Michelle Melliger is 25 years old and works for a temping agency, having recently graduated from university. Her father is divorced from her mother, and he is a wealthy equestrian, living in Switzerland. Michelle's mother Bettina lives in the UK.

At Christmas 2005 Bettina treated Michelle to a luxury trip to Paris, and they travelled by private jet, at a cost of £15,000.

Michelle was taken aback. "I could barely catch my breath as I opened the envelope my mum handed to me two weeks before Christmas," she says. The envelope contained two tickets for the weekend flying to Paris by private jet, with accommodation at the £600-a-night George V Hotel near the Champs Elysees. Although Bettina had always been generous with presents – from designer clothes to £2,000 diamond jewellery, and holidays in the Bahamas and Miami, the private jet charter trip to Paris was, said Michelle, the ultimate gift.

Michelle had known people who had used private jets for luxury travel and had heard how amazing it was. She told her mother what a great time her friends had had using private jet hire, and her mother didn't forget. Although Michelle and Bettina, being close, have travelled the world together, they both agree that there is nothing to compete with VIP travel by private jet.

The weekend away began on Thursday morning, a week before Christmas, as they arrived at London City Airport, and were taken to an extremely plush lounge where they might have been comfortable for quite some time. But VIP travel doesn't work that way. There are no long delays! Soon they were escorted to board their private jet.

Bettina has paid nearly £15,000 to hire a six-seater plane for the two of them. The private jet afforded them real luxury travel and gave them plenty of room for the shopping on their return flight. Michelle could hardly believe the luxury as she made herself comfortable in the cream leather seats, marvelled at the deep pile carpet, sipped at Moet & Chandon champagne, and tucked into canapés, all ordered prior to the flight by her mother.

Private jet hire doesn't only involve the flight and, upon arrival in Paris, the pair were met by a car and chauffeured to their hotel before getting some serious shopping in! Spending on clothes, accessories and gifts for friends was accompanied by trips to tourist attractions and en evening at the famous Moulin Rouge.

Private jet charter means you can beat the traffic and crowds, and they left on the Sunday from a private airfield on the outskirts of Paris, arriving mere minutes before their private jet took off. Luxury travel also means luxury treatment off the plane too.

Champagne and canapés helped them enjoy the journey home to the full. It was VIP travel to beat all others, from start to finish.

Michelle is wondering how she can ever pay her mother back, but she knows it's unlikely to top her private jet hire trip to Paris – it was the ultimate gift.