“Welcome home”, I said to passengers re-boarding on the 3rd leg of a multi sector air cruise for one of Bartelings Associates clients recently as passengers boarded the specially configured Boeing 767. One lady stopped and said, “it is so nice to come back to our flying home, the familiarity, the crew, the great food and service, I don’t think I can ever fly commercial again, you have spoiled us!”

Delivering this type of experience takes time and understanding of the niche air cruise concept. It is something we are very much focused on and with over 15 years of experience we do know what or where you can make a difference. Most of this is down to a simple principle, preparation. Thinking back to the countless emails, phone calls and meetings we know that to make it work preparation is key. There really is no substitute. Understanding the clients requirements and expectations and then building an experience that delivers on this are the essentials of a successful trip.

Our “check list” includes everything from the right aircraft and, very important, the right crew, branding, catering as well as the logistics of hassle free transiting of airports on arrival and departure. The list, as you will appreciate, is much more comprehensive of course.

The “home away from home” notion is not a new one. In the years we have been involved we have heard this often and if you consider that an air cruise gives you the opportunity to see a wide range of exciting destinations and sites in one trip it is understandable that the aircraft experience is the one constant travellers recognise.

Choosing the right aircraft for each trip is critical, not just on ability of the aircraft – i.e. range and the ability to fly over long stretches of open sea – but also what it offers in experience onboard. This goes way beyond the need for an Inflight Entertainment system or reclining seats. When travelling with a group of people friendships quickly develop through shared experiences which are recounted and relived on-board over a drink either at the bar or the lounge area (as was available on the recent 767 air cruises we undertook)

Each sector demands the highest quality of service and catering and the latter is something which tends to be given a lot of time. Working with our clients we select a menu and a meal service which work in a pressurised cabin but also works for the duration of the flight. Pre-trip briefings ensure crew is familiar with the menu, how to prepare it and how the present it. It is not only the food taste but also the presentation which will ensure the “ooh’s” and “aah’s” from the guests.

Extracting additional value and experiences out of a privately chartered aircraft is an extremely valuable by product on these trip. Whereas flying now a days is more and more a routine experience we will discuss with our aircraft partners ways of making this travel worthy of the title “travel from a bygone era” – things like cockpit visits (or even joining the flight crew during take-off and landing),  crew dressing up in local attire, tours around the aircraft with the flight engineer or the truly “iconic” photo of sitting in an aircraft engine make these trips unique and unforgettable.

Each air cruise undertaken by Bartelings Associates is handled by a dedicated contact who covers all aspects of a trip. This includes the branding of the aircraft, catering, the delivery of an unrivalled passenger experience and much more. If you have ever considered offering an air cruise to your client base contact us for a no-obligation discussion on how we can make this a reality for you.

The comment of the passenger boarding saying, “I don’t think I can ever fly commercial again, you have spoiled us” brings a happy smile on my face. I know, from experience, that once someone has enjoyed this style of travel they will want to do it again. All you need to do is come up with the next, interesting and exciting itinerary. You know what? We can help you with that too.