Air Partner’s Travel division celebrates 20th anniversary

The Travel division of Air Partner plc, the global aviation services group, is this month celebrating 20 years of organizing flights for groups travelling on scheduled airlines. During this time, the team have organized all manner of flights to a wide range of destinations, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The division continues to go from strength to strength, reporting an 11% increase in the number of group bookings between 2017 and 2018.

Last year alone, Air Partner’s Travel team issued over 13,900 tickets for 420 groups, travelling on over 30 different airlines. It is able to cater for groups of all sizes, with the largest group booking taken to date being for 2,000 passengers. The division holds close relationships with over 40 airlines so that it can offer groups flexibility and choice, with the top three being British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa. In addition, Air Partner Travel often works with the group’s expert Group Charter division to integrate scheduled flights with group charter, which can be especially useful if delegates are travelling from multiple departure points.

The team works particularly closely with Tour Operators and the MICE sector (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions). For Tour Operator clients, the most popular short-haul destination over the past few years has been Rome, while New York claims the top spot for long-haul. Meanwhile, MICE groups have particularly favored Iceland’s Reykjavik in Europe and Cape Town in South Africa when heading further afield. Some clients, however, have opted for more adventurous locations, including Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, Calama in Chile, and Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Air Partner is available for clients 24/7 to assist with any last-minute bookings or amendments. The Travel team is supported by Air Partner’s dedicated customer operations team, which monitors all flights round the clock and is on-hand to assist with any unforeseen issues. Clients are also provided with a dedicated Account Manager to take care of any requests they may have, no matter how big or small.

Katie Daw, Trading Manager, Travel, at Air Partner, said: “We are all very proud of what the Travel division has achieved over the past two decades. We are still seeing solid growth, and already in 2019 have seen an increase in the number of MICE bookings made. Our strength in this area is evidenced by the number of repeat clients we have, including a longstanding relationship with IMEX, the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. We look forward to providing convenient and flexible group flights – whether this is scheduled tickets, charter flights or a combination of both – for the next 20 years and beyond!”