Senior editor Jamie Biesiada spent some time on board the Crystal Skye at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas during Virtuoso Travel Week.
Edie Rodriguez knows what she wants when she travels: Space.
"I love to be in a flat-bed configuration on long flights and have space around me," Crystal's CEO told me. "I don't want to feel that it's a hassle getting in and out of the bed version, so that's what I love."
Crystal CEO and president Edie Rodriguez shows off one of the Crystal Skye's spacious seats. © TW photo by Jamie Biesiada
It should come as no surprise, then, that one of Crystal's latest ventures -- the Crystal Skye, a luxury charter plane -- has plenty of room to move around.
I visited the Boeing 777-200LR at McCarran Airport and was immediately impressed by the amount of space it boasts (this was even more apparent to me after the coach seat that got me to Las Vegas the day prior).
Walking up the stairs from the runway, the first space I encountered was the lounge. Complete with a bar that could easily hold ten, some couch-like seating near the windows and four tables that seat six passengers, it's easy to forget you're on a plane.
But the rear two-thirds of the plane was the most impressive of spaces. There, 88 seats are configured in a two-by-two-by-two configuration.
Each individual leather seat, designed by Zodiac Seating, is capable of fully reclining to 73.5 inches, more than enough room for me at 5-foot-5 to stretch out (anyone a little over six feet might be a bit more cramped than I was).
The 88 flatbed seats fully recline to 73.5 inches. © TW photo by Jamie Biesiada
The non-reclined seats are also comfortable in and of themselves, and have a 74-inch pitch and 24 inches between armrests. And an added bonus, each seat has its own USB ports and power outlets, and plenty of places to stow personal items.
Walking around and between the seats was surprisingly easy with plenty of space. The arrangement -- all atop what Crystal calls "bespoke Crystal VIP carpet," a mix of white and blue hues in a wavy pattern that was comfortable enough to traverse without shoes -- leaves plenty of breathing, and stretching and walking, room.
On a plane that Crystal says can fly for 21.5 hours under the right conditions, there's plenty to do besides sleep, too.
Each seat has its own 24-inch in-flight entertainment system. © TW photo by Jamie Biesiada
Every seat has its own 24-inch Panasonic monitor featuring movies, TV, music, maps and access to cameras outside to view takeoffs, landings and what's going on during the flight. The curious can even tune into a channel to listen in on the cockpit communicating with ground control.
The lounge and its bar is also a great option, but the aft of the plane holds the majority of what's close to my heart -- wine. At the aft of the plane just before you hit the galley, you hit the Crystal SkyeCellar, which holds an impressive amount of wine -- over 200 temperature-controlled vintages. Talk about a great way to pass a long flight.