While other areas in the travel industry are talking about a recovery, luxury travel remains in rough shape. In fact, it's only on long-haul flights that the big spenders are even asking for upgrades, let alone chartering flights or firing up their own planes. According to Peter Yesawich, CEO of travel marketing firm Ypartnership, "Luxury air travel has essentially been grounded."

Meanwhile, the airlines are struggling for ways to restore the revenue they used to be able to pull in from its top passengers. Notes Yesawich, "It's said that real profit in any flight is front of plane. The rest covers the overhead."

While Delta and British Airways are playing with in-flight amenities for first class passengers, such as showers, it doesn't compare to the relatively blissful conditions offered on the likes of Eos, which no longer exists. People with private jets are buying airline tickets more often, it seems, though fractional jet ownership remains fairly popular among those with means to access it.

Despite the shift in conditions, one thing remains true, according to Mike Weingart of Travel Leaders: "The super rich fly anyway they want."

Filed under: North America, United States, Luxury Travel