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Seattle-based Luxury Jets Take Travel to new Heights
Get ready for takeoff with these private plane experiences for any budget
This article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.
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Now celebrating its 70th anniversary, Kenmore Air (kenmoreair.com), based at the north end of Lake Washington, has long been the area’s go-to for seaplane transport and tours around the Pacific Northwest. The services have expanded over the years to include group whale-watching and adventure-sport day trips as well as private floatplane picnics, but Kenmore’s $99 scenic tours are still our favorite (relatively) cheap thrill. The 20-minute adventures, which offer an aerial view of our own breathtakingly beautiful backyard, depart daily from the southern end of Lake Union.
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Hopping onto a flight just to go for dinner may sound like the sort of decadence reserved for the likes of Russell and Ciara. But The Pretty Fork (theprettyfork.com), a Seattle-based foodie-experience company, is making it a more attainable special occasion with its new Destination Dinners. Choose a date online—there’s one a month through September (although more may be added)—then show up at South Lake Union around 4-ish to be whisked off via a 10-seater seaplane to a surprise destination in the Puget Sound area for a six-course gourmet dinner. Prices range from $279 to $399, depending on the destination and the restaurant. Wine pairings can be added for $47 to $55. Sound good? Then buckle up and enjoy the ride.
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The private jet experiences offered by Seattle-based TCS World Travel (tcsworldtravel.com) aren’t merely first class—they’re in a class of their own. Hand-crafted leather flatbed seats, complimentary iPads and meals created by executive chef Kerry Sear (formerly of the Four Seasons Hotel) are just some of the luxe onboard amenities available when the sky’s the limit for your travel budget. The company will toast its 250th flight this fall with a 24-day round-the-world trip that will take in some of the globe’s most stunning wonders, including Machu Picchu in Peru, Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temples and the mysterious monoliths of Easter Island. Sure, the prices start at almost $77K, but on the plus side, there’s no extra charge for checked baggage.
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