Smooth transition
01-May-05
If you believe your client's holiday begins the moment they leave home, you'll want the journey to the airport, through check-in and on to the aircraft to be as smooth as possible.
While exclusive agencies like Earth London see to the minutiae of pre-departure arrangements, several airlines and upmarket operators, from Emirates and Virgin Atlantic to Kuoni, provide complimentary private limousine transfers for premium passengers.
Bales Worldwide managing director Mandy Nickerson says: "People have very busy lives and we act as a one-stop shop, so everything runs smoothly. The journey is an integral part of the trip and must be seamless."
For clients making those last-minute airport dashes, Virgin also gives the option of motorbike transfers, but the best way to save time is by helicopter. UK helicopter operator PremiAir offers the service at a cost of £950 for two for an hour's trip. UK-based Air Harrods estimates the 15-minute hop from Battersea heliport to Heathrow would cost £3,250 for nine passengers.
Crowded check-ins and luxury don't mix, and while first- and business-class passengers generally enjoy dedicated desks, airlines are now providing remote check-in facilities. British Airways passengers can check in over the phone, Cathay Pacific's can do it online, and Virgin's Upper Class passengers can use the drive-thru check-in service at Heathrow and Gatwick.
To further ease the journey, ITC Classics' new Platinum service arranges for clients to be met by a porter when they pull up at the airport and escorted from check-in through to an executive lounge.
In the bid to lure top-paying travellers, airport lounges have become a battlefield. BA's new departure lounge at Heathrow's Terminal 1, which includes a dedicated champagne bar, has won over upmarket operators. Virgin Atlantic spent $3.4m (£1.8m) on the new Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK, while Emirates' underground lounge at Dubai, opening in 2006, promises to raise the bar further still.
Competition is even tougher in the air. BA Club Class provides fully-flat beds to most Caribbean destinations, while Virgin's new Upper Class suite offers on-board massage on flights from Heathrow, with seats that remain reclined at take-off and landing. Air France is rolling out its L'Espace Premiere with fully-flat beds and cuisine by celebrity chef Guy Martin.
Firstflyer.com director Matthew Bennett says: "BA and Virgin are heading the competition, they keep leap-frogging over each other to win the client."
While the new long-range Airbus A340 has given airlines the chance to revamp premium classes, the imminent arrival of the double-decker A380 will provide even more possibilities. Emirates, the largest customer with 45 on order, is set to lead the way.
Transfers
Three operators recommend their favourites
By Air
Exsus Travel
Journey: Nice Airport to Monaco.
Transport: A helicopter takes clients on a seven-minute flight from the airport helipad to the roof of their hotel.
Wow factor: There's no better way to see the French Riviera.
Price pounds: 135 per person one-way; £205 return.
Contact: www.holidaytaxi.com
By Land
Elegant Resorts
Journey: From Dubai Airport to the Burj Al Arab Hotel.
Transport: Clients are met by an air-conditioned, chauffeured Rolls-Royce for the 25-minute drive to the hotel.
Wow factor: What better set of wheels from which to witness Dubai's dramatic architecture and ever-changing skyline?
Price pounds: 68 per car each way.
Contact: www.traveldubai.co.uk
By Sea
ITC Classics
Journey: From Male Airport in the Maldives to Dhoni Mighili.
Transport: Clients are picked up in a private yacht, a traditional handcrafted dhoni, which is theirs for the rest of their holiday. A personal butler, a thakuru, will make sure the crew attends to every need during the five-hour trip to the Dhoni Mighili island.
Wow factor: Where else does your accommodation come to greet you at the airport?
Price: A week at Dhoni Mighili, including the yacht, costs from £2,685 per person.
Contact: www.itcclassics.co.uk
Private jet hire
AirPartner
www.airpartner.com; +44 (0)1293 549555
Air Royale International
www.airroyale.com; +44 (0)20 7289 9800
Bookajet
www.bookajet.com; +44 (0)207 5882723
Gold Air International
www.goldairint.co.uk; +44 (0)1959 578400
Hunt & Palmer
www.huntpalmer.com; +44 (0)1293 558000
TAG Aviation
www.tagaviation.com; +44 (0)1252 377977
Insider Q&A Mike Bevens, Jeffersons Private Jet Holidays, Sales and Marketing Director
Who are your clients? They range from wealthy bankers, financiers and property developers, who might travel with us a couple of times a year, to 'normal' people, who have saved up for a trip of a lifetime.
What are they looking for? The travel market has polarised into those who want cheap, independent travel and those who want luxury trips with everything organised. We are catering for the latter, those who want to travel by private jet and stay in the best suites in the finest hotels. We also offer a full concierge service, such as organising private yacht hire. We are now seeing an increasing demand for exclusive trips and short breaks.
Which are the most popular destinations? All the usual suspects, including Florence, Venice, Milan, Paris and St Moritz. Most of our trips are three hours or less - any further and you have to use a longer-range aircraft, which bumps up the cost.
What's the most unusual trip you've organised? We took a family of eight to Lapland and arranged for them to be met by an elf who was their escort for the day. They took a reindeer ride and had a fabulous lunch, and at the end Father Christmas came out of the woods on a sleigh.
What is the average cost? About £5,000 for a two-night trip for two people, but we have day trips to Reims from £890 per person, including a flight with champagne and canapes before lunch in a Michelin-star restaurant.
Contact: www.jeffersons.com; +44 (0)8708 508181 Jet set
A surefire way to guarantee a problem-free journey is to charter a private jet. Since the demise of Concorde, it has to be the ultimate way to travel - and for cash-rich, time-poor clients, it's increasingly popular.
A wide choice of private airstrips, the absence of crowds and check-in queues, quick security and immigration checks carried out on the aircraft coupled with complete privacy in the air, are all part of the appeal.
Bookajet sales manager Paul Mansfield says: "We've seen an increase in the leisure market - it's the convenience and flexibility that appeals. You can get straight on to the plane with a brief ID check, it's so hassle-free."
For frequent fliers, fractional ownership, where clients buy a share in the aircraft, is one option - a trend most established in the US. The alternative from private aviation lead player NetJets is a card that provides 25 hours of flying time in Europe from around £80,000, with guaranteed availability 24 hours a day.
But for more occasional use, hiring a plane through the likes of Bookajet, Gold Air International or Hunt & Palmer International makes more sense. Prices start at about £1,500 per flying hour for an aircraft taking up to five people with Hunt & Palmer, rising to about £8,000 for a Boeing Business Jet carrying 16 to 45 passengers, complete with bedrooms and shower rooms.
Hunt & Palmer says most leisure requests come from groups of friends. As private jets can nip in and out of airports not served by commercial airlines, they're particularly popular with skiers wanting swift access to Europe's top resorts. "A typical request is for flights from London City airport or Farnborough to Samedan, an airport close to St Moritz," says Hunt & Palmer sales executive Sandy Boyer. "In winter, we also provide jets to the Caribbean for clients wanting to island-hop."
As private jet travel takes off, more upmarket operators are grabbing a piece of the action. Luxury operator Azure says private jets to Barbados are popular, while for some of Abercrombie & Kent's clients, it's the only way to travel. Orient-Express began offering tailor-made private jet packages to European and South American destinations two years ago, and Kuoni has introduced private jet travel to its World Class programme for 2005. Bombardier aircraft can be chartered for as long or as short a duration as required, catering for up to 12 people. A three-day trip to Morocco costs from £6,185 per person based on two sharing.
In the air
British Airways
Premium Seating: Individual cabins on Boeing 747 and 777s have fully-flat 6' 6" beds, with guests 'buddy' seat.
Best seat: Seats 2A and 2K on Boeing 747-400s are the quietest, most private First Class sleeper pods.
Menu: Tie-up with health resort Chiva-Som means low-calorie spa cuisine on long-haul flights and an a la carte menu.
Gift/Facilities: Handbag designer Anya Hindmarch's new amenity kit includes aromatherapy-based products.
Crew/passenger: Average 1:5
Cathay Pacific
Premium Seating: Seats on A340, A330 and Boeing 747s stretch out to a flat bed 6' 2" long, with 6' 6" pitch.
Best seat: Rows 12, 14 and 15 in Business on two-class A340-300s are quiet with excellent storage space.
Menu: A three-course main meal is complemented by a choice of 70 wines.
Gift/Facilities: New amenity kits include skincare products by Elemis.
Crew/passenger: 1:6
Emirates
Premium Seating: Airbus A340-500s new First Class suites have massage - enabled seats with 5' 8" pitch.
Best seat: Not yet tested.
Menu: Meals can be ordered any time including Sevruga caviar and Dom Perignon Champagne.
Gift/Facilities: Satellite telephone in each seat plus seat-to-seat in-flight phone service.
Crew/passenger: 1:3 on A330s and 1:4.5 on B777s
Virgin Atlantic
Premium Seating: Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-600s have 6' 7" beds, the longest in the air.
Best seat: Seats 9A and 9K are the most private and quietest in Upper Class on 747-400s' LHR version.
Menu: The Freedom menu offers light bites, main meals and snacks that can be ordered at any time.
Gift/Facilities: Beauty treatments in your seat.
Crew/passenger: 1:8
Qantas
Premium Seating: All Boeing 747-400s have flat-bed seats. Each cabin has six side-by-side sleeper seats.
Best seat: 1A and 1K on 747-400s First Class are isolated from neighbours. E, F are good for couples.
Menu: Celebrity Aussie chef Neil Perry has devised menus based on Australian ingredients.
Gift/Facilities: Women's amenity kit has La Prairie products, while the men's is filled with Clarins.
Crew/passenger: 1:7
American Airlines
Premium Seating: All Boeing 777s have seats that turn into fully-flat beds, as well as a pop-up desk.
Best seat: On 777-200 Pacific Atlantic, Row 3 is not directly near a noise source and has good storage.
Menu: The airline has won awards for its wines, and chefs from top restaurants act as consultants.
Gift/Facilities: New amenity kits contain Temple Spa toiletries, including a soothing balm for aching limbs.
Crew/passenger: Average 1:5
