Destination: Unimportant

Wall Street Journal
Jan 5, 2007

To Use Jet Hours,
Fliers Take Off, Party, Return;
An Ice Bucket in Lap

By Hannah Karp

...Miami resident Wayne Diamond, a retired importer and exporter in his 50s pools about $25,000 with three of his buddies once a month for an outing. Since the group started the tradition about 15 years ago, they have rented private rooms at restaurants and taken last minute escapes abroad. This summer they chartered a flight to Los Angeles. The hotel room was pretty nice, he says, and he had some good workouts at the gym. But the highlight was the white-truffle fettucini, 1982 Lafite (a bottle can go for over $1,400) and foot massages the four received as they played liar's poker on the way there and back.

"The plane ride was everything." says Mr., Diamond, who is planning another airborne party with his friends to Panama this spring. "No one can bother you, the stewardesses know exactly what you like, and they keep coming with drinks and drinks. It's as good as it gets for married guys like us."

Driven by a marketing push by the aviation industry and an increase in private travel charter companies and party planners say they are getting more requests to decorate, feed and entertain guests in the air with meals from celebrity chefs, foot masseuses and musicians.

The parties are largely being driven by private jet companies. The private jet industry is growing - sales are expected to reach a record $17.6 billion this year, up from $15 billion in 2006 and $12 billion in 2005 - and fractional and charter companies are reporting higher revenues. Blue Star Jets in New York says its revenue rose 40% in 2006...