JET-IQUETTE

Private jets come with their own customised trimmings, not to mention their own tribe of free-loaders.

Private jets come with their own customised trimmings, not to mention their own tribe of free-loaders.

A Mumbaiite who ordered a Challenger requested for crocodile leather trim throughout the interiors, including the lavatory. The toilet seat apparently came cheap at 10,000! Another businessman redid the interiors of his plane recently, and the cost is said to have gone up to one million dollars.

Vijay Mallya, king of extravagance, has a Picasso etching in his Boeing 737. Blazing yellow flower arrangements brighten the corporate beige interiors. Snazzy plasma TVs adorn the walls. A bar with stools is on one side of the living room and the bathroom has a luxurious tub in it. 8220;The first time you see it, you are blown out of your mind,8221; says an insider.

Then, there are the pals of the PJ owners, the people who have access to this world by simply being in the inner circle. Delhi and Mumbai have a bunch of people who are regular guests on private planes. If one PR executive flew on a media baron8217;s jet for a wedding in Chennai, groups of friends hop on to private jets and head for weekends to Goa and Shimla8217;s Wildflower Hall Hotel regularly. Another destination which has private planes landing regularly is Tirupati. 8220;At one time, we travelled by train for holidays,8221; says a PJ owner. 8220;Now, we just take off on our jets.8221;

Mallya, the ever hospitable millionaire, has flown friends like socialites Queenie and Raja Dhody, Dilip and Shobhaa De to watch the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo and the cricket worldcup in South Africa. A guest recounts how on one occasion, 15 of his friends were waiting for him to show up in the aircraft. 8220;He was two hours late and we were all drunk before take-off,8221; he says. There are emerging rules for jetiquette: 8220;Don8217;t be late and travel light,8221; says a PJ regular.

Most PJ owners seem to enjoy friends bumming rides on their planes. However, one owner says he makes it a point to switch off his mobile when elections are near. 8220;I have so many politicians calling me to use my plane for their campaigns,8221; he says.