The Daily Valet. - 1/25/21, Monday

✔️ Are You Flying Private?

January 25, 2021

Monday, January 25th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I’m ready to book a private jet, but I don't have anywhere to go ...

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Private Jets Are Booming

Thanks, in part, to a 300% increase in first-time private fliers

Almost exactly one year after the first case of the coronavirus was detected in the United States, the country has now reached 25 million confirmed infections. And President Joe Biden is expected to reinstate several travel restrictions today to combat COVID-19 infections.

And while the number of commercial flights has plummeted since the start of the pandemic, flying private has seen a somewhat surprising boost—despite shaky economic futures and many business conferences going digital.

According to Robb Report, first-time customers to private aviation, for example, swelled by 300% year over year, with thousands of people booking their first private flight. It’s definitely a silver lining considering corporate travel by private jet declined by 80% during the same period.

Both NetJets and Flexjet, which sell fractional ownership in private jets, reported a similar trend. “Personal travel has been the biggest driver of private aviation activity since the beginning of the pandemic,” a Flexjet managing director told The Guardian. “We have seen an increased number of first-time flyers, attracted by the fact that private jets limit the opportunities for exposure to the coronavirus.”

The influx of novices was spurred, in part, by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—which removed the 7.5% federal excise tax for all private air travel booked in 2020, including flights scheduled for the next two years. Quick to promote the tax holiday, many aviation firms created membership programs specifically aimed at first-timers.

Over the holidays, international private flights had been picking up, due to the ease of flying in and out of places. But new rules from CDC, which go into effect tomorrow, extend to every flight touching down in the U.S., even private jets.

↦ Booking a Trip? A new website uses an algorithm to find you the very best private jet program (for free too).

Impeachment Will Inch Forward This Week

Lawmakers react as Senate trial gets a timetable

As the Senate prepares to try former President Donald Trump and potentially bar him from again holding office, some Republican lawmakers criticized the idea of trying an out-of-office president, while Democrats worried about distracting from President Biden's agenda.

According to NPR, the single article of impeachment against Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol is slated to be sent to the Senate today. But Senate leaders agreed on Friday to delay the trial for two weeks, giving President Biden time to install his cabinet and Trump's team time to prepare a defense.

The trial is scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 8 with the full Senate required to meet six days a week until the trial is complete. But most Republicans are likely to acquit Trump, reports CNN. Unless more evidence emerges or the political dynamics within their party dramatically change. Republicans are signaling that as more time has passed since the riot, some of the emotions of the day have cooled and they're ready to move on.

“Many view it as a game of shirts and skins,” said one GOP senator, referring to how many of his colleagues view the proceedings as a strictly partisan affair. Still, some Senate Republicans (including Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader) have grown increasingly worried that if they don't intervene to distance themselves from Trump, their ties to the former president could hurt the party's political fortunes for years to come.

↦ Tomorrow: “Trump's American Carnage” airs on PBS's Frontline, examining how his presidency “ended in violence.”

Special Promotion

Score the ultimate home gym upgrade. We're giving away a brand new Peloton bike.

Tom Brady Is Headed to His 10th Super Bowl

The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV

The most unusual season in NFL history will end with something (else) that has never happened: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will become the first team to compete for a Super Bowl title in its home stadium, reports ESPN.

The big game will feature the defending champions and a team that hasn't been to the NFL title match in nearly two decades. The Buccaneers defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-26, to secure the NFC title. The Chiefs bested the Buffalo Bills, 38-24, to win the AFC title.

As quarterbacks, the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and the Buccaneers' Tom Brady have each won one of the last two Super Bowls, respectively. This will be Brady's 10th trip to the big game. With the Patriots—where Brady played for 20 years before signing with the Bucs last March—Brady went to the Super Bowl nine times, leading the team to six wins, the most for any player in NFL history, reports CNN.

