On a balmy afternoon in the summer of 2023, 20,000 people were preparing to see a famous pop star perform at a Denver arena. The only problem: the star was 1,800 miles away in New York and, having overslept, had just missed their flight to Colorado.

No other commercial flights could get them to Denver in time for the show. But a few calls were made, and within an hour a private jet was waiting on an airport runway. A short time later, the artist walked onstage to a roaring crowd that never knew the performance almost didn’t happen. The four-hour flight came with a $60,000 price tag, a bargain compared to the cost of a canceled show.

Private planes have been a fabled element of the superstar musician starter pack for anyone who once had a bedroom wall poster of Led Zeppelin peacocking in front of their Boeing 720 in the 1970s. Since then, they have since ascended into wider awareness via social media, where fans can gawk at any given musical A-lister inclined to post while bathing in athleisure and cruising through time and space in the soft cloister of their “pee-jay.”  

But flying the rare air of the private skies is less common among musicians than it might seem. Most artists, whether on tour or in their personal lives, fly commercial, although not in the style any plebeian in line at TSA would recognize. Private jets can also be used less as a flex and more as a necessity as they shuttle artists to more shows than it’s possible to play with any other mode of transportation.  

Yet there are perks for those who can afford them, with onboard amenities ranging from private chefs to elite nannies to simply having the privacy to engage in behavior well outside FAA regulations.  

“It can be things like exotic dancers or people flying their dog across the country,” says Rob DelliBovi, the founder and CEO of RDB Hospitality, which coordinates travel for clients including all types of musicians.  

Musicians and their teams typically charter jets for one of two reasons. First, as with the sleeping pop star, something has gone wrong, and a last-minute flight is needed to avoid missing an appearance. Second, artist teams book one-off jets when traveling somewhere that would otherwise require multiple layovers and many annoying airport hours. 

“Instead,” DelliBovi says, “they can just spend $65,000 and go from here to there on their own time from quiet, little airports.”

A handful of artists travel by private jet for entire tours, but it’s uncommon. DelliBovi estimates that just 3% of musicians do it this way, “and here you’re talking about artists on a really high level.” 

Elevate Aviation Group works with such superstars. Headquartered in Miami, the company flies presidential candidates, CEOs and celebrities of all flavors, with roughly 15% of its revenue coming from the music business. Founded in 1995 and later named after the 2000 Elevation Tour by its first musical client, U2, Elevate controls a sprawling fleet ranging from two-seat prop jets to Boeing 757s big enough to transport artists and their entire touring teams.

“We have groups that know if they charter a plane with first class and business class sections, a bunch of economy seats and an entire cargo area, it can actually be really cost competitive to put everyone on one big plane rather than flying commercial and buying all those seats in hard markets where there aren’t direct flights,” says Elevate Aviation Group CEO Greg Raiff.

But some artists prefer having the whole plane to themselves. Raiff cites an A-lister as someone who likes sleeping in their own bed after performing, so Elevate just flies this person back and forth from their home city to concerts across the country.

Another client prefers to “spend the day on the beach in the sun with the family, go to the airport in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt at four the afternoon, get off the plane in full wardrobe, perform, then fly home,” says Raiff. When the artist’s young children wake up in the morning, they barely know their parent was gone.

This mode of travel is expensive and creates an excessive carbon footprint, but Raiff says it can help keep an artist on the road longer than if they were just flying first class. Planes can be outfitted with beds and bedrooms, systems that emulate the sunlight of the destination city to mitigate jet lag and many other bells and whistles designed to optimize wellness. This comfort factor becomes more crucial as legacy acts age and want to keep hitting the road.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re on a private jet or a tour bus, touring 39 or 40 weeks a year is just hard,” says Raiff. “Part of what we try do is make the process as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.” 

Top-Shelf Amenities 

This comes with a bill. “There’s a reason I’m talking to you from a vineyard,” Raiff says while chatting via Zoom. Private jets can range between $15,000 to $250,000 per flight or more, with some planes going for $50,000 an hour. The price depends on plane size, route, number of passengers and time of year. (“It’s much more expensive to land in Augusta during The Masters than it is to fly there in November,” Raiff points out.)

