6:00 a.m. EST
Slowly but surely, the group begins to make moves toward our gate. Dispirited by the length of the line for the elevators, we opt to carry our suitcases down the stairs—a grave mistake. We really need to start working out more. Maybe we should try and train with the models this weekend? They look so strong!
6:50 a.m. EST
The line to board is long—so long, in fact, that we get stares from the other travelers at the airport trying to navigate around us. Then, after we’ve all found our seats, Vogue casting directors Iggy and Morgan are ready to let the models rest…until one of them, Lulu Tenney, tells photographer Acielle Tanbetova that she’s ready to shoot. Still, we let the girls rest for a few minutes before they have to get to work. At about the same time, we discover that we’re not seated together on the plane. This actually works out in our favor, because it means we can get our own beauty sleep instead of spending the entire six-hour flight gossiping.
7:10 a.m. EST
We’re allowed into the cockpit (!), where we meet pilots Pete and Joel. Joel, as it turns out, is a friend of our boss Chloe Malle’s (their kids go to school together), which we find reassuring (Vogue x American Airlines’ synergy!). Pete and Joel mention that while this isn’t the most famous bunch of celebrities they’ve flown, it is the most famous people they’ve had aboard the same aircraft. They also call our flight the most fun…a bit of wishful thinking, as we sit on the tarmac at JFK, that we hope bears out.
10:00 a.m. EST
Vogue’s global design director, Parker Hubbard, wakes us up: the time has come to get Acielle up to photograph the girls. (This wouldn’t be Vogue Air without a little content!) Everyone is happy to have their photograph taken, with models Nora Attal and Ugbad Abdi saying that this is just like their plane from Milan to Paris during fashion week, except better because it’s solely Vogue people. (Also, here on Vogue Air, everyone is treated like they’re flying first-class, down to the decadent breakfast menu and free Vogue World: Hollywood goodies, including a garment bag and custom Vogue x American Air amenity kit.)