Kylie Jenner is making headlines at the moment for her private jet usage, though I’m not sure I get why this in particular is getting backlash, because it seems perfectly in line with her brand and everything she stands for?
In this post:
Kylie Jenner’s very short private jet flights
This controversy started when Kylie Jenner posted a picture on Instagram with her boyfriend Travis Scott (I think that’s what he is, I’m not up to date on the drama?) in front of their private jets, with the caption “you wanna take mine or yours?”
Kylie has a Bombardier Global 7500, while Travis has an Embraer Lineage 1000 (a variant of the Embraer 190, which is a commercial jet).
That post got some backlash in the comments, but I suppose everything does, when you have hundreds of millions of followers.
Around the same time, the @CelebrityJets Twitter account posted some interesting flights operated by Kylie’s private jet. This is an automated account that uses publicly available data to track where the private jets of celebrities are flying.
In particular, the flight has been operating some very short flights, between Van Nuys and Camarillo. Those airports are just 35 miles apart, and the flights took 12 to 17 minutes. Note that while there’s a rumor of a three minute flight, that didn’t actually happen, and as just an estimate based on the distance.
Many think that Kylie has been using her private jet to fly around Los Angeles in order to skip traffic. While I suppose that can’t be ruled out, I think the much more likely explanation is that the jet was repositioning. Odds are that she wanted to fly it into one airport, and then the jet repositioned, either for another flight, or because it’s based there.
I can’t imagine she’d be saving much time flying vs. driving, even with the wild traffic in Los Angeles. After all, getting to & from two airports takes time as well.
I don’t understand the selective outrage?
I’m certainly not here to defend Kylie (as you’ll see below), but I guess I’m a bit confused as to why these short flights are causing selective outrage? When billionaires have private jets, they typically like them to leave out of the airport closest to them. Who wouldn’t, if money is no factor, and you have no environmental concerns?
Is a 12-minute flight across town really worse for the environment than Kylie flying to the other side of the globe on her jet, when there’s a nonstop commercial flight she could take in first class? Is it worse than Kim Kardashian chartering a Boeing 777 for her birthday party? Or Kim Kardashian and Kanye chartering a 747 a few years back?
But that gets at the bigger issue here, which is the way in which our society idolizes these kinds of people. I know Bill Maher is controversial, and I disagree with him on many issues, but I think most reasonable people would agree with the underlying message of the first part of the below clip.
So yeah, do 12-17 minute private jet flights send the wrong message and seem like they should do damage to someone’s reputation? Sure. But this is exactly in line with everything the Jenners and Kardashians have been doing for years, so I don’t see what’s different here?
Bottom line
Some people seem shocked and frustrated that Kylie Jenner’s private jet is operating short flights around Los Angeles. In reality, I suspect that these are just repositioning flights to get the plane back to its base, or to operate another flight. After all, when you’re a billionaire with a big private jet, you want to fly out of the closest airport to where you’re at.
To me this is no more ridiculous than anything else that the Jenners and Kardashians do, which, admittedly, is a pretty high threshold.
Where do you stand on this controversy?
Yes, the outage seems pretty selective, so I completely agree with Ben's sentiment.
But the environmental impact occurs no matter who uses a huge plane as private transportation.
It seems to me the only fair way to address this is through taxation tied to environmental impact. If I am charged, say, $100 for the environmental impact generated by me sitting in an economy seat for a trip across the Atlantic, surely a private jet traveler...
Yes, the outage seems pretty selective, so I completely agree with Ben's sentiment.
But the environmental impact occurs no matter who uses a huge plane as private transportation.
It seems to me the only fair way to address this is through taxation tied to environmental impact. If I am charged, say, $100 for the environmental impact generated by me sitting in an economy seat for a trip across the Atlantic, surely a private jet traveler could be charged $10K or $100K for a flight with a per-capita impact 100 or 1000 times as great.
Invest all proceeds into climate change research and mitigation and this might be a win-win-win for everyone: good for the planet, good PR for the super rich and the industry.
Celebs and rich folks can do whatever they want, fly their planes wherever.
Wake up a bit here. Aren't they throwing climate change at us. Even Bill Gates, flying everywhere and he is buying farms to take away meat and give us insects. Nice transition to the new world.
Climate change again and again. Time to change, don't fly so many private planes, take the train (in Europe that is). How about Limos, can still...
Celebs and rich folks can do whatever they want, fly their planes wherever.
