What does going the ‘extra mile’ actually mean in charter?

For certain clients, 365 Aviation has checklists two or three pages long known internally as "flight riders".

A masseuse is required at short notice for a long-standing charter client. Where to find one? And, more importantly, where to find one that is ready to drop everything and commit to a year-long stint aboard a jet travelling anywhere and everywhere.

Such a problem was presented to Chris Tofts, co-founder and CEO of 365 Aviation, and as a man who can’t remember the last time he said no, he duly set about finding a solution.

“The impossible we can do; miracles take a little longer,” Tofts told CJI. “Looking for a masseuse, I headed out to a local shopping mall and found a store called Massage Angels. Honestly, I kid you not. A girl there agreed, and I said, ‘If you trust me, look me up.’ And she did. For the next year and a half, she travelled the world on a private jet with the client.”

The team is a critical piece of the 365 Aviation equation, said Tofts.

It is one of many ad-hoc requests 365 Aviation gets on an almost daily basis from charter customers. Others include out of season cherries sold at Harrods for £150 a punnet. “We try to go that extra mile,” said Tofts.

It is a philosophy Tofts credits to his prior career in the hospital industry. He went to hotel management school and began his career as a chef at Gleneagles Hotel.

“I didn’t exactly like working in the kitchen – I was more a front of house man. I suppose it’s safe to say I’ve always enjoyed interacting with people. I’ve always been in the service industry, apart from a small blip of two years selling sweets from the back of a car,” recalled Tofts.

Hindsight being 20-20, for a man used to working in four and five star establishments moving into business aviation seemed like a natural progression, but Tofts came across it rather by accident. Flicking through the classifieds in a hotel and caterer magazine in the mid-1990s he saw a London-based handling agent was looking for managers to help turn around the three bases at Heathrow, Luton and Stansted.

“I decided to go for it and managed to get the role. And the rest, they say, is history. I just got the bug. Every day was different,” said Tofts. “From working and learning the ropes of operations and handling aircraft, it was a real eye-opener. I developed my role from the handling side into operations, learning to do flight plans, et cetera.”

A few years later, a friend approach him and said, “why don’t you become a charter broker.” That seed grew into a stint at Hunt & Palmer where Tofts began to hone the arts of charter brokerage.

“I learnt a lot there,” he said. “Then I moved to another company, where I managed to win some major tenders, which prompted me to help them open US offices, and I became director of operations. I thought: ‘This is something I could probably do myself. Why am I not taking advantage of this?’ My now business partner said, ‘I’ll back you for a year. You think you can do it? Let’s see where it goes.’”

Turns out he was right. “Some 15 years later, here we are,” said Tofts.

He has built his charter brokerage as a niche form of luxury hospitality, something he instils in his team. “Having worked in hospitality for so many years, it has been embedded in me. That’s something which has shaped the culture of the company: making sure my team actually listens to the clients, anticipates their needs and knows when to go the extra mile. I’ve always strived to surpass expectations.”

Being in the game for so long means it can be hard to step away. But Tofts is trying hard to so. “I’m still very much hands-on, although I made a New Year’s resolution to let my team go on and to focus on developing the business and growing it,” he explained.

Whether it is a phone charger, a punnet of cherries or minimum thread count for the bed sheets, Tofts is clear that “no detail is too small”.

“The smallest details often make the biggest impression,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve learned that understanding goes far beyond the flight itself. It’s about knowing personal preferences, whether it is how they like the cabin configured, their preferred refreshments on board, cabin temperature, personal music playing as they board. Something as simple as having the right phone charger next to their seat when they sit down.

“It’s something I’ve really emphasised to the team: this is how we build trust and loyalty.”

Attracting new and retaining old clients means Tofts has accrued a host of “challenging memories” throughout his career. There are the classic — although no less important — stories of rescuing aircraft-on-ground (AOG) flights to the unique mission of saving a wedding by flying a dress designer to a remote location or the sombre duty of repatriating a deceased person along with their family.

“That’s the thing about private aviation – you just don’t know what the next phone call will bring,” said Tofts. “It could be a five-minute conversation or it could lead on for five weeks. From keeping clients happy, referrals and word of mouth still play such an important part, as does investing in marketing and business development. It certainly is a true labour of love, that’s for sure.”

With such a discerning clientele, amongst the challenges and successes, everything is not going to go exactly as planned all of the time. When it comes to a complaint, “you’ve got to learn from them,” said Tofts.

“No one is perfect, especially when relying on third parties and bringing them all together,” he continued. “Provided you listen and understand where it’s gone wrong, you try to advise the client and ensure that you’ve got it covered for next time. It’s happened a number of times.”

For certain clients, 365 Aviation has checklists two or three pages long just to make sure everything’s on there. “We make up flight riders for them. It’s extensive, but it works. When we send this over to the operators, I think half the time they think we’re joking. But it’s the only way to learn from your mistakes,” he said.

The team is a critical piece of the 365 Aviation equation. Ascertaining whether an applicant is right for team, foremost is an understanding that charter brokerage is “not a Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five job”, said Tofts.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but for me: good communication, negotiation, problem-solving and adaptability skills are an absolute must – to think on your feet and solve last-minute challenges,” he said. “Also, industry knowledge and a hunger to learn. They’ve got to be passionate about the industry. It’s about going the extra mile.”

Tofts has been in the shoes of his team, something he believes influences how he leads.

“Everyone’s an individual, and that’s what I like about it. For a happy team, everyone comes with certain strengths. I see my team as an extension of my family, and I like to treat them the same. I always make sure they know I’m there for them if they need me. Often they say, ‘We’ve got this.’ But they know they can approach me,” he said.

Pressure is part of the job, but it has heightened this year in the wake of world events, particularly in the Middle East following the widening of conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.

“It’s becoming quite a complex market, certainly within the Middle East. That has proved challenging,” explained Tofts. “One of the most significant challenges in private aviation today is the complexity of global regulations and airspace restrictions, which can vary significantly between regions at short notice. Whilst authorities and industry bodies such as NBAA, EBAA and the Air Charter Association provide strong frameworks, the real challenge lies in staying ahead of these developments in real time.”

While geopolitical chaos in the Middle East has affected pricing, the real impact at 365 Aviation and more widely has been felt through clientele, specifically the sudden lack of it.

“We deal with a lot of big organisations – financial institutions – who simply won’t travel to the region at the moment because of the uncertainty and instability,” he said. “That goes across the board, including private individuals. We’ve certainly seen it go down, although many operators are still operating in that area. But every day you see something on the news, and you think, ‘Oh my God, now the ceasefire is under threat.’ You just don’t know.”

With the Middle East a traditional stopover point, there has been a knock-on effect on travel to and from eastern Asia.

“What we have seen is some clients who normally fly in smaller aircraft opting for ultra-long-range aircraft so they can avoid certain airspace,” said Tofts. “With overflights, that’s added maybe three hours – it’s crazy. Some people are still doing it; others are deciding to fly the other way, the long way round. So it’s been problematic.”