You Can Watch the Northern Lights from a Private Jet in Canada
Seeing the Northern Lights from the ground is a life-changing experience — but from the air? That's taking things to an entirely new level.
Adventure travel company Consulta Meta recently announced they will begin offering a new, five-day Northern Lights trip in Canada come 2019 called Aurora 360.
One of the reasons seeing the Northern Lights can be so difficult is that the weather conditions required to actually observe them are extremely precise. Not only must it be completely dark — no sunlight or light pollution — but it must also be a cloud-free sky. And that can be harder to come by than you might think.
This is why aurora-hunting from an airplane is especially handy: In the company's words, they can "remove the clouds so you can enjoy the lights."
The trip will run between Feb. 7 and 11, 2019 and is open to 80 travelers. There are two different booking options: those looking just to take a Northern Lights flight will have to pay $1,045, while those looking for the full five-day experience will pay $2,939.
Those embarking on the full tour will also be treated to guest speakers, optional day tours and Yukon-inspired meals. The speakers include Phil Plait, The Bad Astronomer; Christa Van Laerhoven from the University of British Columbia; William Murtagh of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and Pierre Paquette of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
In short, if you're obsessed with the Northern Lights, want to know everything there is to know about them and get excited about the thought of being surrounded by people equally as excited about astronomy, this is a trip you need to experience.
The tour will be led by award-winning Canadian photographer, Neil Zeller, who will be on-hand to help tour-takers capture the auroras from the Boeing 737.
On top of all of this, the Aurora 360 flights claim to be the first-ever to take off from the Aurora Oval — a region regarded as "the footprint in the atmosphere of the boundary between the highly stretched field lines of the polar cap and the more normal field lines at lower latitudes," according to NASA.
For more information on this adventure and how to book your own seat, head over to the Consulta Meta.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app