Booking flights for a tour is a bit like trying to assemble a dynamic logistics puzzle that is constantly shifting.
You have all of these different pieces that appear to fit together, but as you place one piece of the puzzle, it then changes the sizes and shapes of the remaining pieces.
It’s a full-time endeavor trying to stay ahead of these moving pieces and lock in solutions that are going to make life easy for travel days.
Tour management is a logistics-heavy role and one of the primary responsibilities is coordinating air travel.
Flights are needed for a variety of touring scenarios. It could be for a standalone one-off, or it could be for the start of a routed tour where you’ll rendezvous with the bus. Maybe you’re gig-hopping multiple DJ sets on the same day, or maybe you are starting an international tour requiring work permits or visas. No two situations are the same.
In this article, we’ll explore some best practices for booking flights for your tour.
Onboarding Touring Crew
At the beginning of a tour, a new comprehensive travel document for the touring party should be assembled.
This is useful not only for the tour manager but it becomes incredibly important when working with a travel agent.
This travel document will include all of the necessary information that is required to book a flight. If you do this as you onboard employees, you’ll magically have this document compiled simply by running them through the onboarding process.
Here are the categories to include:
- Full Legal Name
- Date of Birth
- Phone Number, Email, Home Address
- Emergency Contact Name and Info
- TSA Precheck
- Passport Number
- Passport Issue Date (DD/MM/YYYY)
- Passport Expiration Date (DD/MM/YYYY)
- Frequent Flyer Numbers
- Seat Preference
- Dietary Preferences or Allergies
- Number of bags
- Number of oversized bags
The above should cover you for most situations, but feel free to include other categories that could be useful for your organization.
Self-Booking vs Working with a Travel Agent
Self-booking flights for a group is a tedious affair.
If you’re tour managing a developing artist, there may not necessarily be the budget to work with a travel agent, so it makes sense why you would book the flights on your own.
However, it can oftentimes be way more affordable than you think. Travel agents understand that support acts one day become headliners, and most agencies are more than willing to take on a developing client.
With that said, when travel plans go sideway, having a dedicated travel agent and support team who is going to be available to assist is absolutely worth every penny you would otherwise “save.”
Travel Smarter: Flight Booking Tips
If you are self-booking, don’t book with third-party sites. Skip booking with OTA’s (online travel agencies).
They only lead to headaches when travel plans change or you get thrown a curveball. Book directly with the carrier and reduce the amount of grief you’re going to have to deal with.
Google Flights and Kayak are both good starting points. Beyond that, here are some other flight booking tips to consider:
Book tickets well in advance.
When arranging air travel for a group, it’s a good idea to book well in advance. As the date approaches, availability becomes more and more limited, resulting in an increase in airfares.
Compare prices.
As mentioned above, taking a glance at different OTA’s to see what is out there can be a good way to compare prices. Beyond that, if not using a travel agent, it is strongly recommended to book directly with the carrier and not with the OTA.
One strategy you can use if you’re far enough out is signing up for price alerts for your selected destination or itinerary.
Consider alternative airports.
When pricing out flight options, sometimes it’s worth taking a look to see if flying into another regional airport could offer cost savings. However, flying into a secondary airport introduces its own set of logistical considerations. For example, flying into EWR is not the same as flying into LGA or JFK or vice versa.
Check baggage allowances and fees.
That low-cost airfare might look affordable, but make sure to do due diligence and figure out what the baggage policy is for the ticket you are purchasing. Unforeseen travel expenses such as baggage can absolutely wreck a tour budget. That $100 ticket might end up being a $300 ticket when you factor in additional baggage.
Be flexible with arrival and departure times.
This isn’t always possible when booking flights for a tour, but it’s worth exploring. Normally, you are either flying in right before the gig, or you’re flying out as soon as the gig is done. The idea of “saving” money on flights, could unintentionally add the cost of payroll, hotels, and per diems to your bottom line.
Plan for holiday travel.
Take a look at the tour routing and figure out if any major or regional holidays will potentially impact your travel plans.
What Details to Provide the Travel Agent
Remember that travel document you put together when you were hiring everyone?
Create a shared spreadsheet and add your travel agent to that document. They will use it to onboard your client into their booking system.
As people join your organization, you can simply update the sheet and your travel agent will have access as well.
Booking Flights: Requesting Flight Options
When it comes to booking flights, here is the most common information you’ll need to give the travel agent when requesting options. Let’s assume this is a one-way ticket.
- Date of Departure
- Originating Airport
- Destination Airport
- Time of departure: morning, afternoon, evening
- Preferred carrier
- Class of ticket
- Passengers Traveling
There will be a number of variables and logistical considerations that will influence the flight option you ultimately end up going with.
A good travel agent is going to give you options that make the most sense. This generally includes non-stop options, the most affordable, and the least amount of travel time.
The longer you work with a travel agent, the more nuance they are able to provide your specific organization as they learn the habits and preferences of your team.
Cheapest is Not Always Best: Considerations Before Booking A Flight
Sometimes the lowest-priced flight is not the best option when booking flights for a tour. Consider the following before booking your flights.
Travel time
That ticket may look low cost and affordable, but wait a minute, there are three connections, and the total travel time is 40 hours. Perhaps this isn’t the ticket you want to book.
