In the world of luxurious private air travel, greed and extravagance know no bounds. Air travel enthusiasts invest millions in innovation and style, creating posh planes for only the wealthiest few on the planet. Today, flying fashionably has reached unprecedented heights with more legroom than ever.

Consider the Aeroscraft, which is currently in development. The Aeroscraft uses a futuristic blimp-like construction that maintains low-altitude flight at low speeds. In essence, it's a combination of a blimp and an ocean liner; just replace seasickness and swimming pools with air turbulence and a bird's-eye view.

If flying in a new-age blimp lacks the avian sophistication you desire, more traditional and streamlined methods of flight can be arranged – for a price. For many business travelers and social elite, private jets like the Gulfstream G550 and Cessna Citation X (merely $64 million and $19.6 million, respectively) combine high-speed travel and hotel-suite amenities with quick check-in times at the airport.

The ultra rich, however, regard these business jets as mere child's play. The newest fad in aviation for big spenders involves jumbo jets with tricked-out interiors and utterly ridiculous accessories. As of last year, there were about 300 VIP jets around the world outfitted to the highest caliber of luxury.

At the bottom of this jumbo jet trend are "smaller" aircraft like the Boeing 737 and 767. The filthy rich take these cattle-car airplane designs and replace them with giant leather seats, couches, Queen-sized beds and theaters. Some even put Jacuzzis in their aircraft, though many customers are now clamoring for swimming pools. Clearly, society has evolved to a ludicrous level of luxury when wealthy aristocrats feel compelled to do the backstroke while rocketing through the stratosphere. Lufthansa Technik, the company that handles the vast majority of jumbo jet customizations, often dissuades customers from their right to swim at 30,000 feet in the air for safety reasons.

The private jet trend has not escaped celebrities. Today everyone from John Travolta to Snoop Dogg fly the skies sans small tray tables and stale cookies. Even the founders of Google, who usually operate under-the-radar, made some noise last year by purchasing a giant Boeing 767 and budgeting about $10 million to outfit the plane. There was reportedly an argument about whether their individual bedrooms onboard should have King-sized or California-King-sized beds. Perhaps this will inspire Sealy to invent a special Czar-sized mattress.

As one expects, custom jumbo jets do not come cheap: A Boeing 787 costs about $150 million, and custom interiors can tack on millions more. Unbelievably, however, a 787 just doesn't have enough bling-factor for the richest of the rich. Billionaires around the world have taken to customizing the double-decker Boeing 747, because a single-story airplane just isn't good enough. And the Airbus A380, the largest commercial plane ever built, will soon debut as a luxury model. A select few will be able to transport racehorses, gamble in their own casinos, and shower after a workout in their gym, all from a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet.
 

Sources:

forbes.com; nationmultimedia.com; usatoday.com; eonline.com; aeroscraft.com; citationx.cessna.com; thestevies.com; navy.mil; sfgate.com; boeing.com; airbus.com; airbusa380.com; aerospace-technology.com