And these numbers just cover the ride. Private jet companies make money by offering a laundry list of add-ons, from basics like upscale food and top shelf booze to more niche offerings like planes decorated to make them more Instagrammable, to nannies, dog sitters and, DelliBovi says, “Good-looking flight attendants. We get all the requests in the world.” Raiff recalls a client who wanted a salad they’d enjoyed while in Mexico City to be on the private jet for them when they left town. There was no way for Elevate staff to get the salad in time by car or motorcycle, so they went to pick it up via helicopter, which landed on a soccer field two blocks away from the restaurant, and then airlifted it to the jet. When the musician landed at their destination, the salad was untouched.

VistaJet, a private jet company based in Malta with U.S. headquarters in New York, has chartered its planes for “a lot of the world’s top global tours,” says the company’s president Leona Qi. The many amenities VistaJet offers include “VistaPet,” a program developed after finding 40% of clients brought animals (mostly dogs) on board. Created in partnership with the world’s leading veterinarians, the service offers everything from gourmet treats and vitamin water to vaccinations, documents that allow pets to fly internationally and psychologists who’ll work with animals that are afraid of flying. Flight attendants are even trained in pet CPR.

For kids, many VistaJet flight attendants are trained at Norland College, a UK vocational school for elite childcare. Other available add-ons include onboard chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants and spreads from Nobu, Beefbar or any of the other 4,000 eateries with which VistaJet contracts.

“None of this stuff is included,” says DelliBovi. “So if you’re spending $50,000 or $70,000 on a plane, this could be another $10,000 or $20,000 in add-ons.” Most jet companies also charge convenience fees for last-minute bookings that can start at $15,000. While there are no missed flights when flying private, prices surge if an artist is late for their self-selected departure time. 

“We get a lot of stuff like that,” says DelliBovi. “A $40,000 private jet just turned into a $90,000 private jet because they’re keeping it for another 12 hours without getting on it.”

For those who can afford it, though, the investment is worth it not only for the luxe flourishes, but the seclusion. “On a private plane you won’t be seen looking like death if you’re hungover, or if you’re f–ked up or doing drugs,” says DelliBovi. “I’ve heard of a lot of lovemaking on planes… I know some DJs are big on that, meeting the girl in the booth and bringing them with on the jet.”

Ultimately though, private jets’ reason for being is ease and efficiency. “The most valuable part of flying privately is not necessarily that there’s a bedroom,” says Raiff. “It’s the ability to get in and out of airports much faster, the ability to access many more airports than commercial airlines can and the ability to do it at a schedule that works for you.”  

DelliBovi says this is why private jets are especially prevalent among DJs, who can play two or three shows a day by leapfrogging across regions and time zones on a jet. Unlike rock and pop artists, DJs can often also get venues to pay for the plane, given that clubs make so much money from the DJ being there. “A guy like a Diplo is saying, ‘If you want me tonight at Pacha, you’ve got to get me there, because here’s where I am at noon,” says DelliBovi. 

This landscape has evolved from the earlier days of private air travel by musicians, a trend that came into public consciousness through tragedy when Richie Valens, The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959. Then in the ‘70s, says Edmond Huot, chief creative officer at the aviation-focused agency Forward Media, “Businessmen realized rock stars were sort of trapped on planes and often forced to sign autographs.” Enterprising industry exec Ward Sylvester found a leasable plane and pitched it to Zeppelin, who slapped their name on the side and christened it the “Starship” in 1973.  

Having been remodeled to include amenities like a waterbed, library and fireplace, the Starship went on to be used by artists including Cher, Bob Dylan, Allman Brothers Band, Elton John and more. Meanwhile, Elvis spent more than $800,000 remodeling a 1958 Convair 880 that he bought in 1975, named “Lisa Marie” and outfitted with gold-plated seatbelts and a living room, conference room, bedroom and more. (This jet and other planes owned by Elvis are now on display at Graceland.) 

“Now a lot of planes are Gulfstreams and all kind of have the same interior and everything is a bit more restrained,” says Huot. “But back in the day, these planes were packed with whoever was around and there was a lot of ruckus, regulatory-wise.” 

Private jet travelers can go through expedited security and immigration processes and, at smaller airports, have a car drop them off at the steps to the plane. Companies like Elevate and VistaJet that use their own fleets are also solutions for artists who don’t want their personal jets to be tracked, a phenomenon that’s led some mega-wealthy jet owners like LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault to sell the company’s plane after Twitter accounts began reporting its location.  