Wake up a bit here. Aren't they throwing climate change at us. Even Bill Gates, flying everywhere and he is buying farms to take away meat and give us insects. Nice transition to the new world.
Climate change again and again. Time to change, don't fly so many private planes, take the train (in Europe that is). How about Limos, can still work at your plans in the back, don't need to drive.
Its all plain to see, that is if you are "awake".
This reminds me very much when I lived in France (sic) and the erroneous expression used by the elite did not go over very well with our public then.
"Let them eat cake" and as you may know, heads rolled.
Also when I lived in NYC and wealthy Leona Helmsley owner of Helmsley hotels, stated "rich people don't pay taxes". It did fair well for her either with jail and large fines.
...This reminds me very much when I lived in France (sic) and the erroneous expression used by the elite did not go over very well with our public then.
"Let them eat cake" and as you may know, heads rolled.
Also when I lived in NYC and wealthy Leona Helmsley owner of Helmsley hotels, stated "rich people don't pay taxes". It did fair well for her either with jail and large fines.
So I take it from the recent news, that it is not only Jenner, Kardashians, but other celebrities as well.
Lest not forget who was reprimanded just this week by the Queen of England for using the helicopters and planes to much. That would be William & Kate. Harry & Meghan escape Queen's wrath as they don't belong there anymore.
So maybe Ben, this is the beginning of rising up against all those who "preach climate change, but take the private planes."
My parents always said "practice what you preach".
Lets see how it plays out as the minions (many of us) are being crushed at stores and paychecks shrinking.
Celebrities and billionaires in my opinion should be able to do what they want, so long as they contribute to the well-being of society of others, the K crew are not in this group and therefore should deserve the scorn of Twitter for their lack of contributions.
If I followed a billionaire on social media, I wouldn’t demand that they take an Uber.
Theres something wrong with ppl who follow the instagrams of ppl like that.
Love you, Lucky, but in the words of dril, you never gotta hand it to Bill Maher
This whole deplorable extended family is an abomination.
You, the American public, have made them what they are though, so drop the faux outrage; you can't get enough!
AT least it is not a 737 jet..She uses smaller ones... but John Kerry has bigger ones and then there is his gas guzzing Yacht!!!
Kylie who?
Kylie just likes to fly over and around Stevenson Ranch and Valencia...too much traffic to take the 405 and the 5 up there...she can catch a good view from her window...lol
So what if she wants to "jet around"...it's providing jobs and work for the pilots and ground workers in California no less.
Carbon footprint?...meh
SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT
It's an interesting example of how subjective optics can be. To someone concerned about carbon footprints, not just the jet use itself but the total privileged obliviousness of the post is offensive. To someone who wants to be a girlboss billionaire with a rap star boyfriend, it's aspirational.
Who needs any of this in a world with Q-Suites? Well, I guess Qatar doesn't fly from Van Nuys to Camarillo..yet...
Kobe was doing too, no one complained.
Their jobs is to sell lifestyle. They're doing a good job.
Greta is trying to stop global warming. She's doing a terrible job.
To be fair, Kobe was taking a helicopter, which is a much more common and accepted short range aerial method. Not to mention Newport Beach where he lived, to that Thousand Oaks general area is a 2 hour drive in decent traffic, much less rush hour.
And Greta is doing a terrible job because nobody wants to be screeched at by a spoiled rich teen, no matter how well intentioned. Even if you're a die...
To be fair, Kobe was taking a helicopter, which is a much more common and accepted short range aerial method. Not to mention Newport Beach where he lived, to that Thousand Oaks general area is a 2 hour drive in decent traffic, much less rush hour.
And Greta is doing a terrible job because nobody wants to be screeched at by a spoiled rich teen, no matter how well intentioned. Even if you're a die hard climate change activist, I don't know how you don't find her insufferable.
@JWags
To be fair....
"much more common and accepted"
Common to the rich probably. Greta and and tree lovers would disagree.
"2 hour drive in decent traffic"
It was a Sunday morning.
I have huge respect and sad by the loss of the legendary Mamba. But people need to stop with this double standard America.
And I do feel sorry for Greta not because she's doing a terrible job, but her parents are exploiting a child.
Bill Maher is controversial only to extremists. I can’t think of a celebrity who is more middle and thinks for himself.
He used to be one of -the- leftists during the Bush era. Give it a few more years and he’d be considered an alt-right conservative!
