Which is the best/worst FBO?
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Join Date: Aug 2000
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Which is the best/worst FBO?
Having spent many years transiting through offices/portacabins and occasionally the most amazing FBOs how much do you think it adds or detracts from the customer and crew experience?
We all love TAG at Farnborough (for a number of reasons!) but how do we manage to sell VIP comfort out of grotty buildings when we, the crew, don't even like the surroundings?
With the Exec Jet market waiting for a much needed return to normality, shouldn't we be preparing for the shoots of recovery by updating the infrastructures, and attract the new 'better off' customers when the time is right?
We all love TAG at Farnborough (for a number of reasons!) but how do we manage to sell VIP comfort out of grotty buildings when we, the crew, don't even like the surroundings?
With the Exec Jet market waiting for a much needed return to normality, shouldn't we be preparing for the shoots of recovery by updating the infrastructures, and attract the new 'better off' customers when the time is right?
Join Date: Feb 2002
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IMHO whilst the actual environment does make an impression my priority is the standard of service. After all how much time do the pax actually spend in their lounge? In fact in the perfect world ground transportation collects and delivers the pax to the aircraft and they never see the inside of the FBO.
Do they do what it says on the tin? (including the minor miracles requested by some pax at 5 minutes notice)
Can I get fuel on request and not have to wait for hours?
Can I pick up a crew brief on my laptop on their wireless internet connection and printer?
Will they dig me out of a flight planning nightmare generated by IFPS? And do they know the local ATC restrictions that will bite the uninformed?
Will the catering be of an acceptable standard?
And most important of all - is the coffee drinkable?
Greer Aviation at Edinburgh and Prestwick come closest to meeting all of the above and providing the personal touch by going the extra mile.
Do they do what it says on the tin? (including the minor miracles requested by some pax at 5 minutes notice)
Can I get fuel on request and not have to wait for hours?
Can I pick up a crew brief on my laptop on their wireless internet connection and printer?
Will they dig me out of a flight planning nightmare generated by IFPS? And do they know the local ATC restrictions that will bite the uninformed?
Will the catering be of an acceptable standard?
And most important of all - is the coffee drinkable?
Greer Aviation at Edinburgh and Prestwick come closest to meeting all of the above and providing the personal touch by going the extra mile.
Join Date: Jan 2003
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Just as we are entering a recession is probably not the best time to ask an FBO to spend money on modernising. I very much doubt that any aircraft has ever visited an airport because it had "calm lighting" which means that any airport with an FBO monopoly is decorated to a level that is supported by the number of aircraft that fund it.
FBO's are about justifying fees, they don't attract clients in any wealth bracket. I can just imagine a jet owners face when the crew suggest a 45 minute taxi ride because signature make better coffee than blah handling.
FBO's are about justifying fees, they don't attract clients in any wealth bracket. I can just imagine a jet owners face when the crew suggest a 45 minute taxi ride because signature make better coffee than blah handling.
Join Date: Oct 2006
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May I suggest
We all have our prefs! But, and this is a big but, the very nature of Corporate/Owner/Charter operations within the GA/Bizav clasification (this from a C1 up to a B747/A340 Head of State), the diversity of services required (let alone requested) are enormous.
I will ask any and all Corp/Bizav/Charter crews/brokers to make their comments known in an open forum, and damn well vote in the EBAN & AIN FBO surveys, they only happen once every 12 months so ain't too taxing folks.
It has always bothered me that Euro crews will bitch, but they'll not take the time to complette a simple survey
Why do the Brits always whinge, but not be constructive
I purchase services, but poster #3 has the scene from both sides
You want to whinge? Go down to JB and have a rant
PM me if pissed off
I will ask any and all Corp/Bizav/Charter crews/brokers to make their comments known in an open forum, and damn well vote in the EBAN & AIN FBO surveys, they only happen once every 12 months so ain't too taxing folks.
It has always bothered me that Euro crews will bitch, but they'll not take the time to complette a simple survey
Why do the Brits always whinge, but not be constructiveI purchase services, but poster #3 has the scene from both sides
You want to whinge? Go down to JB and have a rant
PM me if pissed off
Join Date: May 2002
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Swissport Nice, worst in recent times for me.
