Who hasn't had the dream of flying on a private jet? 

While not private, Aero's semi-private jets have been on my radar since they launched in Los Angeles in 2021. The airline is based out of Van Nuys airport (an airport that doesn't have standard commercial service, so there is no traffic, TSA, or security lines - and is the main celebrity Private Jet airport in Los Angeles). The jets carry sixteen passengers in spacious cabins with 1-1 seating and service tailored to giving you a luxury experience with the feeling of flying on a PJ on a number of select, niche routes. From LA, you can fly directly to luxury vacation routes Aspen, Sun Valley, Palm Springs, Los Cabos, and our destination, Napa Valley. 

Aero x Meadowood Travel Package

We joined to try out one of Aero's newly offered curated weekend travel packages for our first trip to Napa - a seamless weekend Itinerary that departs Friday morning and returns Sunday evening. How much can you really fit into a 2-night trip? When you avoid all waiting and hassle,  a LOT it turns out. 

The Aero x Meadowood Package includes:

 10% off round-trip Aero flights from Los Angeles (VNY) to Napa (APC)
• Overnight accommodations at Meadowood
• $250 estate credit for dining, wine, and wellness experiences
• Welcome bottle of wine selected by The Winter Center at Meadowood
• Private car transfers to and from Napa County Airport
• Complimentary Friday-Sunday valet service in Los Angeles (VNY)

Departing from Los Angeles with Aero

Our weekend starts the moment we arrive at Van Nuys Airport (VNY),  we pull up directly on the tarmac in front of Aero's lounge, where our car is immediately whisked away by the valet and our suitcases taken directly to luggage loading, and within 30 seconds, we are already settling in and making ourselves comfortable. Aero's Los Angeles lounge was stocked with Veuve Clicquot champagne, espresso, a selection of sandwiches, cold-press juices, and other wellness drinks, and a whole bar of Erewhon snacks.

While we were sampling the selections, an attendant came to check our IDs in preparation for the flight. You could really arrive just a few minutes before take off with how quick the process is - but definitely come early to enjoy the spread.

Onboard, you're immediately offered caviar bites (who could say no?). 

The experience is part of the itinerary itself, with in-flight service tailored to the destination, including a Mid-air tasting of prestige Napa Valley wines curated by Meadowood's sommelier and wine educator. 

Touchdown in Napa: Effortless Arrival

In just over an hour, you land at Napa County Airport (APC), another general aviation airport with no regular commercial flights, and instead of stepping off into a crowded terminal, you are immediately met with a private car service waiting for you directly on the tarmac. Within thirty-five minutes, the rolling hills and vineyards of Meadowood emerge, and the transition from city pace to wine country serenity feels immediate and complete. 

The seamless and immediate transfer meant that we stepped off our plane at 11:50, and pulled into Meadowood at 12:35 - with the entire day ahead of us! While the food, wine, and luxurious service is are major perks of flying semi-private, this massively reduced travel time is really what makes the journey. You can make the most of every single hour you have, and completely bypass all of the waiting that usually comes with travel. 

The Meadowood Experience

Meadowood is the epitome of Napa luxury, a Relais & Châteaux; its estate combines cozy private cabin rooms with meticulously maintained gardens, pools, and vineyards. Days at Meadowood are easy to plan and full of options, whether you want to focus on wellness with hiking trails, tennis, swimming and the spa, focus on wine tasting the famous Napa Valley wines and taking a class at The Wine Center (we took this class and LOVED it, the wine master is truly incredible and so entertaining), or spend your days relaxing by the pool and eating room service. 

The Spa

We both booked spa treatments here (a lifting facial for me, and a deep tissue massage for Brandon), and he couldn't stop talking about how it was the best massage of his life. The small itself is incredibly serene, a perfect place to stay after your appointment to soak in the sauna, steam rooms, and outdoor plunge pool lounging area.

The Pools

Meadowood offers three distinct pools for family, adult, and lap swimming - we spent the heat of the day lounging at the adults' pool and decided to have our lunch poolside on both days - there is, unsurprisingly, an incredible pool menu!

The Dining

The famous 3 Michelin-starred Restaurant at Meadowood, unfortunately, still remains closed after damage from a wildfire, and while the rest of the resort's outlets might not feature tasting menus of molecular gastronomy, everything from poolside bites to room service features local ingredients and incredibly beautiful presentation (just look at the room service salads above!)

Whether you have breakfast in your room or at the Forum restaurant, one must is ordering the English muffins from the famous Model Bakery - every friend I talked to about Napa mentioned these buttery delicacies, and honestly, nothing has ever lived up to the hype more!

The Rooms

Our room at Meadowood felt like a private East Coast cabin amongst the trees. Each of the rooms at the resort is its own separate little house with a full living room and a spacious terrace. Staying here felt more like being in a private mountain house than staying in a hotel - but with full service included.

Departing Napa on Aero

Departing Napa typically requires a late morning or early afternoon departure for hotel check-out time, long drives, airport waiting times, or flight connections, but Aero eliminates the hassle for a glowing finish to the weekend, with the ability to actually enjoy your entire Sunday on property.

With Aero, departure is from the same private terminal at Napa Airport, about a 40-minute drive from Meadowood. Boarding takes less than 20 minutes, and the direct flight lands at Van Nuys in about 75 minutes. We checked out and left our hotel room at 4:30 PM - for a 5:50 PM flight, which landed in Van Nuys just a few minutes after 7:00PM, where our car was waiting for us on the tarmac. We drove across LA (Sunday evening put us in a nice low-traffic time) to our house in 30 minutes - making the entire return journey from hotel room to our front door exactly 3 hours.

Now that is luxury.