire magnet (see story).
Four Seasons jet-setters who want to see Africa's wonders are in for quite the sight, with Victoria Falls on the agenda. Image credit: Four Seasons
Those who opt instead for the Asia Unveiled itinerary will leave from Tokyo, spending March 3, 2025, through March 18, 2025, on the continent.
The $142,000 trip involves stops in Bali, the Maldives, Hoi An, Bhutan, Angkor Wat and Bangkok. The per-person pricing, like that of African Wonders, is based on double occupancy.
Passengers will explore the southeastern ruins, tropical islands and cultural practices throughout the region.
Unique experiences range in nature, from samurai sword fight training offered by Tetsuro Shimaguchi, the head choreographer for Kill Bill: Volume One, to Vietnamese food tours via Vespa. Four Seasons jet-setters will also be able to marvel at the temples of Siem Reap, conquer rocky cliffs to see Taktsang Palphug Monastery in Bhutan, receive blessings from Thailand's monks and stay in an overwater villa at Four Season's Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve resort.
Sacred sites such as a Bhutan monastery situated 10,000 feet above sea level are lined up as hiking locations for travelers. Image credit: Four Seasons
Bookings for both African Wonders and Asia Unveiled are now open.
Ready, jet-set, go
While more itineraries are scheduled to be unveiled in the coming months, the first two are notably catered to those with busier schedules.
The 13 and 16-day trips avoid crossing time zones, Four Seasons specifically eyeing honeymooners, families, workers on annual vacations, students on school breaks, couples on anniversary trips and birthday celebrators.
The brand’s adaptation suits the changing times. Seemingly more consumer groups are opting for private jet excursions, as younger people save for the Instagram-worthy experiences and business travelers choose these flights over bigger airlines that cut back on amenities all while raising prices.
Four Seasons has offered hot air balloon rides over the Masai Mara in the past, but this year new experiences are folded in. Image credit: Four Seasons
While wealth continues to increase around the world and the COVID-19 pandemic sparked renewed interest in luxury living amongst aspirational consumers, as well as reaffirmed high-net-worth individuals’ perceived need for alternative, personal travel options, private jet usage will continue to soar (see story).
In 2021, business jet take-offs broke records, the 3.3 million plane trips marking the most in a single year, up 7 percent compared to 2019 (see story). Last year, 2022 takeoffs numbered 5.3 million, according to the Insitute for Policy Studies.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, one out of every six flights handled are private jets, their worth climbing with each flight.
Compared to 2000, the size of the global private jet fleet increased 133 percent by mid-2022. That year, the market was valued at $34.1 billion, up $1.8 billion from 2021.
Luxury travelers can enjoy the unique design of the modern jet, vintage elements and socializing-friendly layouts included. Image credit: Four Seasons
In the past, Four Seasons used to rely on outside sources for private jet charters, especially for remote excursions like those in African locales (see story). Since incorporating that part of the journey into business, the travel brand is seemingly well-positioned amidst other hospitality names that lack the feature.