The first thing reaction you will get from people you when you say you have just arrived from Australia is a look of astonishment. So far! - they say. And it is. In the end, it has been three whole days between the moment when I walked out of my apartment in Bondi to when I took my first swim in the crystal clear, island waters of Hvar, Croatia. But the real problem with modern travel has nothing to do with distance.

Better technology shrinks distances. However in real terms, journeys are taking longer than ever. The reason? Poor interconnections. Getting to the airport, waiting for a thousand security checks, waiting to taxi to the landing strip due to congestion, waiting for bags, transiting to another transport mode, more waiting. 

Travel these days is about economic rather than personal efficiency. Routings, loadings and bookings are determined to maximise yield not convenience. And in most cases, that means the shortest distance between A and B is between your legs and the head of the person in the row in front of you.

It has given me a whole new perspective on the joys of owning your own plane. Having a Gulfstream V on standby is not about the luxury of the journey. It is the luxury of being able to choose your comings and goings.

First class, business class or freight - the alternatives are all the same. Unless you can control the schedule, you are on the proverbial bus.