And while the Chiefs seem to be the favorites to win, I'm not putting down any bets. As the Boston Globe put it: Brady has made a career out of proving the doubters wrong. The NFL could not have asked for a better Super Bowl matchup than Brady, aiming for his record seventh title, versus Mahomes, looking to be the first quarterback to win back-to-back titles since Brady in 2003-04. This will be a good game.

↦ Dig Deeper: Everything you need to know about the big game, from the date and time, to the TV channels and halftime show, to betting odds.

A Coveted Watch Is Being Discontinued

Patek Philippe will stop making its famed Nautilus

Even if you didn't know Patek Philippe's Nautilus 5711 watch by name, you likely recognized the distinctive style of the timepiece. The shapely steel watch with a dark-blue dial was so coveted by collectors that the wait time to get one was rumored to be up to 10 years.

But now, the brand is doing the unthinkable and discontinuing the $30,000 stainless steel timepiece, reports Hodinkee.

But according to Robb Report, the brand is wise to call time on it. In certain high-level echelons of watch collecting, it's become so pervasive it's in danger of being seen as simply a piece coveted more for its return on investment than its design. That, however, does not mean that the thirst for the Nautilus is waning.

If anything, the discontinuation of this reference will likely make collectors want it more, right? GQ says those hoping to get their hands on a Nautilus still have plenty of options to choose from. The watch comes in almost 30 different styles, ranging from diamond-set yellow-gold editions to stainless steel models with chronographs. Still, the 5711 was beloved because it is (was?) the Nautilus in its absolute purest form.

↦ FYI: The Nautilus sports watch line, which includes the Ref. 5711, has been produced without interruption for 44 years.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

What we’re buying this week

The limited edition Leica M10-P

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’

Special Promotion

Win a Peloton Bike

Score yourself the ultimate home gym upgrade

A recent survey of 3,500 Americans by The New Consumer and Coefficient Capital found that 76% of people have tried working out at home during the pandemic—and crucially, 66% prefer it. Among millennials, the number is even higher: 82% made the switch and 81% like it more than a traditional gym.

If you've been thinking about getting a Peloton, you're not alone. The connected bikes' popularity has surged during the pandemic. Even our own Scott Woolf had to try it out.

“Even as a non-athlete I've been able to stick with the Peloton,” he wrote. “Thanks in part to the quasi-cult's overly-inspirational trainers and the beautifully designed interface that offers the analytics and detail you'd expect from a Formula One race car.”

If you're ready to hop on and start peddling, we've partnered with a few of our favorite brands to give away a brand new Peloton bike, complete with adjustable touchscreen and access to thousands of classes. Just click below to enter and save yourself about $2,000.

↦ Enter Now: To win a brand new Peloton Bike.

Plants Make You a Better Person

Why you shouldn’t be without some green

It’s somewhat of a bold claim: make space for nature in your life and it will make you a better man. But it's true for several reasons. Sure, they're not without their own set of rules and most require you to put in some effort, but anything worthwhile never comes easy, right?

Michael O'Brien is an urban farmer and the founder of Hommes + Gardens. He not only offers traditional gardening services and landscape design but also a coaching program—think of him as a personal trainer to build your green thumb muscle.

“Being a 'plant dad' can be challenging, but it comes with so many rewards and it's not as difficult as most people think,” he says. “There's nothing more satisfying than bringing a sick plant back to health—and with so many resources available online, it's pretty easy to diagnose and treat.”

Gardening in any form—whether you're planting a vegetable garden or simply outfitting your living room with some succulents—is a way to express yourself, try new things and bring nature into your life.

↦ Read: All the ways a few plants will drastically make you a better person.

What We’re Buying

The cardigan has gone from looking smart to dorky to cool to weird and back to cool over the course of a decade or so. In 2021? It's a work from home essential. Toss it over your T-shirt right before any video call and you've immediately classed yourself up. It's as cozy as a hoodie and makes for easy weekend wear too. This Old Navy option in an oatmeal tone is versatile just like the sweater, so you'll never have a concern on matching. And you won't find one for a better price.

↦ Get It $44.99 / $30 at Old Navy