Jet Set

"Jet set" is a journalistic term that was used to describe an international social group of wealthy people, organizing and participating all around the world in social activities that are unreachable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of traveling from one stylish or exotic place to another via jet aircraft.

The term jet set is attributed to Igor Cassini, a reporter for the New York Journal-American who wrote under the pen name "Cholly Knickerbocker".

Although jet passenger service in the 1950s was initially marketed primarily to the rich, its introduction eventually resulted in a substantial democratization of air travel. Today, the term "jet set" no longer has cachet. It may still be valid today if it is understood to mean those who have the independent wealth and time to regularly travel widely, at will, for extended periods, for pleasure. It could also now be taken to mean those who can afford to travel in privately-owned or leased aircraft.