CURATING THE PERFECT TOUR FOR YOUR CLIENTS

Creating an incredible experience is about more than picking a destination and booking a flight. Bartelings work with you to create a truly unique, memorable experience for your clients, with your name on the tin.

Here we’ll be talking you through the process- from creating an itinerary and learning how to describe the experience, to training your team and recording the experience.

Creating Your Itinerary

You may have a perfect destination list in mind, or you may need a little inspiration. Either way, your first step is to pick up the phone and talk to a member of our highly trained team. Every one of us is enthusiastic and dedicated to providing a first-class service from enquiry to tarmac.

We’ll let you know how best to organise your chosen destinations for the very best experience. We’ll take into account:

·      The time of year that you’ll be travelling

·      Weather patterns

·      Time differences

·      Duration for each destination

·      Length of flights

·      Flight direction

The success of your trip will be closely tied to these considerations, so we’ll keep these, and your budget, in mind throughout our discussions.

As a rule, we usually suggest a minimum of three destinations and a maximum of seven. This ballpark will maximise the benefits of travelling via private chartered aircraft.

If you are looking to book a longer journey or one that covers a longer distance (perhaps a circumnavigation of the world), then consideration for the direction of flight is paramount. Heading West will minimise travel time and ensure the best experience of each destination.

Training Your Team

 Once your perfect itinerary has been created, it’s imperative that your team knows how to discuss the trip with your clients. Anyone liaising with your clients should be fully trained on all aspects of the journey and able to answer questions around: 

·      Dietary requirements

·      What to wear

·      Luggage allowance

·      Seating policies

·      Currencies

·      Weather

·      Room upgrades

Our team is highly trained in each aspect of the concept of Escorted Journeys by Air and can provide a detailed training presentation, including a Q&A session, for your team.

Pitching Your Trip

If you’re organising a “package” trip to sell to your clients, you’ll need to apply some thought surrounding your use of language. It can be tempting to use the word ‘luxury’ to surmise a chartered flight experience, but we find this falls short of explaining the multitude of benefits enjoyed by our travellers.

As well as the glamour associated with travelling by private jet, more practical positives should also be highlighted:

·      Direct flight schedules: The absolute joy of convenience- your plane is ready when you are.

·      Access: Private travel enables intrepid travellers to visit harder to reach destinations, far from the beaten track.

·      Medical Needs: Those with disabilities or medical requirements may find it far easier and simpler to travel privately.

·      Privacy: Only your invited group will be on board, along with a select group of staff who will be with you all the way.

·      Comfort: No more cramped leg room and squeezing into tiny seats.

·      Baggage: there are far fewer baggage restrictions to worry about.

·      Catering: Onboard catering is one of the biggest joys of private travel.

Operational Preparation

Ideally, we like to ensure that organisers visit every destination listed on their itinerary prior to group travel. They should meet with Destination Management Companies, hotels, and any other suppliers as well as custom and immigration authorities (to ensure a seamless arrival and departure process). It’s also advisable to recruit and brief a Tour Management Team- Bartelings will work with you to facilitate all these requirements.

Branding and Recording the Experience

The last thing you want is for this carefully constructed experience to be forgettable in terms of your brand. There are so many opportunities to personalise and brand your journey, including:

·      Aircraft branding, internally and externally

·      Catering choices

·      In-flight entertainment

·      Signature drinks

·      Branded uniforms

These are just a few ideas to get the juices flowing- we’re open to discussing and facilitating any ideas you may have.

One of the joys of travelling via chartered aircraft is that the plane itself becomes a home away from home. You can personalise it as much as you like and the select crew, who will escort you throughout the itinerary, will be happy to sport your branding.

In terms of creating a forever-memory of the trip, we can provide photographers, videographers and even writers to accompany you and ensure the journey is recorded. You may want to offer the results as part of the package for your clients, or for creating incredible marketing materials and social media content, either way- the experience should be documented as a key memory for all involved.

Your Escorted Journeys by Air Checklist

To summarise the key elements you should be thinking about when curating the ideal chartered journey:

·      As well as focusing on appeal, concentrate of a deliverable journey in terms of weather and time differences

·      Consider group size and flight duration when sourcing an aircraft

·      Make sure you’re laying the foundations early- premium travel takes time to plan

·      Ensure your local operators can handle the complexities of chartered travel

·      Prioritise travelling to all destinations yourself to ensure a smooth trip for all

·      Arrange for detailed staff training and consider a dedicated team for enquiries

·      Source a Tour Management team including a logistics manager and a doctor (recommended for remote destinations)

·      Plan catering, on-board marketing and service delivery

Bartelings are here to support you in all aspects of the planning and delivery of your ideal chartered journey- give us a call to start the conversation.