Is it possible to charter a BA plane?
Oct 29, 2018, 2:21 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Location: London, UK
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Posts: 83
Is it possible to charter a BA plane?
Hi all,
Does anyone know if it is possible to charter an entire BA plane, and get BA to fly it to the routing of your choice? If so, will BA only fly to/from destinations on their network, or can they nominally fly to/from anywhere?
If chartering a BA plane is possible, do you have to go through some sort of broker/travel agent, or can a company approach BA directly?
I can’t find much information on this from the web!
Does anyone know if it is possible to charter an entire BA plane, and get BA to fly it to the routing of your choice? If so, will BA only fly to/from destinations on their network, or can they nominally fly to/from anywhere?
If chartering a BA plane is possible, do you have to go through some sort of broker/travel agent, or can a company approach BA directly?
I can’t find much information on this from the web!
Oct 29, 2018, 2:28 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
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They regularly operate rotations to Roveniemi around Christmas time for travel companies, which is not normally on the BA network. See here for some examples.
I'd imagine if you throw them enough cash, they will fly anywhere you ask...
I'd imagine if you throw them enough cash, they will fly anywhere you ask...
Oct 29, 2018, 2:29 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
BA do charter aircraft - for example transporting athletes to the Olympics or at weekends for the package operators.
Whether they would be interested in a particular charter would I imagine depend what aircraft are available and when....with the 787 issues the fleet is under pressure and BA are actually leasing in aircraft.
Whether they would be interested in a particular charter would I imagine depend what aircraft are available and when....with the 787 issues the fleet is under pressure and BA are actually leasing in aircraft.
Oct 29, 2018, 2:29 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Yes you can, and it’s not uncommon, I don’t know the procedure though. There was a story back in the days of Concorde of a Middle East based customer chartering Concorde when he missed his flight, whether that’s an urban myth or not I don’t know.
Oct 29, 2018, 2:38 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2009
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I think BA would like to plan this well in advance. If you want a short notice charter, Titan is more the sort of company you want. They're also pretty busy, but they may not turn down money. Lately Titan have been busy because they've been covering for BA's lack of aircraft and crews, and also somewhat for Easyjet. In general, though, charter and short term wet lease is Titan's main business model - BA's main business model is scheduled flight.
Oct 29, 2018, 2:59 pm
#10
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Just being curious, but if you want to charter a whole plane, does it actually matter that it’s a ba one? As others point out there are lots of airlines - both U.K. and foreign based - which primarily specialise in chartering planes and may have a lot more choice availability and possibly more competitive prices
Oct 29, 2018, 3:19 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 83
Just being curious, but if you want to charter a whole plane, does it actually matter that it’s a ba one? As others point out there are lots of airlines - both U.K. and foreign based - which primarily specialise in chartering planes and may have a lot more choice availability and possibly more competitive prices
Oct 29, 2018, 3:20 pm
#12
Community Director
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Much depends on which airport you want to fly from. If it’s LHR or LGW you’ll be looking at mainline aircraft. For regional airports it’s Cityflyer, with correspondingly lower passenger capacity.
https://ukprepin.custhelp.com/app/an...rways-aircraft
https://ukprepin.custhelp.com/app/an...rways-aircraft
Oct 29, 2018, 3:29 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2009
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And of course Concorde was chartered very regularly for all sorts from short subsonic flights through to round the world epics.
Oct 29, 2018, 3:31 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
Not particularly fussed on the airline; only thought BA as the origin would ideally be LCY, and on an Embraer 170 type plane (around 75 passengers). Hence nominally thinking BA given they have these sized aircraft already running from the preferred origin airport. But it does come down to cost, so whatever is cheapest is best!
Oct 29, 2018, 4:18 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2013
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For anyone trying to use that option because ‘he had missed his flight’, the logistics involved would take a lot, lot longer than simply travelling on the next scheduled service. It wasn’t as if there were spare Concordes lying around with qualified flight crews on standby. And I somehow think we would have heard more about it at the time ..... !