Private jets can be lavish, super-expensive, and highly advanced, but do they come with seat belts?
Private jets do come with seat belts, and they do have to be used during take-off, landing, and turbulence. This is the same as any commercial jet, and it is illegal to ignore the order to fasten seat belts. It’s a civil violation though, not a criminal one.
Read on to learn more about private jets, and how they’re allowed to operate.
Fly Stylish, Fly Safe
When you think of a private jet, you think of hand-served champagne, private crews, and lavish interior. You don’t immediately think of strict aircraft regulations, rules, and laws.
However, the rules and regulations that apply to a stock-standard commercial aircraft also apply to private jets. They come equipped with seat belts, just like any other airplane does.
They must be used during take-off and landing, and during turbulence. Although, it’s obviously a lot harder to police these requirements on a private aircraft.
On a regular, commercial airplane, the staff, crew, and attendants are there to ensure the rules are enforced. However, on a private jet, this wouldn’t be the case.
While a chartered flight may be more strict, a completely private affair would be totally different. There’s nobody there to tell you what to do, and you’re free to abandon all regulations if you so desire.
Of course, the seat belts are there for a reason, and it’s never a good idea to ignore the laws of safety.
In the United States, it’s a federal offense to ignore the order to fasten seat belts. According to ‘14 C.F.R. 121.317(f)’, a passenger “shall fasten his or her safety belt about him or her and keep it fastened while the ‘Fasten Seat Belt’ sign is lighted.”
It’s no trifling matter, either. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) reserves the right to fine for non-compliance. They can issue a penalty charge of up to ten thousand dollars for a violation aboard an airplane.
However, an article published in 2018 highlighted that the FAA hadn’t taken such action in over five years. They’d issue warning letters, but no actual fines were handed out to rebellious passengers.
Cruise Through The Clouds
Private jets are an extremely lavish way to travel, and highly exclusive, too. The ownership of private aircraft can cost anything from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars.
They can be chartered or rented, but even this will cost a good few thousand dollars for a short round trip. For the majority of private aircraft, no expense is spared in their construction.
These planes can feature the latest in modern technology, sumptuous fixings and fittings, and numerous amenities to entertain passengers. Ultimately, the best aspect of a private jet is just that – it’s private.
However, regardless of the millions of dollars poured into the creation of these planes, they all need to be fitted with seat belts. You can search for numerous pictures of the interiors of private planes, and clearly see the belts on all single seats.
There are limitations, though – seat belts obviously can’t be installed on couches, or on beds. If you’re relaxing on such a piece of furniture when the seat belt light comes on, you’ll need to return to a proper seat.
Wired.com explained how some private jets take the seat belt aspect one step further. They highlighted that the top-end manufacturers include seat belts equipped with built-in airbags.
In this article, they spoke at length about the pros and cons of flying private and flying commercial. It was a heated debate, with some top-tier commercial airlines offering a huge amount in their aircraft.
Ultimately, the most expensive commercial flight rivaled private aircraft with ease. However, you were still paying thousands of dollars a ticket, and you didn’t get that privacy aspect.
The world’s most expensive private planes actually come in the form of converted, modified commercial aircraft.
For example, Air Force One, the personal plane of the President of the United States. This impressive aircraft is a modified Boeing 747, worth an incredible six hundred million dollars.
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud boasted ownership of a half a billion-dollar Airbus 380. This double-decker behemoth of an aircraft included a parking bay, four VIP suites, and a Turkish bath.
Maybe it is more cost-effective to fly commercial after all.