SellingCrossing Weekend

It's finally the four-day weekend. Thank God for the U.S. presidents and their birthdays. I plan to spend the next two days checking out my dream plane, the Gulfstream G550, Flagship of the Gulfstream Fleet. Boy, if I had had this plane a couple of months ago, I could have flown home for the holidays in style!

The West Coast North American sales office for Gulfstream is located in Scottsdale, AZ, so first thing Saturday morning, I'm going to stop by and pick up my BFF—I really think I owe her a trip for all the things she's done for me—and we'll head to LAX.

We'll be flying America West; they had the best price for two first-class tickets: only $1,021, round-trip. On a flight that is barely two hours long, there is no breakfast served, so we'll have to make do with piping hot coffee and fresh fruit plates.



While we are in the air, I'll share with my BFF the brochure I received in the mail just yesterday—not that I really understand what all of it means, but everything sounds very impressive. I want a plane that can fly farther and faster than any other private plane out there, and I think the G550 fits my criteria. The Gulfstream G550 has a range of 6,750 nautical miles—that's about the distance between New York and Tokyo—and can cruise at speeds up to Mach 0.885 (nine miles per minute) at an altitude of 51,000 feet. It is 96 feet long and weighs 91,000 pounds. Hmm...I must remember to look into renting an airplane hangar.

Anyway, I'll explain to her, there's room for at least 10 of my friends to fly with me; the cabin is 7'4" wide, 6'2" high, and 50'1" long. And you should see the pictures! Once I buy my G550, my friends and I will really be flying in style. We'll be able to configure the seats into groups of adjustable reclining chairs or divans. The seats even turn into berths for long trip—if we want to sleep!

I made hotel reservations at the 3 Palms Resort Oasis in Scottsdale. It's about a $25 cab ride from the Phoenix airport; I've stayed there before, and my BFF is going to get a real treat. We'll each have our own Deluxe Dual Queen Suite for $269 per night—two large rooms each with their own bathrooms featuring black granite tile and the softest linens. Each bedroom has a pillow-top king bed and 400-count sheets. In each living area, we'll find a 27" TV, a DVD/CD player, a queen-sized sofa bed, and some incredibly beautiful chairs.

Granted, I may not actually buy a Gulfstream G550 this weekend; while I couldn't get a direct price quote over the phone, I've heard they start around $24 million. But hey, it's always fun to window shop!