Series of flights for Tour Operators

When a Tour Operator sets up a project, he defines the destination, the period, as well as the days of departure.

For example, a flight Paris – Athens – Paris for a 3 month period, with the first flight on Saturday morning, and the second on Sunday afternoon.

He can then either set up a series of flights if he needs sufficient volume to charter a full aircraft on those dates.

Or if he has less passengers, for example 20 each week, he can find a solution via a flight consolidated by AVICO who then provides him with “block seats“.

AVICO charters the aircraft and sells block seats to the different actors on the defined market. This meets the same needs as a series of flights, but for a smaller volume and less risk for the Tour Operator.

Check-out our video on this topic 😉

A “block seats” and an allotment are two different ways to rent a group of seats on a flight to a Travel Agency or a Tour Operator, in order to let them sell it.

The only difference relies in the terms.

Indeed, for an allotment, the price for the seats is negotiated when signing the contract between the airline and the Travel Agency or Tour Operator, as well as a deadline. Past that deadline the seats are given back to the airline without any fee.

As for a “block-seats”, it is a definitive purchase when signing the agreement, and the Tour Operator or Travel Agency is the “owner” of the seats as of the signature. They are from this moment carrying the risk of not selling it, but buying price is more competitive than for an allotment.