Opinion / Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson in space, luxury’s new frontier: as air travel is no longer special, billionaires turn to the stars for the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime experience

Jul 15, 2021

Billionaire Richard Branson floats in zero gravity on board Virgin Galactic’s passenger rocket plane VSS Unity after reaching the edge of space on July 11, launching a new era in luxury experiences. Photo: Virgin Galactic/Handout via Reuters

Musk’s SpaceX took a crew up to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020 with its Dragon spacecraft, which has a cockpit more like a Tesla Model S interior

Virgin Galactic made the first successful tourist flight into space, while Bezos’ Blue Origins will launch its New Shepard rocket on July 20

This article is part of STYLE’s Luxury Column.

True luxury is always extreme. Extreme rarity. Extreme dedication. Extreme craftsmanship. And extreme experiences. To the point where a true luxury experience can be called a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the emergence of intercontinental flights made a trip from New York to London or Paris to Shanghai such a special occurrence, especially in first class. But with the commoditisation of air travel, low-cost carriers on short haul and long haul routes, with even the furthest places on Earth just a few hours away, flying has lost its magic to a large extent.