Flight attendant reveals what really happens on a private jet

Have you ever wondered what kind of luxury of a private jet entails? Wonder no more, one flight attendant has revealed all.

Speaking to Daily Mail, 35-year-old Vanessa Williams has opened up about her experience working as an attendant on a private Airbus A320neo, explaining its luxury rivals that of a five-star hotel.

It all starts on the ground, bypassing the hustle and bustle of airport security, those who have commissioned a private jet are often chauffeur-driven directly to the door of the plane. Once onboard, passport checks are completed and in case that wasn’t already a dream come true, the plane takes off climbing to around 42,000ft, rather than 35,000ft like commercial planes, to avoid turbulence.

While flying, passengers get the complete experience. From plumped pillows to en-suite bathrooms, freshly laid silk pyjamas and even a dinning room complete with a plate of caviar and vintage champagne on ice, they have it all. But, the private jet experience is not only exquisite for the guests, it’s also a treat for the crew onboard.

Earning between GBP£50,000 and £100,000 ($103,176 and $206,353) per year depending on their exact role, Williams confessed they are compensated with lavish gifts from the people they are hosting, including tips, cash and other luxury items.

“I’ve been given a beautiful Gucci handbag,’ she said adding, “My friends who work in the Middle East get given luxury bags all the time.” Williams also revealed her uniform is extremely different from that of a commercial flight attendant, “We wear smart Reiss suits and an Hermès scarf,” adding, “There’s no polyester in sight.”

As for any onboard secrets, Williams revealed every flight is different, “You might have 19 passengers turn up on a stag do who want to party the whole time and smoke and drink beers nonstop,” she said before adding it could be the polar opposite and you could host a Muslim family who pray at certain times and won’t eat due to their fasting requirements.

Williams also recalled a few flights she has worked on where passengers will only communicate through an assistant, other’s don’t want to be disturbed at all, “Once we had Russian passengers who boarded with some young French girls. They had a big bottle of vodka and let’s just say they didn’t want to be disturbed.”

But, like any job, there can be downsides and with passengers paying huge money to charter a private plane, there are certain expectations. Williams said she once had a group of “crypto guys” on her flight and while the planes offer high-speed wi-fi, there is one patch over the Atlantic where it cuts out due to the plane being in-between satellites.

“When we lost the internet they were going crazy. They were shouting: ‘Get us back online! We’ve got money to make!’ but there was nothing I could do,” she said.

Other passengers may not accept “no” as an answer which 41-year-old pilot known only by Harry, claims has resulted in multiple terrifying incidents. Speaking to the UK news outlet, the former private jet pilot said his friend was once flying a private jet which saw a passenger get into a fight with their bodyguard and “guns were pulled out”.

In an effort to de-escalate the situation, Harry claimed his friend lowered the pressure in the cabin “to knock them out” and when they landed, the pilots “blamed it on a leaky outflow valve”.

Despite the glitz and glamour, the life of private jets isn’t for everyone and while Williams continues to work in the sector, Harry has left and returned to flying commercially.