Jet set

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The jet set is a social group of wealthy and fashionable people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term was introduced in 1949 and replaced "café society"; it reflected a style of life involving travelling from one stylish or exotic place to another via jet plane. With the democratization of air travel it has been replaced at least in part by the term "glitterati", reflecting a greater emphasis upon celebrity, including "being seen" and stalked by paparazzi, and less upon mode of travel.

The term "jet set" is attributed to Igor Cassini, a reporter for the New York Journal-American who wrote a gossip column under the pen name "Cholly Knickerbocker".^[1] He was a younger brother of the fashion designer Oleg Cassini. Another term that developed during the era^[which?] was Beautiful People,^[2] a period equivalent to today's concept of "glitterati" being "supermodels, celebrities and socialites", where looks, youth, and attractive activities predominated over wealth and high social standing.

Jet passenger service in the 1950s was marketed primarily to the upper class, but its introduction eventually resulted in a substantial democratization of air travel. Although the term "jet set" can still be found in common parlance, its literal meaning of those who travel by jet is no longer applicable as such.^[3]