The case for an Escorted Journey by Air

ROAD SCHOLAR | CASE STUDY

The Client

Road Scholar, an established US tour operator, has been designing travel programs that foster learning and a sense of community since 1975. In 2017, the company contacted Bartelings to explore options around the potential to operate their own travel program using a privately chartered aircraft. Contemplating such an involved trip, despite carrying over 100,000 travellers each year to 150 countries, was a completely new concept for Road Scholar and they turned to Bartelings because of their experience and success in private air charter and tour management.

The brief video below provides a good background to the Road Scholar tour:-

The Idea

With an ever expanding following for their unique concept of educational as well as not for profit travel, Road Scholar wanted to test their client’s appetite for something a bit different. With average tour prices at the lower end of the scale, the concern was that a high-priced program would not be of interest to their client base, but this was an assumption that had to be explored.

The Road Scholar team of destination and tour operating experts commenced work on an initial itinerary. Bartelings was drafted in to advise on and provide specific insight into the unique concept of “Escorted Journeys by Air”. Working with both the UK and Boston office, a 21-day journey, including visits to Egypt, Jordan, India, China, Cambodia, Myanmar and Muscat, was created. An exciting combination of impressive historical and cultural sights.

In addition to supporting the curation of the itinerary, Bartelings’ prime role was to source a suitable aircraft to operate the journey. Bartelings’ proposed a number of suitable aircraft including a VIP 737, 757 and 767, each offering their own unique benefits, configuration and capacity. Road Scholar selected the 767, with 72 business class seats, a lounge area with club four seats and a stand-up bar as the aircraft which best met their requirements. The aircraft was operated by one of Bartelings very experienced partners.

The Aircraft Terms

Being new to this type of journey, Road Scholar was concerned about the financial risk involved with chartering an aircraft. Bartelings negotiated both an attractive charter rate for the aircraft as well as terms which secured the aircraft for Road Scholar without having to pay a deposit. Effectively, if it didn’t work, they could withdraw from the agreement up to 1 year prior to departure without a penalty. This gave Road Scholar the confidence to invest in promoting their unique journey.

The Promotion

Road Scholar is very adept in promoting their programs and a range of channels were used once the tour was released in April 2018 for a departure in October 2019. This included a brochure, mailing pieces, web content and social media. The success of the program was instant, surprising the senior team at the company. By July 2018 the departure was almost fully booked and they had added another, identical journey to follow this first one. More than a year prior to departure and the first journey was fully booked with the second to shortly follow.

The journey, the conditions of charter and the promotional strategy all proved to be an enormous success.

The Delivery

Bartelings continued to be closely involved in the preparation of the journey, the operations and the logistics required to deliver an unrivalled experience. We attended numerous meetings in the UK as well as in Boston to thoroughly prepare the journey, providing overviews and reassurance to the Road Scholar on-the-road teams responsible for each of the two journeys.

The Bartelings team worked on the external and internal branding of the aircraft, as well as the catering specifics for each individual sector. With our extensive experience in this style of travel, Road Scholar asked Bartelings to put an experienced team member on the first trip to assist with logistics. Our successful partnership with Road Scholar during the first trip led to us being engaged again to work on their second journey.

Bartelings | Catering overview and presentation

Significant Statistics

52% of the travellers on the tour were travelling with Road Scholar for the first time
60% of passengers were travelling on their own
73% of passengers were female
Of the passengers travelling on their own 87% were female.
Average age of the passengers was 70 (Road Scholar normal average is 72 years)

Learning’s from the Road Scholar Case Study

Financial risk associated with chartering an aircraft can be eliminated by working through Bartelings.
Solo travellers are a target market.
Innovative product will attract new clients to your brand.
Women travellers should be a focus whilst promoting.
Once you have operated one, you will do more as satisfied clients will be hooked on the concept.

Bartelings is with you from the beginning to the end, we do much more than chartering a suitable aircraft and delivery, tailored to your requirements, can be provided by our team.

The Future

Based on the success of the first two journeys, Road Scholar planned two for each the following years, 2020 and 2021. Following the same itinerary and operating in the same period of the year. Early 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic cut their plans short and although planned departures had to be cancelled, there was no financial loss to Road Scholar or their clients.

Early 2021 we re-visited the concept with Road Scholar and in March 2021 released a journey, based on the original 2019 itinerary, for a departure in October 2022. After the first three weeks of being launched, 30 people had booked their adventure and Road Scholar has contacted us for a 2nd departure……