They were busy sure, sign of under staffing. The personal that were dealing with me were rude in the extreme and forgot or didn't care that my boss is the customer!
If I had a choice I would avoid Swissport, Nice, in fact France!!
Best?? TAG Farnborough without doubt. The ladies there are just lovely!
They were busy sure, sign of under staffing. The personal that were dealing with me were rude in the extreme and forgot or didn't care that my boss is the customer!
If I had a choice I would avoid Swissport, Nice, in fact France!!
Best?? TAG Farnborough without doubt. The ladies there are just lovely!
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As an interesting aside to this, does the FBO need a building? Or is it the handling you are after? From Personal experience, Whilst European FBO's like TAG Farnborough and TAG Geneva are a nice experience, I have found the Private Aircraft Handling in the Middle East (esp Doha) and the Far East like Japan and Hong Kong, to be a completely different, but possibly better experience. A recent trip into Japan through both Oasaka and Norita left me most impressed. Whilst the handlers do not have a FBO, you do not need one. We are met at the aircraft, and escorted, personally, through every stage until the hotel, and all the way back. Everything like paperwork, fuel, services is seamless and efficient. large airport diagrams with your parking, taxi routes, fuel locations etc is marked out. Local mobile telephones for you to use are provided. Local paperwork is completed for you. Your bags are carried and looked after. I appreciate it is nice to walk out to the aircraft like at TAG, but for the major airports, where this is not possible, I have found that the handling in the Far East is pretty amazing. So it is not just a fancy building but the service provided that counts in my opinion.
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Best FBO's etc
TAG at Farnborough is great. Mallorcair equally superb. Nice was not nice, always, always, always so slow with the fuel.
As far as general service is concerned very few stand head and shoulders above the rest. But a lot of FBO's still need to polish up and clean up too. The overall decor of many looks as if they raided the end of line bin sale at B&Q etc. It is so often just plain awful.
FBO's take note it ain't that hard and for heavens sake employ someone who has a background in these matters, not your wife's best freind whose thinks she's good with a Dulux colour chart just 'cos see saw something on day time TV.
As far as general service is concerned very few stand head and shoulders above the rest. But a lot of FBO's still need to polish up and clean up too. The overall decor of many looks as if they raided the end of line bin sale at B&Q etc. It is so often just plain awful.
FBO's take note it ain't that hard and for heavens sake employ someone who has a background in these matters, not your wife's best freind whose thinks she's good with a Dulux colour chart just 'cos see saw something on day time TV.
Join Date: Sep 2007
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It's the people who work there who can make a difference. It's, of course, neat to have fancy and shiny facilities available, but unmotivated employees can still ruin your day.
TAG in Farnborough and Geneva have already been mentioned. (Former) TAG in Tempelhof was excellent, even though the facilities couldn't compare with the others...
I had generally positive experiences with DFS and Signature in LFPB, Rotterdam Jet Center, the handling in Schiphol East as well, Service People in EDDH, Grafair in Bromma, Mallorcair, Harrods in Luton, Jet Aviation in Biggin Hill and the majority of handling in the US - just to mention a few.
I'm somehow struggling with Vnukovo, even though the individual ramp agents seem to care a lot about us. Total mess, incompetent and mostly arrogant (treating business jet crews like servants): most of the handling companies I met in Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc.
TAG in Farnborough and Geneva have already been mentioned. (Former) TAG in Tempelhof was excellent, even though the facilities couldn't compare with the others...
I had generally positive experiences with DFS and Signature in LFPB, Rotterdam Jet Center, the handling in Schiphol East as well, Service People in EDDH, Grafair in Bromma, Mallorcair, Harrods in Luton, Jet Aviation in Biggin Hill and the majority of handling in the US - just to mention a few.
I'm somehow struggling with Vnukovo, even though the individual ramp agents seem to care a lot about us. Total mess, incompetent and mostly arrogant (treating business jet crews like servants): most of the handling companies I met in Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc.
