international trip planning services

[Igor]

anybody ever use them. any reviews thank you.

 

[con-pilot]

If you are asking about international trip handlers, such as Universal; I would recommend Universal.

I used Universal exclusively for many years on all international trips. This included around the world trips, numerous pacific rim trips and countless trip to Europe and back.

Yes, there were the occasional problems, but then no one company or person is perfect, not to mention the person I was flying for could never finalize his plans until the last blasted moment.

Also, in may places around the world the same agent works for all the international handling companies.

Now, saying that, do your own shopping around for fuel in places you can, sometimes you can save quite a bit by doing that.

What areas are you planing to travel to, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I like ARINC....also depending on where you go and your comfort level, you certainly dont need a "handling service" for easy trips, like Europe...File the flight plan, call the fbo/handler, and go. ARINCs website has pretty much nailed it as far as International planning goes.

Also check out small, independent handling agents. We use a local one for overflights, flight following, etc. and could not be happier. Others I know use Pacific Coast Forecasting and say good things. I have never used them.

Run the numbers and compare. Have them all send you a sample trip and charges. You will be amazed. A trip that Universal would charge 20K for can be done for 4K...and done better. For what these places charge I have been amazed at how poor they can run trips. A while back Universal was considered the best.

Keep in mind you can still get discount fuel (UVAIR, WORLD, etc) just as easily on your own and can make your own hotels at the same rate as them.

Personally, after a little experience, I just find its easier to do most of the work yourself than it is to rely on a service. Reality is a trip to Western Europe can be planned in about 15 minutes these days....BUT... I also like to have someone to call in a pinch who can do all the work while I sleep, deal with MX issues, last minute changes, etc etc..

Good Luck.

 

[hiflyer731]

I have used Pacific Coast Forecasting and everything went well. However, they have been bought out by AvFuel and now are part of AvPlan, the flight planning side of AvFuel. I haven't used AvPlan, but most of the employees and the owner of PCF are working at AvPlan so I would anticipate good things from them.

 

[FO4life]

We use Colt which is part of Everest. No complaints

 

[Igor]

thanks, but international is actually the name of the company. in the past we have used arinc, universal, colt and baseops but this is a new one. will see.

 

[Sandhawk]

Be careful with Jeppesen - they don't start calculating fuel burn until the first fix on the flight plan - ya know, those large cabin or stage 2 jets don't burn much fuel on takeoff....

 

[LongBoarder]

Be careful with Jeppesen - they don't start calculating fuel burn until the first fix on the flight plan - ya know, those large cabin or stage 2 jets don't burn much fuel on takeoff....

Ah... I don't think so... We use them all the time and they are very accurate. Any time you do not tweak the model to fit your plane you will have issues with the fuel burns and times. Out of the box rarely works.

LB

 

[G2Bpilot]

Igor, We have been using ITPS for the last year and a half and have been pleased. They are a smaller company and I find them to be a little more personalized than some of the other service providers. Like with any of them, you have to trust, but verify.

 

[PMVULB AvMgr]

Igor, We have been using ITPS for the last year and a half and have been pleased. They are a smaller company and I find them to be a little more personalized than some of the other service providers. Like with any of them, you have to trust, but verify.

I've used Universal for more than 30 years. No-one is perfect, but Universal is the company that started it all, and has the connections as well as the "brick & mortar" facilities worldwide that no other trip support company has. Universal wrote the book about the business - all the others are Johnny come lately's. And IPTS is the same - most of their folks are ex UV employees, and their small size to me is a big negative, they simply don't have the connections and worldwide network in place to make things happen.

 

[Igor]

thanks for the info all.

 

[SansPlane]

I've used Universal for more than 30 years. No-one is perfect, but Universal is the company that started it all, and has the connections as well as the "brick & mortar" facilities worldwide that no other trip support company has. Universal wrote the book about the business - all the others are Johnny come lately's. And IPTS is the same - most of their folks are ex UV employees, and their small size to me is a big negative, they simply don't have the connections and worldwide network in place to make things happen.

But much has changed in 30 years and to some operators, a few bucks saved here and there adds up. A post to one of the message boards here (there), an email or two and you have your connections or a referral to a good handler. Brick and mortar is not what it used to be. I like your loyalty but if I was paying the bills...

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Traveling the world is just is not what it was back in the 80's.

I hear lots of stories about 3 month prep to go to China and Russia...stashing 50K in cash on the ole trusty Jesus 4 (GIV) to buy your way out of places etc, etc....tune in to NBAA airmail and listen to the geriatric MacGyver tales of traveling back when we worked hard for the priviledge of a corporate pilot position and didn't have everything handed to us on the newfangled internet. Damn Generation X....

Im sure there are some challenging areas still, but even Africa is not terribly difficult anymore. Not saying its easy work or enjoyable...just not that hard.

For example - Just take a look at the fees they charge to pay your bills. They often slap on 10-15% right there just to invoice you. Tell them to use your own company credit card during the trip. Not difficult....also $350 to set up a car? (call a cab?) $75 for a weather check? $50 for a fax? pull out your phone, ipad, laptop, ACARS, etc..

Use whatever works for you, but simply handing it all over to a "service" often results in a sky-high bill (and worse) - too much babysitting.

 

[patq1]

I have used ITPS a few times lately and they have been good

 

[CorpCaptain]

We've used Universal into some really interesting places needing not only flight services but contractors for major security needs. Only had a problem one time and they ate the cost for the entire trip. Nothing bad to say about them. If your ever near HOU you should go take the tour of their facility. Pretty amazing stuff.

 

[can99]

I use the old fashioned acukwik and that modern thing called email.... combined with a world wide edition of flitestar its easy. I can have Delhi to London booked in about 3 hrs, the other way Delhi to Tokyo its even quicker .

Give it a try as others have said International planning and permitting is really not hard! I am lazy though and get overflights through local handlers. If I had AFTN access I could get the overflights myself, apart from some where you need local access, but now I have the local contacts for those weird countries that need a local to go and file the permit application its easy and cheap(ie $25 per overflight for Myanmar vs $175 via Jeppesen!!). The acukwik can give you all the info you need.

As an example of the costs, when I started Jeppesen charged us $18 000 to go Delhi to Shanghai. Now I do it myself, and its $5700 !! with 4 days on the ground in Shanghai !!

 

[motopilot404]

I've had great luck with the large aircraft team at UV, we do about 75% of our flying out of country with minimal issues.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I've had great luck with the large aircraft team at UV, we do about 75% of our flying out of country with minimal issues.

Do they really call themselves the "large aircraft team" these days??

Thats great, lol.