Wonderful piece. I've read that people with private jets also like to invite people to fly with them because it means they can choose when they leave, and keep them waiting if they choose. A priceless opportunity for petty power plays.
Then there's Abigail Disney's conversion into an outspoken advocate against excessive wealth and privilege, which occurred on a private plane. She wrote for The Cut about flying alone on her family's Boeing 737 to California, saying: "I flew across the country overnight, by myself on that giant plane, and I was sitting there thinking about the carbon footprint and the number of flight attendants and the other pilot on-call and what it was costing, and I just wanted to be sick.”
Flying private is seductive. I used to do it on my own dime for special occasions and I have been on a plane owned by friends.
But the cost benefit is so crazy vs. First or Business Class that I haven't done it in years. I don't think private for a long haul is as comfortable as a lie flat seat. And for a shorter haul I'd much rather splurge on the accommodations.
Also, not needing to save that extra hour or two is itself a luxury.
Hey Tina, we know you had to be a great editor, given the lofty heights you achieved. As a writer-at-heart who did same on a less lofty plane, after reading these columns, wow, you have the chops as a great writer too. So many great turns of phrase in this one alone.
You get a huge ❤️ for your description of the almost irresistible seduction of flying private, which even Warren Buffet after his publicly expressed disdain eventually rationalized / justified - he certainly created enough wealth for others to be above criticism for his change of mind. Have only accepted private rides from others on two occasions, and neither for personal use or benefit. The seduction and convenience was immediately obvious but I have always concluded that the isolation from the experience of most people would be counterproductive, just like the many rich NY’ers who think everyone but themselves should ride the subways. I continue to use the subway ( and/or walking) for approximately 99% of my travel there as someone who maintains an office in midtown and is a part time resident.
The one exception I would make to your observation is the use off a private medical air taxi when you need medical transportation and help in a difficult to reach Pharrell of the world. When my wife had a heart attack on Virgin Gorda ( no hospital at all) and we were dumb enough not to have travel insurance ( which of course we subsequently purchased after the proverbial hose had left through the open barn door), I was certainly very fortunate to be able to avail ourselves of travel back to the continental US by means of a cramped private air ambulance service.
With regard to the second section of your observations, I cannot disagree more strongly and as a result would have only rated your post half a heart if that were possible. We will have to let time judge which of us is more correct, but I am confident that in general Trump’s appointees will be more competent and have better credentials than those of the Biden - Harris administration.
Of course medical wings are a different matter entirely. And you may well be right about the Trump appointees. Probably even Pete Hegseth would have done a better job of extracting Americans from Afghanistan than the clowns in the Biden administratin.
Tina, i am curious, do you dismiss Trump's actions intended to botch the retreat options for Biden?
Fayetteville Observer
Oct 16, 2024
By Lt. Gen. John Bradley, USAF (Ret.)
Trump deal with Taliban set stage for disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan
Donald Trump conveniently ignores his disastrous role in the Afghanistan withdrawal. It was Trump who set the stage for one of the most painful exits in American military history.
A masterclass in deflection and revisionism, Donald Trump conveniently ignores his disastrous role in the Afghanistan withdrawal. It was Trump who set the stage for one of the most painful exits in American military history.
I served in Vietnam, flying Close Air Support missions, and I remember the frantic evacuation from Saigon in 1975. Withdrawals from combat zones are never without difficulty. But Trump’s actions in Afghanistan, including the deeply flawed Doha Agreement of 2020 and his rushed withdrawal orders after losing the election, made a challenging situation far worse. His deal with the Taliban, which excluded the Afghan government, set the U.S. up for failure long before Joe Biden took office.
While President Biden has faced criticism for the execution of the withdrawal, it was Trump’s reckless decisions that laid the groundwork for the chaos. This withdrawal wasn’t an overnight failure — it was the result of years of mismanagement, rushed deals and disregard for the complexities of the region.
Trump’s bad deal to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners:
In February 2020, Trump committed the United States to a deal that released 5,000 Taliban prisoners and lifted sanctions on Taliban leaders. When Biden took office a year later, he was left with a difficult choice: reverse the deal and risk escalating violence or honor the agreement and attempt an orderly withdrawal. Trump’s ill-advised deal emboldened the Taliban, and his last-minute withdrawal orders before leaving office only added to the chaos.