“If you charter an airplane” rather than buying one, says Raiff, “no one knows you’re on it.” 

Environmental Impact 

Taking an untraceable aircraft also removes the risk of public scrutiny around the carbon footprint of private air travel, an issue that’s created unflattering headlines for prolific private fliers like Taylor Swift, Travis Scott and Drake. A 2024 study by Communications Earth & Environment found that total private jet emissions jumped 46% from 2019 to 2023. The study also found that in 2023, roughly 250,000 ultra-wealthy people emitted 17.2 million tons of carbon dioxide by flying privately, a statistic PBS determined to be the same amount of emissions created by the entire 67-million-person population of Tanzania in 2023. Private jets accounted for 1.8% of the total carbon pollution from aviation, with the aviation sector as a whole creating 4% of all human-caused carbon emissions for that year. 

Raiff says almost all of Elevate’s musical clients are enrolled in carbon offset or carbon sequestration programs, which VistaJet has also offered to its passengers for the last eight years. (Swift, while not a client of either company, has also said she bought enough carbon offsets to cover twice the amount of emissions generated by jet travel for her Eras tour.) VistaJet clients can request their planes use sustainable aviation fuel, a non-petrol biofuel that can reduce the carbon emissions of a flight by 80% but is also much more expensive than standard gas.  

Raiff argues this environmental damage is mitigated by the fact that many people flying privately are doing good work in the world. “If an artist can raise awareness and $10 million for feeding children, but it takes 10 hours and 4,000 gallons of jet fuel to do that, is that a worthwhile investment?” he asks. “I think so, especially because I’ve seen them do carbon offsets for it.” 

But DelliBovi says that among his own clientele that includes thousands of celebrities and many musicians, “I have not experienced anyone concerned about the environmental impact. Maybe one percent of the people who’ve flown have asked about offsets. I don’t think any of these people care.” 

The Safety Factor 

A priority though, is safety. While helicopters offer the most flexibility in terms of landing options, Raiff says “75 or maybe 80% of our customers refuse to get on one these days,” as many are still spooked by the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and everyone else aboard a helicopter that crashed near Los Angeles in January of 2020. 

As far as planes go, DelliBovi urges clients not to cut corners: “This is a get-what-you pay-for-industry. I can get a plane for $60,000 and quote that to a client who says they found one for $48,000. I’m like, ‘Careful.’ This is the type of thing you want to spend more money on for the guarantee you’re going to get something good. We tell clients that we’re dealing with their safety, so if they want to go with the cheaper hotel or car service, great. But with a cheaper plane it’s like, ‘Be very, very careful.’” 

VistaJet pilots must complete more in-flight hours than typically required and are only allowed to fly one type of aircraft. That way, if something goes wrong, they have the muscle memory to react quickly and correctly. Pilots also undergo recurring psychological tests to ensure mental stability. The common colds that plague many air travelers are also less common for private fliers, who aren’t mingling with the general population and who have far fewer touch points than regular travelers who on average encounter 400 — door handles, TSA bins, bathroom faucets — while getting to a plane.  

But realistically, none of these factors come into play for most traveling musicians, as most artists simply fly commercial via parts of the airport most of us don’t even know exist. At LAX, that’s The Private Suite, a special boarding area accessed by a private parking lot at the building’s rear. Inside, guests are lavished with food and drink before a BMW or Suburban drives them to the plane, all for the cost of $5,000. London Heathrow’s The Windsor provides a similar experience that runs start at about £3,200 ($4,300) for up to three guests and includes services like an airport greeter and private security to an art gallery featuring work by artists like Andy Warhol and David Hockney and a personal shopper to make purchases in the terminal stores.

“We use these heavily for big stars to fly commercial,” says DelliBovi. Meanwhile, airport lounges are upping their game to attract high net worth clientele, while greeters who take stars from the gate to the car while fast-tracking through immigration are widely employed.  

“That’s what your regular B-list band is doing. Then your A-minus or B-plus people are using stuff like Private Suite or The Windsor,” DelliBovi says. “It’s your real, true A-listers who are flying private.”