Exactly. As Bill said, he hasn't moved farther to the right. It's just that some groups in the left have become more looney. Besides, anyone who gets weekly hatred from both the irrational far left and the cult-like far right must be doing something rational.
Just remember, we're the cowards.
Anyone that owns a private jet good for them. I’m glad they have the freedom and privilege to do so.
All the environmentalists fly private jets and politicians will need their gas guzzling SUVs in tow for security. So not so environmentally friendly.
By the way you do realize fossil fuel and coal is needed to charge electric cars right ?
I have clean solar power in my home and own an electric car. I generate more power than I use and the excess goes back to the power grid.
Chance are still that on hot days you consume power generated with carbon. On cool days the excess power is dumped. Your virtue is misplaced.
Yeah, I have built in solar and our backup is hydro here. Even when I am on backup power my net CO2 emissions are zero. But even when EVs use fossil fuel power, utility generation is still about 30% cleaner than automotive power because the utilities have so much less loss due to waste heat. But you were fed a talking point and stupidly spouted it back, so good job, good effort.
@Frank B
Sorry to burst your green bubble, but 1) there is is no area in the US on 100% hydro...more likely 80-90% of your energy is coming from fossil fuels...and no, buying carbon credits or some other wealth transfer scheme doesn't make it zero carbon, 2) sure utility generation is more efficient than automotive ICE, but grid power has transmission losses, average 5% but often much more, 3) Li ion batteries have charge...
@Frank B
Sorry to burst your green bubble, but 1) there is is no area in the US on 100% hydro...more likely 80-90% of your energy is coming from fossil fuels...and no, buying carbon credits or some other wealth transfer scheme doesn't make it zero carbon, 2) sure utility generation is more efficient than automotive ICE, but grid power has transmission losses, average 5% but often much more, 3) Li ion batteries have charge and discharge losses, they are only 80-90% efficient each way...not to mention charge holding losses, and finally, 4) electric motors are not 100% efficient, more like 80-90% as well. So there goes your 30% efficiency savings, and then some. Mechanical engineer here, but hey, I don't want to get in the way of your stupid spouting off of your talking points. But at least you feel smug and self righteous due to your empty gestures. Good job, good effort.
Who cares.
No one cares when other private planes do the same. This lady doesn't owe us anything. Private planes are gonna private plane. I really don't understand why people look to celebrities for moral compassing.
It's highlighting in an obvious way exactly how frivolously people utilize a shared resource (the amount of carbon we can emit without having catastrophic climate change).
Obviously longer flights produce more, but this demonstrates the lack of concern.
Articles about her plane and the fact she is trending on Twitter gives her exactly what she wants: publicity. She is a Billionaire for no reason except she does things that get her in the news. What a world we live in!
She's a billionaire because she successfully created and marketed a brand and then capitalized off of it. The entire family are a masterclass in marketing.
"Who wouldn’t, if money is no factor, and you have no environmental concerns?"
Except we as a species have environmental concerns and this behavior should be banned. So yes, outrage is warranted,
@ James S -- Well, agreed, but also if you have environmental concerns, flying your Global 7500 around the globe seems like a not-great idea. And obviously they aren't fazed by that.
@Ben how many private jets fly into Davos each year?
Its because they dont actually care or nor do they have any environmental concerns, its all an act to please the mob. Most smart hollywood celebrities understand this and you'd be shocked at how many of them just pretend to be liberal.
"... and this behavior should be banned."
Are you really sure you want to go down that route? On a blog dedicated to luxury travel??? Our ultra hypocritical so-called "elites" can think of great many things that should be banned for the masses in the name of saving the planet, and at the top of the list would be all travel by plane. Even easier to ban would be all first class and business class...
"... and this behavior should be banned."
Are you really sure you want to go down that route? On a blog dedicated to luxury travel??? Our ultra hypocritical so-called "elites" can think of great many things that should be banned for the masses in the name of saving the planet, and at the top of the list would be all travel by plane. Even easier to ban would be all first class and business class travel.
To be fair, their list of things to ban goes well beyond plane travel to include gas powered cars, air conditioning, meat, fracking, and on and on.
To all that are on this blog and consider climate change an existential threat, I don't see how any of you can possible even think about taking another international flight in any class, much less business or first. Time to put your personal behavior where your mouth is.
Your line of thinking is what made Thanos erase half of everything.
If you're resorting to fictional actions of a fictional character to support your argument, you might rethink your stand. lol