At Air Partner, we’ve been working closely with the sports industry for over 58 years. In fact, over the last couple of years alone for sports related travel, we have flown over 12,000 passengers, 120,000 miles to over 45 different countries. While our experienced Account Managers are always on hand to guide you through the booking process, we have compiled a list of most frequently asked questions that we have been asked by sports teams over the years.
What can be organised at the airport for the team? We are looking for a discrete service?
We can provide the discrete service that many clubs request through a private terminal or fixed based operator. This allows for the team to have a hassle-free travel experience. We can also provide an Air Partner representative at the airport who will be on hand to assist with check-in and security procedures.
What options can you organize for on-board catering to ensure it meets our team's requirements?
Once the flight is booked, we will work closely with your team's nutritionist to discuss the specific catering requirements. This can also involve sourcing particular products in line with their dietary guidelines. We plan out the catering very carefully, ensuring that enough bottled water is included to keep the players hydrated. In addition, to ensure that enough healthy snacks such as fruit are provided on-board.
We can also work closely to ensure that specific dietary requirements can also be accommodated, for example gluten-free, diary free. Management and VIPs will often travel with the team and have different catering requirements. We can also assist with this so that different catering levels are provided on-board.
How can we showcase our team colors and logo when travelling?
Using our ServicePLUS program, we can organise for a wide array of opportunities to showcase your team's branding when travelling. This can include anything from branded water bottles, headrest covers, and neck pillows on-board. In terms of pre-travel, we can also organized in-flight lounge with branded televisions and catering. And for the ultimate wow-factor, we can also work with the club to brand the exterior of the aircraft with the team's badge. The possibilities are endless and our Account Managers will work closely with you to achieve your objectives.
How does Air Partner deal with any possible delays?
As part of working with us, your dedicated Account Manager will work on minimizing the risk and contingency planning. Whilst we can never completely eliminate the risk of delays, chartering flights gives the team greater control over the service. In addition, every flight is monitored by our Customer Operations team who are on hand 24/7 to assist with any issues. We provide the greatest assurances for all your flights.
Which aircraft will be most suitable to ensure there's enough space for our equipment?
Your dedicated Account Manager will work closely with you to ensure that your requirements are accommodated and guide you through the booking process. In the planning stages, the Account Manager will discuss specifics with you such as how many are looking to travel, dates, destination and how much kit you are planning to take. Thanks to our key relationships with our suppliers we have access to a wide range of aircraft and are able to provide the most suitable aircraft to meet your requirements for both passengers and kit. A few examples which are popular with sports teams to demonstrate the range, include Avro RJ 85 which can hold up to approximately 2.5 tonnes of equipment and is ideal for domestic and European travel, Boeing 737-300 VIP which can take over three tonnes of equipment and the Boeing 757-200 VIP, which subject to volume can accommodate up to eight tonnes of equipment, with up to 7.5 hours range. These are just a few examples and we are always on hand to provide advice.
We are planning to travel further afield for our pre-season tour. How can we ensure that the team arrive well rested on arrival?
VIP airliners are becoming more popular with sports teams, especially for long distance travel. Features include business class seats (either cradle or lie-flat depending on the aircraft) and VIP catering. The Airbus A340 VIP can accommodate up to 100 passengers and features lie flat business class seats to ensure a comfortable journey. This is popular for elite competitions and pre-season tours around the globe. For a shorter flight, the Boeing 757-200 VIP has a 7.5 hour range and offers business class cradle seats with 140 degree recline and 52-inch pitch.
Our dedicated Account Managers are experienced in working with the sports industry and offer the expertise for a hassle-free experience, looking after your charter flights from start to finish.
If you would like to request information about chartering for your team, contact one of our Account Managers today.