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Amsair features in a Daily
Mail article about luxury private air travel |
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Daily
Mail, Femail Magazine, Thursday, December 14, 2006
MICHELE
MELLIGER, 24, recently graduated from university and works for a temping
agency. Her father, a wealthy equestrian, lives in Switzerland and
is divorced from her mother Bettina, 43, who lives in the UK.
Last Christmas Bettina took Michele on a luxury trip to Paris which
included hiring a private jet for £15,000. Michele, who lives
alone in Paddington, West London, says:
I could barely catch my breath as I opened the envelope my mum handed
to me two weeks before Christmas last year.
In it were two tickets for a weekend in Paris flying by private jet
and staying at the £600-a-night George V Hotel close to the Champs
Elysees. Mum has always been generous at Christmas, giving me designer
clothes, diamond jewellery costing upwards of £2,000 a piece,
plus holidays to Miami and the Bahamas. But this was the ultimate present.
Earlier last year I'd dated a guy who had travelled by private jet
and had told me how amazing it was. I remember telling mum I'd love
the chance to try private air travel, but I must have talked about
it more than I realised.
My mum and I are close and travel all over the world together. But
we've now discovered that there's really nothing to rival flying by
private jet.
So, on a Thursday morning a week before Christmas, we arrived at London
City Airport and were escorted to a very plush lounge where we waited
just a few minutes before being led out to board our private jet.
Mum had paid almost £15,000 to hire a six-seater plane from Amsair
- Sir Alan Sugar's jet company - so there was plenty of room for us
to put our shopping on the return flight. As we sank into the cream
leather seats I kicked off my shoes and curled my toes in the deep-pile
carpet. We were served Moet & Chandon champagne and canapes on
takeoff, all pre-ordered by mum.
When we arrived in Paris we were met by a car and whisked to our hotel
before spending a blissful weekend shopping in designer boutiques.
We spent a fortune on clothes, sunglasses, make-up and gifts for other
people. But we made the most of the city's sights too and went out
at the Moulin Rouge.
When it was time to fly home on the Sunday, we arrived at the private
airfield just outside Paris around ten minutes before we were due to
take off. This was definitely the beauty of flying in style - you skip
all the dreadful waiting of normal air travel.
Once again we were greeted with champagne and canapes, rounding off
the most amazing Christmas gift.
I'm not sure how mum is ever going to match that one again and I have
no idea what she's got for me this year. But I wanted to repay her
so I've paid £2,500 to take her away for a few days in January.
The destination is secret and we won't be flying by private jet as
my budget won't stretch to that, but we will certainly be staying in
one of the world's best hotels.
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