Five-star flights

Want something better than a regular business class? Star hotels now have special jets for highflyers.

You certainly don't fly cattle class. And paying extra not to rub shoulders with the hoi polloi is just not enough. So what do you do until your business grows large enough for you to join the Ambani-Mallya high-flying private jet club? Well, you could try and fly the Taj or Oberoi business jets!

Planes? And star hotels?

The Tata-owned TajAir flies Falcon 2000s to 114 destinations in India like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.

The aircraft was originally designed to seat 16 passengers, but now has been reconfigured to seat eight. You can fly to international destinations within a radius of five-and-half flying hours.

Meanwhile, Oberoi Aviation flies a jet (Hawker 125-700B) and a turboprop (King Air C-90A) to Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. You could also fly their aircraft to international destinations with a week's prior notice.

So how do I book?

TajAir offers you a jet on as short as a four-hour notice. However, this service is available only to 11 Indian cities where airports operate round the clock. And if you're flying into a defence airfield, the company needs a week's notice to process the required clearances.

Bookings for the Oberoi Group-owned aircraft, on the other hand, are on first-come, first-served basis.

How quick is check-in?

TajAir has a passenger and baggage screening area at the Mumbai airport especially for business jet travellers. So you can arrive just 15 minutes before departure for flights within India and an hour before for international flights.

The company also offers to take care of your security, customs and immigration clearances and your baggage.

Any issues with luggage?

Oberoi Aviation's rather strict baggage rules let you carry one suitcase per passenger, not exceeding 26 inches in length and 15 kg by weight, along with a handbag or briefcase. TajAir's Falcon 2000s meanwhile can carry 700 kg of baggage.

Will I be bored?

If you want to relax before striking a big-buck deal, watch a movie on a large LCD screen or listen to music on a high performance entertainment system on the Falcon 2000. And if you need to catch up with some last minute work, the aircraft's equipped with a satellite phone and fax.

What about food?

The food on TajAir's aircraft is served by TAJ SATS Air Catering, the largest airline catering company in India.

What are the damages?

The charges for the Oberoi Group-owned jet and turboprops are $3,700 per hour and $1,250 per hour respectively, but it does not include waiting, overnight and crew lodging charges. As for TajAir, they'd rather you call them up.