It would be fair to say that Embraer's line of ERJ regional jets is reviled among frequent travelers, for their small size and comfort levels. But at the opposite end of their product line, the Lineage 100 is a private jet that the company says "is like a house that flies at 41,000 feet."
If you've flown anywhere domestically in the past couple of decades, there's a good chance you've flown on an Embraer jet. Many airlines use Embraer ERJ 135, 140 and 145 regional jets for flights ranging up to 2,000 miles. You'll see them wearing a familiar airline paint scheme for United, American or Delta, but underneath that in tiny print, it says something like "operated by SkyWest."
Lineage 1000 lavatory and shower
The Lineage 1000 Executive Jet has the same bones as Embraer's E190 commercial jet, which seats 100 people. Now imagine removing all of those seats and configuring that interior with up to five fully customized rooms, including a bathroom with a stand-up shower. The rooms have individual climate zones. The pillowy recliners convert into lie-flat beds. Sofas fold out into beds. Or you can put a queen-size bed in one of those rooms if you'd like.
Entertainment options include anything you can put into a house. Wifi, surround sound, satellite radio, video streaming, and gaming consoles are all possibilities in your airborne man cave. All of these toys and the LED lighting system can be powered up and controlled by apps on a smartphone or tablet.
At this year's National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention, Embraer displayed their line of business jets and provided an update on their programs and sales. Embraer's President and CEO of Executive Jets told the media that the private jet market is rebounding from the economic downturn. Worldwide GDP is up 2.8% and there are more "high net worth individuals" than ever. There are currently 2,400 business jets for sale on the used market, which is 18 percent of the active worldwide fleet. Embraer has produced 803 business jets since 2002. Their Phenom 300 was the most-delivered business jet in 2013 and has held the lead so far this year. Embraer is also tied with Gulfstream in customer satisfaction surveys for the first time. Gulfstream has always owned the top spot, prior to 2014.
Photos via Embraer. I toured the Lineage 1000 that was on display at NBAA, but no photography was allowed.