Connecting Flights: The Enemy
Connecting flights have a way of injecting a very low dose of chaos into your otherwise straightforward travel day. Pedalboards don’t make connections, bad weather appears out of nowhere, the plane doesn’t show up, and the list goes on. Stick to non-stops whenever possible.
Baggage Fees & Oversized Baggage
This is one of the largest unforeseen costs associated with budget carriers. Do your due diligence regarding baggage fees prior to booking flights on a carrier you’re unfamiliar with. This applies to both carry-ons and checked baggage. Measure twice, and cut once.
Seat Selection: Aisle or Window
For many clients, seat selection is very important. Sometimes it’s worth it to spend the extra money on seat selection just to keep morale high. Coming in hot to record a late-night performance? Don’t capture those frowns forever seared into the collective conscious by putting people in the middle seat!
Loyalty Programs
If you know you’re going to be flying a lot, it can make sense to stick with one carrier and start earning status and points. This leads to gaining access to airport lounges and additional perks when flying. Do some research and figure out what carrier could make sense based on the city you are hubbing out of.
Customer Service
Tour management has enough character-building opportunities, don’t add dealing with a bozo budget carrier customer service onto your grief stack.
Deciding What Airport to Fly Into
Let’s say for example you have an upcoming rehearsal that’s going to be taking place in Van Nuys. Let’s pretend the hotel is in the Van Nuys area as well.
Flying passengers into LAX is going to cost $300, but flying folks into SNA is going to cost $350. It looks more affordable, but it really isn’t.
If you decide to fly people into LAX, they are going to have to catch a cross-town car that will eliminate any perceived savings, take an extra hour, and further deplete traveler energy levels.
Personal Luggage & Fly Packs
Another pre-departure to-do is creating a manifest of personal luggage and assigning bag tags.
Having documentation of what each person in your traveling party is carrying is absolutely crucial.
You will thank yourself a million times over if you take the time to document each piece of luggage with an AirTag and corresponding photo.
If you’re having to travel with a fly pack as well, it’s incredibly important to be cognizant of what the specific baggage terms are for the carrier you’re selecting. It can easily add a few thousand dollars if you’re not careful.
Sometimes baggage allowance needs to be purchased in advance, or certain weight limits cannot be exceeded. This is very prevalent when flying outside of North America.
Additionally, fly packs are cumbersome and introduce other considerations involving ground transportation, getting a carnet stamped (if traveling internationally), and figuring out how to move gear around the airport.
At a certain point, it makes sense to waive the magic wand and send that albatross along with a freight forwarder.
TSA Precheck, Global Entry, Clear
Anyone who is a touring professional should consider investing in TSA Precheck, Global Entry, and Clear.
When traveling in the United States, being able to quickly get through the security line can make a world of difference.
If someone in your organization doesn’t already have these, it’s worth encouraging them to get it.
Booking Class
Find out what class the artist prefers to fly in to make sure you’re sourcing the correct options.
If there isn’t a huge difference in fare, sometimes it can be worth upgrading the type of ticket you are purchasing for seat selection, priority boarding, extra legroom, and seats that recline further.
There are also mileage multipliers to consider when booking different classes of tickets.
Frequent Flyer Programs
When onboarding people to the tour, if you know there are going to be a lot of fly dates, request that people enroll themselves in frequent flyer programs if they haven’t already. The three main airline alliances are:
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the largest airline alliance in the world, with 26 member airlines. Some of the major members include United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and ANA.
SkyTeam
SkyTeam is the second-largest airline alliance, with 19 member airlines. Some of the major members include Delta Air Lines, Air France, KLM, and Korean Air.
oneworld
oneworld is the third-largest airline alliance, with 14 member airlines. Some of the major members include American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas.
These alliances allow member airlines to offer their customers access to a larger network of destinations and seamless connectivity between member airlines. Customers can also earn and redeem frequent flyer miles across member airlines, and access other benefits such as lounge access and priority boarding.
International Travel: Passport & Visas
Traveling internationally introduces another layer of tour logistics when it comes to booking flights.
Passport
Most countries will require passport validity that extends 6 months beyond your return date. If you have a tour that has a lot of international entry and exits, it can make sense to look into getting a second passport to ease in any necessary visa process. IE: You are traveling on passport #1 while passport #2 is off at the consulate.
Visa
Certain countries will require visas or work permits to enter and do shows. Foreign visa processing is a full-time job in and of itself. It’s wise to enlist an agency that specializes in this type of service with plenty of lead time.
If you know a country requires a work visa, do not try to circumvent this process by entering the country on a tourist visa in lieu of a working visa. There is a good likelihood that you could be deported. That’s a worst-case and avoidable scenario.
Vaccinations
Depending on where you’re going, certain countries will require proof of vaccination for entry. Make sure to check the latest information on consular websites.
Travel Advisories
It’s a good idea to keep a tab on world events before, during, and after an international tour. They can throw a wrench into touring plans for any number of reasons: political unrest, natural disasters, etc.
Travel Insurance
Some countries will require you to purchase travel insurance as an entry requirement. This is very common for tours going to Australia and New Zealand, along with other destinations.
Conclusion
Booking flights for a touring organization can be a complicated affair.
Tour logistics abound and there are a lot of variables to consider.
With proper planning from the beginning, it can become a more palatable experience for all involved.
It’s important to remember as a tour manager that people have to live these days in real life.
Put yourselves into the shoes of the passenger before confirming an itinerary. Safe travels!