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In This Issue: DG Amazing Experiences Insider Travel Briefs For Private Aviation Travelers Vol 4, No13:  Four Seasons for VIPs from Asia to the Caribbean, Russia, Prague and Philadelphia Check-out Our DGAE Library featuring: Insider previews of top suites and villas at hotels and resorts across the USA, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brasil, China, Ecuador, England, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Tahiti, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Vietnam, plus on the high seas aboard Regent Seven Seas Explorer, Seabourn Encore, Crystal Esprit, Crystal Symphony and Norwegian Breakaway, plus more! May 2018,  Vol 4, No 13 - Four Seasons Experiences

VIPing it at Four Seasons hotels and resorts…     Once or twice a year Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts brings executives to New York and do a version of speed dating with  journalists. My questions are always fairly narrow. What new or newly renovated suites and villas do you have? Are there any unique or extraordinary experiences you have put together, even as a one-off for another guest.  So in this newsletter, you’ll find a new hotel, a difficult choice when selecting a suite, helicopters, yachts, a command performance and even a backdoor way to test out NetJets, a de facto demo flight where you don’t have to buy a jet card or fractional share. Through Father’s Day, Subscribe to Private Jet Card Comparisons and We’ll Donate $50 to Homes For Our Troops! Homes For Our Troops builds accessible homes for severely injured Post 9/11 veterans. Subscribe to Private Jet Card Comparisonsbetween now and Father’s Day June 19, 2018 and we’ll donate $50 to this great cause for every subscription. Private Jet Card Comparisons compares over 250 jet card. Before you spend six figures on a Jet Card, spend $250 to compare programs by over 65 variables, including safety, aircraft sourcing standards, policies, prices and extra fees, all in easy-to-use spreadsheets you can download for personal use. Subscribe now! Past Issues PS — We keep all past issues on an easy to access website DG Amazing Experiences where you can find both newsletters and special reports. Thanks for reading. I hope all your trips are amazing experiences! All the best, Doug Gollan Founder/Editor-in-Chief DG Amazing Experiences

IN THIS ISSUE

A.   Private Aviation Headlines

1.   A new Four Seasons in Philadelphia

2.   Tough choices in Prague

3.   NetJets to Anguilla and The Bahamas

4.   Helicopters and Boats in Thailand

5.   A command performance in St. Petersburg

6.   Executive Security Reports

7.   Jet Card Program Reviews

8.   Popular DGAE Special Reports

1. Luxury Aircraft Solutions debuts 5-hour jet cards

2. Jet Linx names Gowans Chicago president ahead of Windy City expansion

3. Magellan Jets launches 10-hour helicopter card

4. Air Partner’s big plans to grow its jet card aren’t big

5. Private Jet Card Comparisons selects “Best Jet Cards For Summer Travel”

6. Encore Jets sets Mykonos - Ibiza private jet shuttle

7. Wheels Up confirms IPO, Citation X plans

8. Who’s who in jet cards?

9. JetSuite to be launch customer for hybrid-to-electric jet

1. COMING SOON – FOUR SEASONS PHILADELPHIA at COMCAST CENTER

 

Opening this November with 219 rooms, including 39 suites and perched on the 48^th through 60^th floors, the new Four Seasons Philadelphia at Comcast Center will give you a new reason to love the home of the world champion Eagles (yes, its hard for a Giants fan to say that, but they did wait a long time for that moment of glory.)

 

The 2,137 sq. ft. Presidential Suite (bathroom above) runs the entire width of the building and has a connecting room option if you need a second bedroom. You can also call up to Jean-Georges for room service (the hotel lobby, restaurants and bars are on the 59^th and 60^th floors). Or if you want to host a dinner party with a large group, there will be two Jean-Georges private dining rooms seating up to 45 and 75, both with spectacular views.

 

The Grand Ballroom is on the 5^th Floor as are the other meeting rooms are on lower floors (too bad – the views from up high would have been stunning) with capacity up to 450 people. Thanks to Comcast your meetings and the entire hotel will have state-of-the-art uber high-speed WiFi. On the ground level will be local James Beard award winner Greg Vernick. 

 

Skyline Corner Suites have a southern view while Landmark Corner Suites have northern perspectives. We saw the renderings and they looked very nice, however, further details have yet to be released.

 

2. DIFFICULT CHOICES in PRAGUE

 

In Prague, gives two interesting and different choices when it comes to top suites. The Premier Suite in the Modern Building (above) offers floor to ceiling windows with views of the Vltava River, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Lesser Quarter and Strahov Monastery. There is a connecting room option to add a second and third bedroom meaning it can range from 1,242 sq. ft. to 2,110 sq. ft. based on your needs. 

The Presidential Suite (above) can be extended from one to four bedrooms so up to 4,000 sq. ft. Located in the Baroque Building, you can actually take over the entire villa for your private use. Located on the second floor, it offers similar views to The Premier Suite, albeit through oversize windows and a less dramatic perch. What’s the most popular? A representative said it’s really about personal tast, although if you are traveling with family or friends, having run of the entire Baroque Building may get it a winning edge.

