The Jumbo Jets Boeing and Airbus Turn Into Posh Private Planes - Wired

A hollowed-out Boeing 787, ready for a custom layout of couches, desks, and bedding. Photo: Boeing

A hollowed-out Boeing 787, ready for a custom layout of couches, desks, and bedding.

Photo: Boeing

The interior of an Airbus A319, owned by Tyrolean Jet Services of Austria. These large corporate jets are often purchased by organizations that have them on hold for customers. Photo: Airbus

The interior of an Airbus A319, owned by Tyrolean Jet Services of Austria. These large corporate jets are often purchased by organizations that have them on hold for customers.

Photo: Airbus

A concept interior for an enormous Boeing 747-8. Cleared out for private use, the plane's 4,786 square feet of space can be set up as desired. Photo: Boeing

A concept interior for an enormous Boeing 747-8. Cleared out for private use, the plane's 4,786 square feet of space can be set up as desired.

Photo: Boeing

The Boeing pictured here has a full bathroom, with a shower, a bedroom suite, and 28 seats total. It's owned by Deer Jet, a Chinese charter company. Photo: Deer Jet

The Boeing pictured here has a full bathroom, with a shower, a bedroom suite, and 28 seats total. It's owned by Deer Jet, a Chinese charter company.

Photo: Deer Jet

This Boeing jet has an interior with a shower and king-size bed hidden in the rear. Photo: Boeing

This Boeing jet has an interior with a shower and king-size bed hidden in the rear.

Photo: Boeing

This sleeping space on a 747-8 has room for eight. Another room is set aside for changing clothes. Photo: Boeing

This sleeping space on a 747-8 has room for eight. Another room is set aside for changing clothes.

Photo: Boeing

The Airbus A318 can seat 107 passengers, depending on the airline's setup. This private interior was made for the 2013 EBACE aviation trade show. Photo: Airbus

The Airbus A318 can seat 107 passengers, depending on the airline's setup. This private interior was made for the 2013 EBACE aviation trade show.

Photo: Airbus

Part of this Boeing jet's master bedroom suite is the full shower. Photo: Boeing

Part of this Boeing jet's master bedroom suite is the full shower.

Photo: Boeing

Airbus made this concept interior to appeal to Asian markets. Yes, that's a Majhong table. Photo: Airbus

Airbus made this concept interior to appeal to Asian markets. Yes, that's a Majhong table.

Photo: Airbus

This Airbus A319 has two lounges, a bedroom, two bathrooms, and a shower. Like most private jets with this kind of seating, the chairs can lay flat. Photo: Airbus

This Airbus A319 has two lounges, a bedroom, two bathrooms, and a shower. Like most private jets with this kind of seating, the chairs can lay flat.

Photo: Airbus

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A hollowed-out Boeing 787, ready for a custom layout of couches, desks, and bedding. Photo: Boeing

A hollowed-out Boeing 787, ready for a custom layout of couches, desks, and bedding.

Photo: Boeing

The interior of an Airbus A319, owned by Tyrolean Jet Services of Austria. These large corporate jets are often purchased by organizations that have them on hold for customers. Photo: Airbus

The interior of an Airbus A319, owned by Tyrolean Jet Services of Austria. These large corporate jets are often purchased by organizations that have them on hold for customers.

Photo: Airbus

A concept interior for an enormous Boeing 747-8. Cleared out for private use, the plane's 4,786 square feet of space can be set up as desired. Photo: Boeing

A concept interior for an enormous Boeing 747-8. Cleared out for private use, the plane's 4,786 square feet of space can be set up as desired.

Photo: Boeing

The Boeing pictured here has a full bathroom, with a shower, a bedroom suite, and 28 seats total. It's owned by Deer Jet, a Chinese charter company. Photo: Deer Jet

The Boeing pictured here has a full bathroom, with a shower, a bedroom suite, and 28 seats total. It's owned by Deer Jet, a Chinese charter company.

Photo: Deer Jet

This Boeing jet has an interior with a shower and king-size bed hidden in the rear. Photo: Boeing

This Boeing jet has an interior with a shower and king-size bed hidden in the rear.

Photo: Boeing

This sleeping space on a 747-8 has room for eight. Another room is set aside for changing clothes. Photo: Boeing

This sleeping space on a 747-8 has room for eight. Another room is set aside for changing clothes.

Photo: Boeing

The Airbus A318 can seat 107 passengers, depending on the airline's setup. This private interior was made for the 2013 EBACE aviation trade show. Photo: Airbus

The Airbus A318 can seat 107 passengers, depending on the airline's setup. This private interior was made for the 2013 EBACE aviation trade show.

Photo: Airbus

Part of this Boeing jet's master bedroom suite is the full shower. Photo: Boeing

Part of this Boeing jet's master bedroom suite is the full shower.

Photo: Boeing

Airbus made this concept interior to appeal to Asian markets. Yes, that's a Majhong table. Photo: Airbus

Airbus made this concept interior to appeal to Asian markets. Yes, that's a Majhong table.

Photo: Airbus

This Airbus A319 has two lounges, a bedroom, two bathrooms, and a shower. Like most private jets with this kind of seating, the chairs can lay flat. Photo: Airbus

This Airbus A319 has two lounges, a bedroom, two bathrooms, and a shower. Like most private jets with this kind of seating, the chairs can lay flat.

Photo: Airbus

The $65 million Gulfstream G650 may be the pinnacle of the private jet market, but it just doesn't do the job for billionaires who prefer to fly with more than a dozen or so passengers.

For that, the uber wealthy turn to Airbus and Boeing, who are more than happy to customize their jets — even the widebodies that can carry hundreds of people — for private use.

Commercial jet manufacturers have been replacing the rows of economy seats in their aircraft with sofas and entertainment centers since the late 1990s. A recent influx of billionaires from Russia, the Middle East, and China has led to a new focus on this part of the business. Since opening the private jet branch in 1997, Airbus has sold over 170 aircraft. Boeing got started in 1996, and has delivered on 195 of 217 total orders received.

The main reason to go with an Airbus A380 or a Boeing 747 over a puny Gulfstream or Bombardier? According a "Billionaires Study" commissioned by Airbus, the wealthiest among us like to travel with family members and business associates. (This, apparently, is particularly true for Middle Eastern oil magnates.)

That's not to say outfitting a jumbo jet for personal use is always a rational economic decision. For some, the bigger and more luxurious the plane, the better. That's why Airbus and Boeing don't just sell their planes, they offer a wide variety of customization options to give customers exactly what they want.

So how much does a personalized widebody plane cost? The manufacturers don't exactly publish price lists, but we've seen figures between $80 million for a Boeing 737, $280 million for a Boeing 747-8, and up to $300 million for an A380.