Trump boasted that Biden “couldn’t stop the process” he started. When Biden took office, he extended the withdrawal deadline to August 2021 to better manage the situation.
The rapid collapse of the Afghan government further complicated the situation. U.S. intelligence and military assessments did not predict how quickly the Afghan military would disintegrate, despite years of U.S. investment in training and equipment. The Taliban, strengthened by the terrorists Trump released, quickly overran Kabul. The Biden administration faced the monumental task of executing a withdrawal amid the sudden collapse of a government.
Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan hit me personally
Biden was left with few good options.
Despite these challenges, U.S. forces conducted the largest air evacuation in history, rescuing more than 120,000 people. The tragic Abbey Gate bombing, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan civilians, serves as a stark reminder of the risks of war.
This tragedy hit me personally. Through my nonprofit, I was helping evacuate 25 Afghan families. The Abbey Gate bombing killed a wife and mother I was assisting. It injured two of her children. A U.S. drone strike killed a family of ten I had been asked to help evacuate. The father had worked for an American NGO, Nutrition Education International (NEI,) for 15 years.
The decision to end America’s longest war was not easy, but it was the right one. Staying would have meant sending thousands more U.S. troops into harm’s way and reigniting a war that had already claimed the lives of nearly 2,500 American service members and cost the United States over $2 trillion.
Trump's self-serving narrative downplays dangerous situation he left behind
Trump’s self-serving narrative not only ignores the complex realities of the withdrawal, but also seeks to downplays the dangerous situation he left behind. Trump’s reckless actions had put U.S. troops and Afghan allies in greater danger.
America cannot afford to be led by someone who refuses to take responsibility for his actions, particularly when lives are at stake. Trump’s failures in Afghanistan, from his secretive deal with the Taliban to his disregard for our allies, left the United States vulnerable and endangered lives.
As we face dangerous global threats, we need leaders with the clarity, integrity, and resolve to lead our country as Commander-in-Chief, ensuring America remains strong and focused on the true threats we face.
Lt. Gen. John Bradley retired after 41 years in the U.S. Air Force. He now is President and CEO of the Lamia Afghan Foundation.
Have you seen the episodes of Silicon Valley that have the fights between Gavin Belsen and Jack Barker, over what order people are getting dropped off the private jet?
I’ve flown private on legal biz twice and fully concur. There was a well known supermarket which got itself unstuck in America and part of the problem was the exec addiction the Gulfstream
Make that badly written altreality chock full of altfact nuts roasting over an open firehose as they burn the capitol and the original Constitution to the ground 4 real this time whoopee do.
Loved this piece. Reminds me of the time when Jessica Mitford flew into Heathrow for her interview on the TV show I worked on: she’d refused a private plane. She was delighted with the crowds at the airport and the Black Taxi I had sent to drive her to the studio.
“You still have those?”
Afterwards she thought she’d go to Harrods to buy a handbag. Ok, a black taxi and he would wait for her outside afterwards.
Wonderful piece. I've read that people with private jets also like to invite people to fly with them because it means they can choose when they leave, and keep them waiting if they choose. A priceless opportunity for petty power plays.
Then there's Abigail Disney's conversion into an outspoken advocate against excessive wealth and privilege, which occurred on a private plane. She wrote for The Cut about flying alone on her family's Boeing 737 to California, saying: "I flew across the country overnight, by myself on that giant plane, and I was sitting there thinking about the carbon footprint and the number of flight attendants and the other pilot on-call and what it was costing, and I just wanted to be sick.”
Thx much. Love hearing this about Abigail Disney . She's clearer a nobler soul than I am! T
Hat tip to you Tina for inspiring this Substack post about the God-like power of private jets https://open.substack.com/pub/darkluxury/p/the-2025-luxury-agenda-and-the-god?r=sbqp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Love this. Fabulous writing, clear and potent as a large martini 🍸 thank you🫒
And a toast to you for saying so T
Chin chin 💎
Nice: “You realize there is no one you wouldn’t kill, betray, or sleep with to ensure a lifetime of luxe relief from the armpit of mass transit.”
