Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. News

Witness the Northern Lights at Eye-Level from a Private Charter Plane

By

Unless you loathe nature and scenic grandeur, seeing the Northern Lights probably ranks near the top of your bucket list. From Finland to Iceland to (if you’re lucky) the North Pole, there’s no shortage of incredible destinations from which to spot them. However, one company is taking to the sky to provide travelers with a one-of-a-kind, “eye-level” view of one of our planet’s most magnificent natural phenomena.

In 2019, Canadian travel provider Consulta Meta is launching their official Aurora | 360 Experience, a 737 charter flight that’s unlike any other Northern Lights tour in the world. It’s billed as “the only flight in the world to take off within the Aurora Oval.”

Recommended Videos

This special region is among the best places on Earth to see the Aurora. Depending on weather and atmospheric conditions, the flight will take off from Canada’s Yukon Territory either February 8 or 9, 2019 — whichever day promises the best viewing opportunity. The plane will climb high above the clouds to around 36,000 feet where, with a little luck, passengers should find stunning views of the Northern Lights at eye-level.

Air North’s Aurora 360 Flight to the Lights, Nov 25, 2017

Consulta Meta ran a test flight of the Aurora | 360 Experience in 2017. Nine minutes into the trip, passengers began seeing the lights which continued for three hours with one of the best displays in years. While a view of the lights is never guaranteed, it’s difficult to imagine a better opportunity to capture them.

Interested travelers can choose between two options. The price for just a seat aboard the flight is CAD $1,045 (approximately USD $800) including taxes. For CAD $2,939 (USD $2,225), travelers can upgrade to the full Aurora | 360 Experience which adds a four-night stay in Whitehorse, three Yukon-inspired dinners, admission to Takhini Hot Springs, authentic local cultural activities, and a professionally guided tour through the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. A variety of guest speakers will join the group including Planetary Science Ph.D’s, White House space technology officials, a professional Canadian Aurora photographer, and the Astronomy Ambassador of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. This is an exclusive small tour with only 80 total seats available, so it’s sure to sell out.

Whichever option you choose, remember to brush up on your Northern Lights photography skills before you go — and promise to take us with you.

Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He’s kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South… Read Full Bio
Travel
Six Senses Rome is a peaceful retreat in a beautifully chaotic city
the lobby at Six Senses Rome

Rome is one of the most visited cities in Europe, and by all accounts, it gets crowded. But considering that it’s one of the world’s most important epicenters for history, culture, food and architecture, we can forgive the crowds. After all, complaining about tourism when you’re a tourist is not the way. But booking yourself a peaceful respite to start and end each day most certainly is.

I chose Six Senses Rome as my home base during a recent four-day trip to the city. The property opened in 2023 in the restored 15th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini. The historic building sets the tone before you even check in, with restored 600-year-old columns in the main entrance, pale travertine floors, a light-dappled lobby overflowing with greenery, and a massive marble staircase that’s almost comically regal. And its neighbor is the gorgeous San Marcello al Corso Church—so you can start your sightseeing by literally going next door. 

Read more
Travel
5 Tips If You’re Traveling With Cigars: I Learned No. 2 the Hard Way
Wood, Hardwood, Accessories

Traveling with cigars can be challenging if you’re not prepared. The lack of preparation can lead to your favorite cigars getting smashed from inadequate storage, or they can peel because they weren’t kept at the proper temperature, among other issues. Sometimes you do all the right things, and still come away shaking your head.

I’ve been smoking cigars for two decades now, and it’s not beneath me to admit that I’ve made plenty of cigar travel mistakes in that span, and as recently as two weeks ago. You live, you learn, and hope you don’t waste a stogie on the next trip. My most recent cigar travel mistake is what inspired me to share these tips. Sure, there are plenty of articles out there offering similar advice. But this list comes from a cigar smoker and writer who has visited six countries and about a dozen states in the last year alone. And in that time, mistakes were made, and lessons were learned.

Read more
Travel
The art of adventure packing: packing light but effective
Clothing, Coat, Jacket

If you are like me, you grew up with stories of adventure. Whether you were fans of fictional adventure like Indiana Jones and Alan Quartermain, or you loved the true-life accounts of Ernest Shackleton and David Livingstone, there is a deep pull to venture into the unknown. The desire to abandon the Mon-Fri 9-5 in search of something deeper. You could spend your time thinking about hopping a boat and sailing the seven seas like the pirates of old. You could look up at the elusive peak of a mountain and believe it begs to be summited. You could stare into the depths of a jungle and wonder what treasures it hides beneath its canopy. No matter what kind of adventurer you are, you need to be prepared for whatever the world throws at you. I have climbed Salkantay Peak and explored the jungles of Peru. I have scanned the plains of Africa in search of a giant cat (the prospect of which was much more comforting than the actual sighting and wondering if I was far enough away). And I have disappeared into the secluded areas of Svalbard. One thing that remained constant was the need for the right pack.

Here is what I learned when packing for my adventures.

Read more