We’ve checked our calendar and it’s definitely not April 01st – As much as we thought this was some sort of joke when we first read the news. Because easyJet, Europe’s very first low-cost air carrier and one of the continent’s largest airlines has announced a tie-up with an exclusive, private jet terminal at London’s Luton Airport.
The new terminal has only recently opened and should be popular with some of the A-List celebrities who are said to frequently travel through the airport. London Luton is located approximately 30 miles from the city centre and is the UK’s busiest for private jet traffic.
According to easyJet, the airport is a popular haunt for Brad Pitt and American sweetheart, Taylor Swift. Both Lewis Hamilton and John Travolta are said to use London Luton to fly in and out of the UK in their private jets.
So, at least there appears to be a big enough market for this new and exclusive service. Passengers can drive right up to the terminal, leave their cars outside and avoid the hustle and bustle of the security lines in the main terminal. Although, how many easyJet passengers – who generally fly with the carrier for the super cheap fares – will make use of the new service remains to be seen.
That’s not to say easyJet doesn’t attract the well-heeled. Even Prince William and Kate Middleton have been spotted on one of the airline’s distinctive orange aircraft. The couple took an easyJet flight from Geneva to Manchester back in 2012. And in 2015, the ex-Prime Minister, David Cameron and his family were spotted on an easyJet flight to Portugal for a family getaway.
However, the most infamous easyJet celeb passenger has to be British supermodel Kate Moss. In 2015, the 41-year-old model was thrown off an easyJet flight after allegedly becoming drunk and disruptive. Moss famously called the female captain a ‘basic bitch’ when she was removed from the aircraft.
Explaining the appeal of the service, Andrew Middleton, easyJet’s Head of Ancillary Revenue said: “While easyJet will always be famous for our low fares and fantastic onboard service, for some passengers this a chance to combine those things with a VIP experience for their loved ones,”
“We think it will be particularly popular for those celebrating a milestone birthday, anniversary or other special occasion or for those travelling on business.”
To gain access you’ll need to stump up £475 for the first passenger and an extra £120 for every additional person in the group. Included in the price is access to the private terminal with amenities, refreshments, private security and immigration control.
The new terminal see’s Luton Airport follow in the footsteps of Los Angeles International Airport which opened its own VIP terminal in May. Popular with celebs who want to avoid the paparazzi scrum, access comes at a much steeper price – $3,500 for each domestic flight or $4,000 for each international flight, per person.
The idea of introducing the ‘Private Suite‘ at LAX was inspired by the ‘Windsor Suite’ at Heathrow Airport which has been in operation for many years – Heathrow’s terminal is said to not only cater for A-List celebs but also royalty, world leaders and ultra wealthy Gulf residents.
easyJet started operations over 20 years ago and launched the low-cost model in Europe. The airline now flies to over 135 destinations in 31 countries with a fleet of 250 Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. easyJet is based at London Luton but is also the dominant airline at both London Gatwick, Geneva and Milan Malpensa.
