Whether you’re Chelsea Football Club planning to travel to Bucharest for a Champions League match up or a local band travelling to play in the London New Year’s Day Parade, charter flights offer a cost-effective way to transport large groups of passengers.
Not only can they be cost-effective, but can also offer you and your group greater flexibility without the hassle of commercial layovers or having to sit next to unknown passengers.
If wanting to make the most of your upcoming trip and considering the use of a charter flight, it’s important to consider your group’s estimated budget, travel expectations and comfort level with planning travel.
Budgets Come First
When evaluating if a charter aircraft makes sense, it is best practice to first obtain quotes from a number of local charter operators.
While some smaller, private aircraft may fetch as little as £10,000 for a short-haul, one-way flight, other larger aircraft can cost significantly more depending on the required capacity, flight length and slot requirements. These costs can be easily compared with group rates provided by various commercial airlines.
In addition to cost estimates, the search process also provides an opportunity to check online reviews of various operators and to find the right balance between cost and reputation.
Air charter guides can provide a list of UK-based charter options, and these can be researched further to discover any previous customer complaints or safety issues. This can also be accomplished by consulting with a travel management provider, along with friends or colleagues that have utilized charter services.
Non-Stop Travel Expectations
For most groups, being able to fly non-stop weighs heavily on travel decisions. Anytime a large group has to connect in another city and board another commercial flight, groups risk facing additional delays and may lose valuable preparation time at their destination.
Thankfully, charter carriers are able to plan one-off flights to most destinations, assuming the respective aircraft can land at your desired airport. This also opens up the opportunity to land at less congested airports, such as Biggin Hill, rather than Heathrow or Gatwick. Smaller airports not only are less congested, but sometimes charge lower rates for landing fees.
Getting Comfortable with Travel Planning
While planning a charter flight offers many benefits, it can get complicated for those crafting their first group trip. This is especially true when travelling across the channel, as there may be travel restrictions or form requirements unique to each nation that mean additional work for any planner.
For those that are new to planning group travel, a flight support partner can be leveraged to answer planning questions and provide guidance on making the most of your upcoming trip.
Bottom Line
Planning group travel may not always seem straight forward, but can offer many benefits to flying commercial. Charter flights provide groups more flexibility, and often times at a lower cost than alternative modes of transportation. And that means more time for your sports team, or band for that matter, to make the most of your upcoming trip.
