With asking prices that might seem astronomical to the average man or woman on the street, chartering a private jet might seem like an unnecessary extravagance. But while many of us struggle to afford our one week's holiday every year, the people to whom charter jet companies advertise their wares are those who earn more money in a week than many of us are likely to see in a lifetime. So let's pretend we're rich and famous – what are the advantages to chartering a private jet?

There are certain benefits that are fairly obvious. The ever-increasing rise of celebrity means that many of the people earning the sort of pay check that would merit commissioning a private jet are all too well-known, meaning they would cause a crisis of sorts for the staff trying to deal with the many other issues involved in making a flight run smoothly. Not to suggest that all celebrities are the thoughtful types – this attention is as abhorrent to them when they are not working, as it is difficult to the staff attending the flight. For many celebrities, anonymity and privacy are all important, and chartering a private jet allows them to keep to themselves.

So what about those people who are quietly wealthy – why don't they save their money and fly with the rest of us? Because chartering a private jet has many other advantages, and while the going rate might seem exorbitant to those of us earning five-figure sums, the money spent on private jets must be put into perspective. The relative amount that the wealthy spend on this type of travel is probably not much more than we spend on our own flights – they earn much more and so can spend accordingly. And while they might save a few tens of thousands of dollars by flying more economically, is it really worth it?

Private jets offer the ultimate in in-flight service. As the only customer on board, the person hiring a private jet receives the full attention of the flight staff, meaning that he or she can enjoy anything at any time. This fits neatly into the lifestyle of the wealthy, where money buys the best of service – why compromise just because you're airborne?

Private jets might seem the ultimate in luxury to the ordinary man on the street, but to the very wealthy, they are as natural as riding in limo. So until you make your first million, it's airline flights for you. But you can always dream!