Skip the Seas: ‘Air Cruises’ Take Tourists to South America’s Bucket List Destinations

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With cruise lines’ mega-ships taking the seas, ultra-wealthy travelers are taking their cruise experience to a new frontier — the skies. High-end travel companies increasingly offer bespoke itineraries aboard luxurious private airplanes, making these so-called “air cruises” more popular than one might think.

Debuting early next year, a new air cruise itinerary to South America’s premier destinations is launching from tailor-made travel designer and air cruise leader Safrans du Monde. Even better is its newly customizable itinerary, allowing every traveler to personalize their own air cruise experience.

From Sea to Air

Despite offering an all-new take on air travel, air cruises are relatively straightforward. However, the experience is anything but ordinary.

Like other cruises, passengers opt for their preferred travel itinerary, dates, and destinations. However, air cruise passengers travel between destinations via luxury private planes. Unlike a standard cruise experience, passengers don’t sleep aboard; air cruisers spend each night in some of the world’s best hotels and resorts.

Air cruises bring together small groups on a larger plane converted for the sumptuous first-class journey. It isn’t a private jet experience, but it certainly feels like one — right down to chef-crafted meals and lay-flat seats.

Safrans du Monde, the luxury French brand behind the South American air cruise itinerary, isn’t the only company offering this remarkable style of travel. Luxury outfits like Abercrombie & Kent and Aman continue to break into the space. Aman’s unique air cruise transports guests between some of the brand’s inimitable resorts in destinations like Japan, Thailand, India, and Greece.

Grand Tour of South America

Safrans du Monde offers a number of unique air cruise itineraries, including ’round-the-world journeys that’ll make anyone swoon. Still, its soon-to-debut “ Grand Tour of South America ” itinerary will be one-of-a-kind.

Highlights include guided visits around Cusco, Peru, the former capital of the Incan empire, on Belmond’s legendary Hiram Bingham luxury train. Passengers will learn to tango in cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Argentina, sip Chilean wines among the snowcapped Andes, and swim with sea lions in the Galápagos Islands — a destination whose unique wildlife inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution.

“We are beyond excited to bring this profound exploration of the human soul and majestic nature to our guests as we travel through South America,” said Safrans du Monde President Guy Bigiaoui. “Our aim is to delight travelers at every turn, offering a seamless and unforgettable experience from beginning to end.” 

The journey is guaranteed to be a luxe one from start to finish. Passengers will enjoy Safrans du Monde’s fully-equipped Airbus A340, offering plush seats that convert into horizontal beds. Menus include hand-selected fine wines and curated dishes from onboard chef Paul Caussé. From there, award-winning five-star hotels await. Tour leaders and local guides will lead limited-size, small-group excursions at every destination.

Customizable Cruises

Safrans du Monde’s “Grand Tour of South America” itinerary will also offer something cruisers rarely find: the ability to customize their itinerary.

Passengers can opt for the classic itinerary experience, which starts at Iguazu Falls on the Brazil/Argentina border, before visiting Buenos Aires, breathtaking Peru, Chile, and the Galápagos Islands. Or, they can create their own journey with bespoke activities and add stops in other dream destinations for an additional fee.

Alternative experiences in Chile include a three-day excursion to the Atacama Desert, known for its extreme landscapes and stargazing opportunities. Or, cruisers can head to the mystical Easter Island to stand in the shadow of towering Rapa Nui-carved Moai figures.

The air cruise experience in Peru promises to be anything but standard, including a stay in lively Lima before embarking for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. However, travelers can personalize their itinerary with a visit to sacred Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest-altitude lake, nestled among mountains between Peru and Bolivia. The lake’s famed floating islands, crafted by Indigenous peoples using reeds, remain inhabited today.

Airbound

Safrans du Monde’s inaugural “Grand Tour of South America” will depart Feb. 16, 2025, from Paris, France. The excursion explores the continent’s highlights for 17 incredible days.

While the experience won’t come cheap — just under $100,000 per person — it promises to be the trip of a lifetime. For well-heeled travelers looking to cross South America’s most remarkable destinations off their bucket list, it’s an experience well worth splurging for.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.