While most of us were flying Southwest and eating sad airport sandwiches, Four Seasons has been quietly operating its own around-the-world luxury jet service for a decade. And this year, as the program celebrates its 10th anniversary, wine country finally made the cut.
The Four Seasons Private Jet Experience—which launched in 2015 and has somehow escaped the notice of approximately everyone not worth eight figures—added Napa Valley to its 2026 itineraries. The Grand Horizons journey kicks off August 31, 2026, starting at the Four Seasons resort in Calistoga before jetting to Tokyo, Istanbul, Milan, and five other destinations over 24 days. Cost per person: $229,000, based on double occupancy, according to Four Seasons.
For context, that's roughly the median home price in parts of the Bay Area. For a three-week vacation.
What This Actually Is
Before anyone gets excited about a new private terminal at Charles M. Schulz Airport, let's be clear: this isn't a "jet service out of Napa" in any practical sense. The custom Airbus A321neo-LR doesn't depart from wine country. Guests arrive in Calistoga through normal means, stay at the Four Seasons resort at 400 Silverado Trail North, create custom wine blends at the on-site Elusa Winery, and then eventually board the jet elsewhere to continue their global journey, per Four Seasons.
The program operates more like a flying cruise ship than a traditional private jet service—48 passengers, lie-flat seats with 6.5 feet of personal space, an onboard chef, a physician, and a concierge team managing everything from gorilla trekking permits to last-minute dinner reservations. All accommodations at Four Seasons properties, meals, ground transportation, and excursions come included in that quarter-million-dollar price tag, according to One Mile at a Time.
Apparently it's working. The company reports 30 percent of guests book another journey, and most 2026 itineraries are already sold out. So there's definitely a market for people who find traditional first-class international travel too stressful, per The Manual.
The Other Jet Service Nobody Mentioned
Here's where it gets confusing: there's actually a second, separate jet option tied to Four Seasons properties that does involve regularly scheduled flights. Semi-private carrier Aero operates 16-seat jets from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles to Napa, along with routes to Palm Springs, Sun Valley, and Aspen, as reported by Four Seasons.
This service—which skips commercial terminals, offers 20-minute curbside check-in, and serves Erewhon-catered meals—is significantly more accessible than the Private Jet Experience. Though "accessible" is relative when we're still talking about private aviation.
Where Wine Country Stands Now
Napa's inclusion alongside destinations like Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, and the Maldives represents a meaningful milestone for wine country's global luxury standing. Among U.S. cities regularly featured in Four Seasons jet itineraries, Seattle serves as the most frequent departure point, Los Angeles anchors some routes, and Fort Lauderdale replaced Miami as an endpoint in 2024, according to Four Seasons.
The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley opened in November 2021 on 22 acres within the working Elusa Winery, featuring 85 rooms, Calistoga's only Michelin-starred restaurant (Auro), and all the expected luxury touches, as noted by One Mile at a Time. For guests not arriving via quarter-million-dollar jet packages, Santa Rosa Sonoma County Airport sits 30 minutes away, while SFO is about two hours by car.
The resort also offers complimentary Lucid Air electric vehicles for valley excursions and coordinates helicopter service through Butterfly Aviation—amenities that seem almost quaint compared to having your own private jet and onboard physician, per Organic Authority.
What You're Actually Paying For
The Grand Horizons itinerary includes samurai sword lessons in Tokyo, a two-night luxury cruise through Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, exploring Bangkok's art scene or upgrading to snorkeling in Koh Samui, then hitting Istanbul, Milan, and Lisbon before wrapping in Montreal, according to Four Seasons Magazine.
The entire experience is customizable with a crew ratio of one staff member per six passengers. Want to skip group activities for a private fashion tour in Milan? The onboard concierge makes it happen. This level of white-glove service apparently justifies the price for the ultra-wealthy, per Fortune.
The Reality Check
Most wine country visitors will continue arriving via commercial flights and rental cars, perhaps catching glimpses of those Lucid Air vehicles around Silverado Trail. The Four Seasons Private Jet Experience exists in a stratosphere most people will never touch—and honestly, that's fine.
But Napa's inclusion in this rarefied program does signal something real about wine country's evolution from weekend getaway to legitimate international luxury destination. Whether that benefits anyone beyond the 48 people per departure who can afford the experience remains an open question.
At least now you know it exists. You're welcome for that information you'll never use.
