It begins with a text message from the estate manager. “Property is prepared. Chef has your dietary profile. Car will be airside at 14:20.” Three hours later, I am in Verbier. The transition from London to one of Europe’s most exclusive private chalets has taken less time than most people spend commuting.
This is executive travel when it works.
The Departure: Farnborough Airport
London Farnborough Airport is the preferred private jet terminal for wealth clients based in London, Surrey, and the Home Counties. No queues. No public terminals. The FBO — fixed base operator — provides a private lounge, briefing room, and direct apron access. Baggage is handled before you arrive.
The aircraft today is a Bombardier Global 6000 — a long-range private jet that is, in this case, handling a 90-minute sector to Sion Airport in Switzerland. The cabin is configured for a working flight: wireless connectivity, a small boardroom table, and the specific sparkling water the client drinks. These details are not accidents. They are the product of a briefing process between the private jet operator and the luxury travel concierge.
Arrival in Switzerland
Sion Airport is the private aviation gateway to Verbier, Zermatt, and the wider Valais alpine region. Swiss customs processing for private jet arrivals takes minutes. The vehicle — a blacked-out Range Rover SV with a specialist driver — is waiting airside.
The drive from Sion to Verbier is 45 minutes through a valley that becomes more cinematic with every kilometre. By the time the chalet’s private drive appears, the transition from London’s density to Switzerland’s altitude feels complete.
The Chalet: What CHF 150,000 Per Week Actually Provides
Seven bedrooms. A chef and sous-chef who have prepared a four-course dinner before the party has even unpacked. An estate manager who has sourced lift passes, ski guide bookings, and tomorrow’s heli-skiing window. A spa with a pool, steam room, and two treatment rooms staffed by therapists brought up from Geneva.
The living area occupies the entire top floor of the chalet — timber ceiling, stone fireplace, and a south-facing glass wall framing a view of the Mont Gelé. No hotel room, however expensive, occupies space like this.
The Return
Sunday afternoon. Bags already transferred to the vehicle by the estate team. The estate manager walks the party to the car. Forty-five minutes to Sion. Eleven minutes from car to airborne. By 19:00, the client is in London.
Executive travel by private jet to a Swiss chalet does not merely offer luxury. It returns time — the most finite resource in a wealth client’s life.