Flying private is seductive. I used to do it on my own dime for special occasions and I have been on a plane owned by friends.
But the cost benefit is so crazy vs. First or Business Class that I haven't done it in years. I don't think private for a long haul is as comfortable as a lie flat seat. And for a shorter haul I'd much rather splurge on the accommodations.
Also, not needing to save that extra hour or two is itself a luxury.
Own dime would be best of all as no boring billionaire to suck up to for the favor T
Hey Tina, we know you had to be a great editor, given the lofty heights you achieved. As a writer-at-heart who did same on a less lofty plane, after reading these columns, wow, you have the chops as a great writer too. So many great turns of phrase in this one alone.
OK, so I want a martini toast too. Call me a literary strumpet. 😁
You get a huge ❤️ for your description of the almost irresistible seduction of flying private, which even Warren Buffet after his publicly expressed disdain eventually rationalized / justified - he certainly created enough wealth for others to be above criticism for his change of mind. Have only accepted private rides from others on two occasions, and neither for personal use or benefit. The seduction and convenience was immediately obvious but I have always concluded that the isolation from the experience of most people would be counterproductive, just like the many rich NY’ers who think everyone but themselves should ride the subways. I continue to use the subway ( and/or walking) for approximately 99% of my travel there as someone who maintains an office in midtown and is a part time resident.
The one exception I would make to your observation is the use off a private medical air taxi when you need medical transportation and help in a difficult to reach Pharrell of the world. When my wife had a heart attack on Virgin Gorda ( no hospital at all) and we were dumb enough not to have travel insurance ( which of course we subsequently purchased after the proverbial hose had left through the open barn door), I was certainly very fortunate to be able to avail ourselves of travel back to the continental US by means of a cramped private air ambulance service.
With regard to the second section of your observations, I cannot disagree more strongly and as a result would have only rated your post half a heart if that were possible. We will have to let time judge which of us is more correct, but I am confident that in general Trump’s appointees will be more competent and have better credentials than those of the Biden - Harris administration.
Of course medical wings are a different matter entirely. And you may well be right about the Trump appointees. Probably even Pete Hegseth would have done a better job of extracting Americans from Afghanistan than the clowns in the Biden administratin.
Tina, i am curious, do you dismiss Trump's actions intended to botch the retreat options for Biden?
Fayetteville Observer
Oct 16, 2024
By Lt. Gen. John Bradley, USAF (Ret.)
Trump deal with Taliban set stage for disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan
Donald Trump conveniently ignores his disastrous role in the Afghanistan withdrawal. It was Trump who set the stage for one of the most painful exits in American military history.
A masterclass in deflection and revisionism, Donald Trump conveniently ignores his disastrous role in the Afghanistan withdrawal. It was Trump who set the stage for one of the most painful exits in American military history.
I served in Vietnam, flying Close Air Support missions, and I remember the frantic evacuation from Saigon in 1975. Withdrawals from combat zones are never without difficulty. But Trump’s actions in Afghanistan, including the deeply flawed Doha Agreement of 2020 and his rushed withdrawal orders after losing the election, made a challenging situation far worse. His deal with the Taliban, which excluded the Afghan government, set the U.S. up for failure long before Joe Biden took office.
While President Biden has faced criticism for the execution of the withdrawal, it was Trump’s reckless decisions that laid the groundwork for the chaos. This withdrawal wasn’t an overnight failure — it was the result of years of mismanagement, rushed deals and disregard for the complexities of the region.
Trump’s bad deal to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners:
In February 2020, Trump committed the United States to a deal that released 5,000 Taliban prisoners and lifted sanctions on Taliban leaders. When Biden took office a year later, he was left with a difficult choice: reverse the deal and risk escalating violence or honor the agreement and attempt an orderly withdrawal. Trump’s ill-advised deal emboldened the Taliban, and his last-minute withdrawal orders before leaving office only added to the chaos.
Trump boasted that Biden “couldn’t stop the process” he started. When Biden took office, he extended the withdrawal deadline to August 2021 to better manage the situation.
