Having actually worked in the comp cell at DTMA (now DSCOM), i can agree with most of the threads.
For comp 'Alpha's' we pull out all stops. As far as expense goes, we had to look at the most economically/fastest way. If that ment we had to charter a jet from Kuwait to the UK as the comercial outlet was 5 hours later, then we would. The Charter would cost around £40,000 and the commercial would be £300. If the comp arrived at KWI and the comercial was only 2 hours later, then the comp would have to wait as we couldn't justify the expense to the 'commercial' division at DTMA. On the occasions that the pax went commercial then we would try,(depending on the final destination), get a helicopter to take the pax direct to the hospital. If they needed to get to Scotland then we would book another commercial flight from LHR/LGW and when they arrived have a taxi waiting to take them to their destination. I personally have used the local Police to meet them at the landing site of the helicopter if the landing pad wasn't near the hospital to take them there and the Police were very willing to do so. Unfortunately at that time, we wern't allowed to use Concorde, too expensive. But we were allowed to book first class if that was the only seat available on other aircraft, which could have been more expensive than Concorde!...go figure
As far as comp 'Bravo's' go, it is usually the units responsibility to arrange the on-move of the comp from the airhead. However, we would organise an internal commercial flight to get them to the North of the Country where the home unit would then organise the on-move.
And the Royal Navy? Well they are a law unto themselves. Most units would ring the comp cell to arrange the on-move. We would only be too happy to assist. But usually within 24 hrs they would call DTMA and ask for the flight to be changed. This usually meant that we couldn't get a refund for the original booking, so more expense. We learn't from these experiences and 90% of the time booked them with a flexible ticket. There were still occasions where the Navy book there own flights and didn't pass the flight details to us. Therefore if the pax was arriving at LHR/LGW there was nobody from the 'Civil Air Detchment' around to meet and assist them, and these folks we able to queue jump customs and immigration and get them out of the airports quickly! Consiquently there was the odd comp stranded at these airports,and if they wern't, when they rang DTMA for a return flight back to the ship, we knew nothing about them.
In the time i was there it was very rewarding to get someone back in time to say goodbye to their loved ones. As said in other threads, it is a system that the MoD actually does well.
