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Comparisons

Even-handed pieces on private flying and first class: door-to-door time, shared cost and what each option does best.

Rows of seats in a long airline cabin

Time

Door to door: private vs first class, counted properly

A fair door-to-door comparison of a private jet and a first-class ticket: airport time, flight time, connections, arrival and what each hour costs.

Business jet in flight against a cloudy sky

Money

When four first-class tickets cost about as much as a light jet

When does chartering a light jet cost about the same as four first-class tickets? The per-person maths by flight length, with caveats.

Cream leather first-class seats with a shared console on an airliner

Fairness

What first class still does better

An honest look at where first class beats a private jet: price for one or two travellers, flat beds on long flights, lounges, miles and networks.