Tech founders trade five-star jet amenities for deli sandwiches in new private aviation trend

Private jets are still often sold as trophies of wealth, but some tech billionaires are attracting notice for a more pared-back style. 

As The New York Post reported, their Gulfstreams are being presented less as lavish retreats and more as utilitarian group transport, with employees aboard and ordinary snacks replacing overt luxury.

What's happening?

The Post reported on a private-aviation trend in which some newly wealthy tech billionaires are purchasing Gulfstreams without embracing many of the amenities usually associated with them. The idea is to emphasize usefulness over extravagance.

One Silicon Valley source explained how founders accomplish the aesthetic to The Post. 

"The founder way to make their jet seem like a utility and not a luxury is simple," they said. "Fill the seats with employees, ditch the flight attendant for Starlink, and roam the cabin picking up empty Coke cans."

The food can be similarly unglamorous. The Post said tech passengers are more likely to pick up "In-N-Out when leaving L.A." or grab "bagels or deli sandwiches before departing New York." 

The idea of a five-star hotel in the air just doesn't apply.

"A lot of the luxuries you would expect — champagne, caviar — that doesn't really happen very often these days," a source told The Post.

Why does it matter?

Even if the experience onboard feels more casual, the environmental toll of private flying does not disappear with the caviar. A stripped-down Gulfstream is still a private jet, which generate an outsized amount of air pollution compared with commercial flights.

Whether passengers are drinking champagne or bottled water, the jet is still burning a massive amount of fuel. Calling the aircraft practical does not make it modest, either.

A multimillion-dollar jet that can cost well over $100,000 to operate on a cross-country trip is still a luxury, even if the cabin is full of employees and the galley holds burgers instead of high-end catering. 

The shift, therefore, is more of a symbolic way to make private flying look functional rather than openly extravagant.

What are people saying?

In the comments section of the article, it was clear that readers weren't buying the ploy.

"Pretending not to be about conspicuous consumption when the flight itself is the epitome of conspicuous consumption is absurd, especially when no one outside will know there's no flight attendant on board," a user wrote while branding the concept as "nonsense."

Another user took issue.

"So instead of a flight attendant, it will just be one of their regular staff assistants doing the jobs," they wrote.

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