   

3. A NEW WAY TO NETJETS – THE BAHAMAS and ANGUILLA

Ocean Club in the Bahamas (3-bedroom residence above) and Anguilla (5-bedroom beachfront villa below) have been added to Jackson Hole, Hawaii, France and Italy as part of the Four Seasons/NetJets partnership launched last year. Four Seasons assumed management of the Bahamian resort last year from One&Only and Anguilla, which in its past life had been a Viceroy, has a fresh look as reopened in March following the hurricanes.

Normally to fly on the NetJets fleet, you need to be a fractional shareowner or buy a Marquis Jet card for at least 25 hours. The partnership is clever from a couple perspectives. When doing on-demand charter, quality of aircraft and qualification of pilots is always an issue, particularly if you are flying to resort airports. Safety and pilot training is one of NetJets’s strong suits, so by securing a NetJets aircraft and pilots for your vacation, you don’t have to worry about what you will find when you get to the FBO.

 

It’s also an interesting perk for NetJets fractional and card owners, particularly if you don’t want to use your hours for the trip, and then lastly, let’s say you are considering a jet card or fractional program, it’s an interesting way to back door a demo flight around a nice vacation.

 

The way it works is everything is made to order, so while the website provides an outline of experiences, after speaking to Four Seasons, you will get a quote back from it for the land portion and from NetJets based on your flying needs, for example, type of aircraft, where you are coming from and going to. For those of you who like to shop flights the by the trip, Loureiro says even though the land and air quotes are separate they do need to be purchased together which makes sense. For more information you can email fourseasonsnetjets@fourseasons.com.

 

4. YACHT AND HELICOPTER in THAILAND

Four Seasons has three resorts Thailand – two in the north, one in Chiang Mai and the second, its Tented Camp in Chiang Rai, plus Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. If you want to stay at all three, there is now a helicopter service accessible for guests. A 15-minute ride in the chopper replaces a drive of three to four hours from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, and from either resort south to Phuket, there are limited nonstop flights so a 90-minute helicopter ride is going to enable you to get more out of your travel day than having to navigate the commercial airports on both ends.

 

When at Four Seasons Ko Samui, you can also charter the resort’s 65-ft. Sunseeker Manhattan 60 for private trips anywhere you’d like to go. Staffed a full crew and captain, you can explore the 40 islands of Southern Thailand’s Angthong National Marine Park, stopping to snorkel spectacular coral reefs and crystal clear waters. You can also dive at world notables sites around Koh Tao. The boat sleeps two adults and two children and you can overnight

 

5. A COMMNAND PERFORMANCE in ST. PETERSBURG

A converted 19^th century palace, the Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace in St. Petersburg is not only a good venue to stay but also to hold memorable events. With 157 rooms and 26 guests, plus private dining and banquet facilities for up to 200 people, the hotel is popular for buyouts. Date during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum are blocked.

 

The ballroom can be customized for any theme, including Soviet Union 1950s retro or even an on-command performance from the Mariinsky Ballet Company. There are also options to tour the city in various Soviet era automobiles as well as by horse and carriage. If you want to hold functions outside the hotel, there are options for after hours dinners in various museums and theatres.

 

The one-bedroom Lobanov Presidential Suite (Living Room and Floor Plan above) is 1,636 sq. ft. and includes a full marble bathroom plus a guest powder room. Located on the 1^st floor, it includes an large covered terrace overlooking the park in front with an eight person dining table and various living spaces. 

6. JET CARD PROGRAM REVIEWS

1.   Air Partner

2.   Flexjet

3.   JetSuite

4.   Jet Aviation

5.   Jet Linx Aviation

6.   Magellan Jets

7.   NetJets

8.   Private Jet Services (PJS) Group

9.   ProspAir 

10. Sentient Jet

11. StraightLine Private Air

12. Wholesale Jet Club

13. XOJET (Updated)

7. TOP SPECIAL REPORTS

If you are new to the world of chartering a superyacht, here are key questions to ask - and four hot superyachts that you can charter in the Med this summer.

Special Report:  Laucala Island in Fiji was once the playground of publishing mogul Malcolm Forbes. Now owned by Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, it is a private island resort with just 25 oversized villas bringing together high luxury and South Pacific romance in a playground of soft adventure, and even an 18-hole golf course.

Special Report:  The 5-Star Acqualina Resort & Spa is a perfect South Florida family getaway, a good venue for groups, family gatherings, weddings, meetings, and the new Estates at Acqualina with its Karl Lagerfeld lobby may make you want to call the place home.

Special Report:  An Insider Preview of the new suites at Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, and its impressive personal concierge service. You’ll be surprised what she can do.

Special Report:  Live like a King at Trianon Palace, next to Versailles, a perfect place for a meeting or romantic getaway outside the city.

Special Report:  Villa One and Villa Cortez at One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos offer two oversize villas at the legendary 5-star resort.

Special Report:  Rosewood Mayakoba in Riviera Maya provides a small resort experience with big resort options, all conveniently 45 minutes south from Cancun International Airport. 

Visit our library of previous news and reports from DG Amazing Experiences.