The Power of Interior Design, Part 1

High End Weekly™ recently caught up with VistaJet creative director Nina Flohr to talk about the company’s newly released book, The Art Of Flying, published by Assouline. The uber chic, and cosmopolitan creative director also spoke to us about the importance of customer service, the changing expectations of their clients, technology, and of course, art and design. VistaJet is a global company, with offices in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Beijing. They currently flies Hong Kong-based clients on a nearly daily basis.

High End Weekly™: Tell us about your latest book, The Art of Flying.

Nina Flohr: The Art of Flying is a creative collaboration between VistaJet and Assouline Publishing. It has been a passion project of ours as the book explores aviation’s fascinating past from the mid-twentieth century to the present. This vibrant cultural history takes readers on a tour of air travel’s technological developments as well as the constant interplay between art, architecture and air travel that has always made flying a reflection of its time and a symbol of the cutting edge. The book features many of the inspirations from which we created the VistaJet brand.

HEW: How do your customers experience VistaJet’s general culture each time they fly?

Nina Flohr: Our customers expect a very high level of quality, service, and attention to detail as part of their daily personal or business routine. It is our belief that this same standard of excellence should apply to air travel. VistaJet owns a branded fleet of over 55 aircraft and offers an unprecedented consistency in service, whether clients are flying for business or pleasure. VistaJet’s worldwide service area covers all major routes, we are proud to provide special training so that our VistaJet employees understand the importance of our customers’ local cultural requirements.

HEW: How has VistaJet focused on the lifestyle experience they offer to their passengers, and been able to communicate that side of the brand to them over the years?

Nina Flohr: VistaJet’s focus on comfort and style is apparent from the moment our passengers step on board. Our aircraft immediately differentiate themselves from competitors with their distinct silver with single red stripe livery, while our crew are dressed in custom cabin uniforms featuring Moncler coats. Additionally, like many of our passengers, we have a passion for design and art. As a result, we have embarked on a series of artistic initiatives to promote younger contemporary artists like RETNA and Ian Davenport to create bespoke designs for the tails of a few select aircraft, as well as, Jean Philippe Dehomme to illustrate our 10th anniversary story book. This strong design aesthetic continues into the interiors of the planes as they are outfitted with rich woods and buttery leathers that would not be out of place in our clients’ homes. To further enhance the comfort of our passengers we have partnered with a range of beloved brands from around the globe such as Nobu for a custom in-flight menu selection and bookshop Heywood Hill on curated in-flight libraries. Furthermore, we have developed the Ultimate Sky Sleep program to enhance customers’ onboard sleeping experience. It includes custom fitted mattresses, hypoallergenic feather duvets and pillows, high thread-count linens, cashmere blankets, eye masks and socks, brushed cotton pyjamas, cozy slippers, alongside an amazing new raw organic skin care regime by The Body Deli.

The VistaJet culture is to understand and anticipate our customers’ needs. We are not European or Asian. We are truly global in how we think and operate. As a result, our customers are not stepping into our culture, but instead we are allowing them to feel at home when they fly with us. Nina Flohr

HEW What are the biggest challenges you face today when it comes to improving your customer experience?

Nina Flohr: As a company, we always want to be at the forefront of in-flight cabin service so there is constant work to be done to keep the on board experience relevant for our customers. One of our primary focuses is continuing our expansion into new global markets , this means further adapting the cabin experience to reflect the cultural differences of our various service areas. For instance, when our aircraft fly to Asia, they are equipped with the necessary dinner ware for Asian style meals and offer a selection of Asian snacks along with traditional favourites.

HEW: As you build a luxury brand, what insights do you have about the future of the luxury sector given customers’ changing expectations?

Nina Flohr: The future of the luxury sector will see companies offering increasingly personalized services to their clients. For VistaJet, we customize the in-flight experience to match a client’s needs be that in-flight catering from their favourite restaurant, providing specialized entertainment and menus for children, we know how important pets can be to their families, they are also welcome on board and we take special care to ensure the aircraft is equipped for their needs as well. The definition of luxury is increasingly becoming tied to having the comforts of home and feeling at home, wherever you may be.

HEW: Lets talk about technology. What role does technology play in improving the VistaJet experience?

Nina Flohr: Technology plays a central role in the VistaJet experience for passengers who are traveling for business. While Wifi is standard in all our aircraft, we’ve recently made a commitment to secure even faster, more consistent wifi capabilities for our aircraft, which should become available in 2016. For in-flight entertainment, we’ve introduced iPads equipped with new release movies, TV shows, games, music and magazines as well as a custom content magazine called Voyager containing exclusive articles and interviews created quarterly for VistaJet travellers. On a technical rather than experiential note, our entirely customized operations software called Global View churns out statistics on a daily basis to aid with logistics and fleet optimization in order to ensure that passengers can go anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice.