British Airways Archives

Private jet operators, brokers keep the music playing during the British Airways strike

September 11, 2019September 11, 2019by Doug Gollan

As a strike by its pilots caused BA to cancel nearly all its flights, private jet charter companies said they saw an uptick in inquiries and bookings

Air Charter Service moved a 100-person orchestra and their instruments, while Air Partner saved a leadership team from missing their own corporate retreat

With British Airways canceling nearly all of its flights during a two-day strike by its pilots which ended yesterday, several private jet charter brokers and operators say there was an increase in both inquiries and flights booked.

“We saw a massive uptick for requests, both direct and from brokers,” said Bernhard Fragner, CEO of GlobeAir AG, an Austrian based operator of four-seat Cessna Citation Mustang very light jets.

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Private jet options to avoid the September British Airways strike

August 28, 2019August 29, 2019by Doug Gollan

Three new private jet charter programs may come in handy during the expected strikes by British Airways pilots next month

The strikes fall during the Cannes and Monaco Yacht Shows

For travelers who have to get to or from London, or whose travel plans would entail a connection using British Airways through London are probably thinking about Plan B options about now. Current strike dates by the pilots are set for Sept. 9, 10, and 27.

The chaos started earlier this week when BA mistakenly emailed some passengers telling them their flights had been canceled. The British flag carrier doesn’t have a particularly ideal record in dealing with disruptions, either via industrial actions, IT meltdowns or extreme weather.

In other words, if you are traveling to or from London, or via London, and you are planning to fly BA, it’s time to think about options. A natural options is just rebooking on other airlines, although as low fares get sold, you may find that only the highest fares are left to buy

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As Surf Air Struggles In Europe, What’s The Future For Private Jet Seat Sharing?

March 13, 2018by Doug Gollan

Surf Air’s growth in Europe has been tepid so far, however, it and others continue to pursue a by the seat private aviation model against a backdrop of mixed results

Seat sharing, where travelers buy single seats on private aircraft, either via memberships or on individual flights, is considered a growth area for business aviation getting plenty of play in consumer media. The major benefit is saving time at airports by using private aviation facilities while paying prices at or near what the commercial airlines charge. For short hops, it can cut total travel time significantly. However, the model may be in trouble once again. Two sources tell Private Jet Card Comparisons that upstart Surf Air Europe has recently pared back its marketing and sales team there.

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Air Partner Says It Benefited From British Airways’ IT Meltdown

May 30, 2017May 30, 2017by Doug GollanLeave a comment

A side effect of this weekend’s IT meltdown for British Airways which stranded over 100,000 travelers was a 76% increase in requests, according to jet card seller Air Partner.

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