Oysters on board

Caviar, champagne & foie gras served on private jets to celebrities is what most people imagine when thinking about private aviation. The reality is that this is by far the exception rather than the rule.

Most customers request fairly simple catering, such as trays of fruit and vegetable, or cheese and crackers. Cold platters and mixed sandwiches that can easily be shared are the most common choices.

Frequent private jet travelers know the limits of in-flight cooking, as it would be more accurately describes as reheating rather than actual cooking. Some planes have microwaves, whereas others have reheating ovens, so the required packaging must be made for the correct option.

The motto of the industry is “get whatever the customer wants” meaning that if there is a specific restaurant, deli, or market in the area that the passenger wants food from that can be arranged with enough lead time. Of course, most restaurants don’t have private jet friendly packaging, so a knowledgeable caterer in the middle is required to ensure it can work on board.

Given the relatively small galleys of aircraft, even the difference of inches is important. An aviation caterer has to know the specifications of each aircraft the fits within those limitations.

The thing that holds true in private aviation is that it is always trying to do anything it takes to accommodate the customer.

While what is being served may not always be luxury, the big benefit is being able to get exactly what you want.