Follow the Money: The Corporate Jet Set

Dammerman was a GE vice chairman. And by the time he retired a year ago, his personal use of company planes had cost GE stockholders $1.3 million in just three years. Personal use. That includes $344,068 in 2005 and half a million in 2004.

And it doesn't even count wear and tear on the planes.

Fellow Vice Chairman Robert Wright spent another $121,775 of shareholders' money on personal trips aboard the company jets in 2005, and chief executive Jeff Immelt spent $95,134.

No standing in line with the little people, removing shoes and throwing out toothpaste for them. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. It's free.

For "security purposes," of course.

You have to hand it to Coca-Cola's(KO Quote) CEO Neville Isdell. He hasn't been the real thing for stockholders, who've seen their shares lag Pepsi's(PEP Quote) badly on his watch. But when he buckles up aboard Coke One, he can be thinking only one thing: "This is it."

Not only does he get to use the company jets whenever he likes. He doesn't even have to eat into his millions to pay tax on the benefit. Coke's customers and shareholders pay that, too. Total cost to the company: $251,902 in 2005, the most recent year so far disclosed.

The executives aren't just allowed to fly these very friendly skies. They are "required" to -- for "security" reasons. This has the happy effect of washing their hands of any blame.