“Welcome aboard. Thank you for jet-setting with us today.”
A few years ago, around the time I started tossing around the idea of designing t-shirts, I was sitting on an early morning flight home. I’d started the day with a 3 a.m. hotel wake-up call. Sitting on the jet, waiting to push back and watching the sun rise, I was bleary eyed. But when I heard the flight attendant’s greeting, I grinned.
I wasn't just traveling. I was jet-setting.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, flying in the 21st Century was a means to an end - a method to get somewhere that's faster than a car or a train. Mention "air travel" and people were just as likely to think of sleep deprivation, long lines, cramped seats, nickel-and-dime fees, delays and cancellations. Frustration, in short.
Then came the pandemic. Suddenly, most of us couldn't go anywhere. Airports became ghost towns. Flying somewhere for the weekend, jetting off to Europe - these became almost impossible luxuries. We started to miss flying. We started to crave it. And when a few airlines offered multi-hour "flights to nowhere," boom, they sold out in the blink of an eye.
Should we be surprised? Think about it: In normal times, we can drive to the airport, walk down a jetway, and be thousands of miles from home within a few hours. We can get to almost any major city on Earth within a day. We can sip a cocktail or munch tasty Biscoff cookies while hurtling through the air at nearly the speed of sound. All while enjoying the incredible view from seven miles high.
Flying is AMAZING.
Aviation is my passion, no doubt. Like most Avgeeks, I have an assortment of clothing that reflects my interest / hobby / obsession. My “I love the smell of jet fuel in the morning” t-shirt was fine in college. But let’s face it, if I tried to wear it while doing everyday adulting things, my wife wouldn’t go anywhere with me. So I started Jetset Shirts, because I still wanted to wear my affection for aviation and air travel on my sleeve. Think of it as Avgeekery, refined.
The jetset life. Wear it.
Eric O’Link
Designer