Flying on a private jet should mean being pampered to the best abilities that money can buy, right? Not always so. On a recent trip I had the opportunity to fly with operator “X”. The aircraft was a 2012 but the couch and side wall  inside the cabin were already stained. As the flight attendant, I had requested pillows, blankets and comforters to make comfy beds for my clients and I was told the following by an “X” employee:

“X” provides (4) airline sized pillows and (4) blankets …even though there are 8 seats in aircraft.

If a client wants more pillows, blankets, comforters etc.. operator “X” charges the following:

Cabin Amenities – Bedding Sets

A complete bedding set can be ordered for $250 per set

Complete bedding sets include one (1) of the following*:

·         Inflatable mattress or mattress pas

·         Twin flat sheet

·         Twin fitted sheet

·         Twin comforter

·         Standard sized pillow

·         Standard sized pillow case

*Any items ordered individually will be charged back to the client at quoted amount. If more than one full set is requested, then each set is $250.

Let me prefix my next paragraph by saying that not all private jets are equipped with real dishes, especially the ones that do not typically have a flight attendant onboard. This was the case with the Challenger aircraft I was flying on. What I can’t understand and the point of the story is the complete lack of customer service by the operator.  At least pretend to give a crap about my clients’ requests.

I was  told there was no real dishes on-board, only plastic. If I wanted dishes, I had to bring them myself or order them for the caterer, which made absolutely no sense! Can you believe it?! Clients pay thousands of dollars to travel on a private jet and they don’t even give you real dishes if you’re requesting it????

Here is the reply I received regarding cabin stock and dishware.

Here is a list of standard on-board service ware on our fleet, and attached above is our standard stock list.

·         8 crystal tumblers

·         8 crystal wine glasses

·         1 wine opener

·         Clear plastic plates, the amount varies by aircraft

·         Set-ups (includes plastic spoon, fork, knife, and paper napkin) amount varies by aircraft

·         Standard silverware (forks, spoons, knives, steak knives) each to serve 8 PAX

*** NOTE: We do not stock champagne flutes, we must order these directly with the caterer whenever we are asked  to order champagne

I must admit I was really taken aback by operator “X”s lack of customer service or care regarding my clients. It almost felt like I was traveling on a cattle call carrier much like commercial travel is now, with “add-ons” costing extra money.

In all my years of being a flight attendant I’ve never had an experience like this. Most operators will go out of their way to provide clients whatever they need. Even if it’s not an item an operator usually stocks, they will generally purchase requested items to ensure the clients satisfaction.

The nice thing I can say about my experience was that the pilots were really friendly and helpful.