Flying via private jet was never something I envisaged doing in my lifetime, but thanks to my chosen career as a journalist coupled with the launch of a new airline in Bermuda, I was able to get a taste of the good life.

ScottsCraft invited members of the media to experience its direct private jet service now running between Bermuda and the Dominican Republic in what was dubbed “a familiarisation flight”, and I was chosen to review it for The Royal Gazette.

The airline, Bermuda Direct Air Service, covered the cost of the outbound journey plus one night’s stay in the Hilton Embassy Suites hotel in the capital of Santo Domingo. Return travel was paid for by the newspaper.

Being able to bypass the mundane formalities of travel, I got a taste of what it must feel like to travel as a minor celebrity or wealthy businesswoman.

The process leading up to the flight was relatively straightforward.

Once the flights were booked, I sent a photograph of my passport to the airline and applied for the required “E-ticket” from the Dominican Republic’s immigration department.

I encountered a problem while trying to do this on my laptop and had to start the form from scratch on my mobile phone for it to work.

Turning up to my flight half an hour before the scheduled departure time was the ultimate novelty.

However, in our case, we ended up having to wait 1¼ hour to depart anyway as the Gulf Stream IV 14-seat plane we were taking was late coming in from Jamaica.

Lawrence Scott, ScottsCraft chief executive and fellow passenger on the flight, said one of the benefits of the service was the ability to be flexible with departure times. However, this resulted in our flight being delayed by just over an hour.

The staff at Cedar Aviation, a fixed base operator based in St David’s a short distance from LF Wade International Airport, also said there were “IT issues”, that meant they had to collect and photocopy all of our passports, which contributed to the delay.

As he flight arrived late to La Isabela International Airport, at about 10.30pm local and Bermuda time, its corporate jet facility was closed. As such, we had to go through the regular airport facility.

One of the passengers in our group still had the old BMU code in his passport, which could not be efficiently processed in the main airport — we were told that had we arrived on time, it would not have been a problem.

They were able to deal with the problem and let him through.

Perhaps these are just teething problems that come with launching a new airline, not to mention a service that is a fraction of the cost of most private jet flights — the one-way ticket is $1,800.

A return flight is about $2,700, but there are perks and discounts for members who pay an annual fee of $5,000, that includes two round-trip flights.

Despite being on a private jet, the service is catering to business-class passengers.

Mr Scott told The Royal Gazette: “We want to demystify corporate travel and make it affordable for everybody.

“We are being a disrupter. People want change. People have been asking for direct connectivity to the Caribbean for years, and we are now doing it.”

This is only the seventh flight by Bermuda Direct Air Service. There will be more flights connecting Bermuda to the Dominican Republic as well as other Caribbean destinations, including a direct flight to Jamaica being scheduled for Cup Match.

“We are committing to direct service to Jamaica and the DR, a one-stop service to Trinidad, Cayman and St Kitts, and a two-stop service to Barbados at Cup Match and Christmas,” Mr Scott said.

“We are in the logistical phase of putting together what we categorise as ‘specialty flights’, which will be centred around the Caribbean events calendar including test matches, Barbados’ Crop Over, cricket World Cups and the independence days of these six key destinations.”

The Gulfstream IV’s interior had a sleek, relaxed and classic feel. Rather than plastic covers on the overhead lights there were brushed brasslike fixtures.

The craft’s windows were huge, giving passengers an amazing view during take off and landing.

During take off, you really feel the angle of ascent, which is as thrilling as it is unnerving.

There was a good selection of complimentary chips and cookies on board, and we were served a quality wine, with other selections, including whiskey, tea coffee and soft drinks.

The main dish was relatively good, far from gourmet but properly-cooked at least.

It was better than the processed mush you are served on the type of economy class flights I’m used to, but nothing to write home about if you are used to business class.

There was a choice of marinated chicken, beef and fish, selected by the passenger prior to the flight, which came with a tomato-based sauce, white rice, and boiled carrots and broccoli.

I went for the chicken, which was nicely marinated with a bright, citrusy seasoning that made up for the overly simple prep of the rest of the dish.

The experience would have been more authentic had the food not been served in plastic takeaway containers and plastic cutlery.

With all the effort that goes into such a flight, these should be simple fixes.

We did get to enjoy our free-flowing wine in glasses and our plastic containers were placed atop beautiful linen place mats.

The mini cheesecakes that followed were absolutely delicious.

There was space to stretch out, and we had the freedom to walk around and chat to the other passengers on board.

Compliments to the pilot for an incredibly smooth landing — the bit I was dreading the most being on a small craft.

While having a private jet for transit, Bermuda Direct Air Service is not looking to be exclusive.

The price of the two-and-a-half hour flight does exceed that of economy but is on a par with a commercial business class journey, all of those options involving one or more stops.

If I had family in the Dominican Republic and it was a destination I would visit often, this would be a good option for travel.

That is exactly what Mr Scott said is driving his ambition, the desire to reconnect families who are split between Bermuda and the Caribbean.