Godfather Of Custom B777: Matthew D. Upchurch

Crystal AirCruises’ fully custom, gorgeously appointed Boeing 777, was christened Crystal Skye at an event at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. Presiding over the christening of this groundbreaking vessel alongside Chairman and Chief Executive of Genting Hong Kong Tan Sri Kok Thay Lim and Crystal CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez, was Crystal Skye’s godfather, Matthew D. Upchurch. Upchurch has long been renowned as a visionary in travel, spending much of his esteemed career specializing in the luxury realm. In his role as chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, one of the world’s leading luxury travel networks, Upchurch has collaborated closely with Crystal and its partners to deliver exclusive travel experiences throughout the world.

The ceremony reached far beyond the guests attending, as Crystal live-streamed the occasion via its Facebook Live feed, effectively welcoming travelers from all over the globe to witness Crystal Skye’s debut. Rodriguez and Upchurch both expressed sentiments of appreciation for the massive collaboration executed by all teams involved in the creation of the groundbreaking aircraft, as well the outlook for Crystal Skye’s significance to the travel industry overall. Following their remarks and the breaking of champagne against the aircraft’s hull, Rodriguez welcomed guests aboard Crystal Skye to see the signature design touches and luxurious space first hand.

“As Crystal continues to innovate new experiences that appeal to a growing audience of luxury travelers around the world, we are proud to support the vision and ambition shared by Edie Rodriguez and all the experts at Crystal, and we celebrate the milestone of Crystal Skye’s introduction to the world,” says Chairman Tan Sri KT Lim.

“It is tremendously rewarding to officially welcome Crystal Skye to the Crystal fleet, as she represents a bold new venture for our company, effectively creating an entirely new category of luxury travel in the industry,” says Rodriguez. “Beyond Crystal’s own award-winning fleet and internationally acclaimed brand of luxury, this aircraft pushes the boundaries of bespoke chartered aviation industry-wide.”

She continues, “It is fitting that such a revered leader in luxury travel would christen a vessel that will set an entirely new standard in the industry; and even more so that her godfather would be a member of the travel professional community. We’re delighted to collaborate with Matthew for this milestone occasion, and to continue collaborating with all of our travel agent partners when Crystal Skye takes to the skies.”

“It is an incredible honor to be named godfather of Crystal Skye, an aircraft that carries forward Crystal’s longstanding commitment to excellence,” says Upchurch. “Virtuoso has enjoyed a strong partnership with Crystal Cruises since the launch of its first ship, and the company has been named a favorite amongst our advisors for the service and experience our clients enjoy with Crystal. As Crystal diversifies its offerings, we look forward to supporting their efforts, just as they continue to support the travel advisor community and Virtuoso.”

With a spacious design for up to 88 guests, Crystal Skye is appointed with features rarely found in even the most luxurious private jets. She has the highest crew to passenger ratio of any twin-aisle aircraft and a non-stop range of 19.5 hours, allowing travelers to explore the far reaches of the earth while enjoying the personalized service for which Crystal is renowned worldwide. Bespoke Crystal Exclusive Class seats are designed for maximum personal space and ergonomic comfort and convert to 180-degree lie-flat beds. The expansive social lounge with stand-up bar fosters friendly camaraderie among luxury travelers. Cuisine will be prepared by an executive chef, in two state-of-the-art galleys and paired with an elegant premium wine list from the Crystal SkyeCellar.

Boeing 777 Crystal Skye is operated for Crystal AirCruises by Comlux Aruba NV.