The rapid collapse of the Afghan government further complicated the situation. U.S. intelligence and military assessments did not predict how quickly the Afghan military would disintegrate, despite years of U.S. investment in training and equipment. The Taliban, strengthened by the terrorists Trump released, quickly overran Kabul. The Biden administration faced the monumental task of executing a withdrawal amid the sudden collapse of a government.
Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan hit me personally
Biden was left with few good options.
Despite these challenges, U.S. forces conducted the largest air evacuation in history, rescuing more than 120,000 people. The tragic Abbey Gate bombing, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan civilians, serves as a stark reminder of the risks of war.
This tragedy hit me personally. Through my nonprofit, I was helping evacuate 25 Afghan families. The Abbey Gate bombing killed a wife and mother I was assisting. It injured two of her children. A U.S. drone strike killed a family of ten I had been asked to help evacuate. The father had worked for an American NGO, Nutrition Education International (NEI,) for 15 years.
The decision to end America’s longest war was not easy, but it was the right one. Staying would have meant sending thousands more U.S. troops into harm’s way and reigniting a war that had already claimed the lives of nearly 2,500 American service members and cost the United States over $2 trillion.
Trump's self-serving narrative downplays dangerous situation he left behind
Trump’s self-serving narrative not only ignores the complex realities of the withdrawal, but also seeks to downplays the dangerous situation he left behind. Trump’s reckless actions had put U.S. troops and Afghan allies in greater danger.
America cannot afford to be led by someone who refuses to take responsibility for his actions, particularly when lives are at stake. Trump’s failures in Afghanistan, from his secretive deal with the Taliban to his disregard for our allies, left the United States vulnerable and endangered lives.
As we face dangerous global threats, we need leaders with the clarity, integrity, and resolve to lead our country as Commander-in-Chief, ensuring America remains strong and focused on the true threats we face.
Lt. Gen. John Bradley retired after 41 years in the U.S. Air Force. He now is President and CEO of the Lamia Afghan Foundation.
Thanks- always enjoy your wordsmithing , even when in disagreement with your conclusions.
Well.. The guild is off the lily. For certain. As for Clinton “just” hitching a ride aboard Epstein’s flying “entertainment “ I’ve a bridge to sell !
Nope. I gotta tell you, the plane much more the allure than the girls who were not his target age group. In my opinion! T
On second thoughts. Bill Clinton wasn’t interested in under aged beauties. In retrospect Monica L became more than a shame. She’s a powerful woman.
Thank you for crushing my dream of wanting to fly business class.
Lets just say Extra Legroom longing is the first step in themoral decline.
OK. I'll take "the moral decline" option and the extra leg room.
This is exactly why I’d dread flying private. How do you ever go back to commercial?
There is no way back. Your moral ruin is forever .
Have you seen the episodes of Silicon Valley that have the fights between Gavin Belsen and Jack Barker, over what order people are getting dropped off the private jet?
https://youtu.be/OaFTpWYCzUk?si=cPSmD2ZM87ZaWha_
https://youtu.be/VmOd27UwTsg?si=g7Rlah2EzmtB3tFl
You are such fun! Acute and irresistible.
I’ve flown private on legal biz twice and fully concur. There was a well known supermarket which got itself unstuck in America and part of the problem was the exec addiction the Gulfstream
Make that badly written altreality chock full of altfact nuts roasting over an open firehose as they burn the capitol and the original Constitution to the ground 4 real this time whoopee do.
Loved this piece. Reminds me of the time when Jessica Mitford flew into Heathrow for her interview on the TV show I worked on: she’d refused a private plane. She was delighted with the crowds at the airport and the Black Taxi I had sent to drive her to the studio.
“You still have those?”
Afterwards she thought she’d go to Harrods to buy a handbag. Ok, a black taxi and he would wait for her outside afterwards.
She said it had made her trip such a treat!
RIP Jessica x
“A hissy, table-flipping feud”…you slay me. And “the lolita express”…terrific! Another entertaining article. Thank you!
Reading the comments alone are worth subscribing for. Thanks for the excellent writing, too!!