Marine and offshore fares are used by many marine and energy organisations around the world to allow them to reduce the cost of crew travel, while also remaining flexible in regards to last-minute itinerary changes and travel disruptions.
However, the exclusivity can cause multiple misunderstandings about the benefits, cost and availability of sector-specialized rates.
Here are the most frequently asked questions about marine and offshore fares:
What are marine and offshore fares?
Discounted, one-way or roundtrip airfares that are offered exclusively to those working offshore.
What are the benefits?
Traditionally, they are much more flexible than many other standard airfares and allow for the unpredictable nature of the marine and energy sectors. Booking this fare means that there are usually no fees applied to tickets that need to be amended in the event of an itinerary change and that a full refund can be issued if a trip is cancelled any time before departure.
They also allow for the extra baggage required by personnel who are away from home for long periods – typically 40kg or 2 pieces of 23kg of baggage is included in a marine or offshore fare ticket.
How can I book marine and offshore fares?
They are not widely available in standard booking platforms and are only available to specialist travel management companies (TMCs) and booking agents who operate within the marine and energy sector. This means they can only be booked via your specialist travel management provider and their technology.
Can I book online?
Traditionally, marine and offshore tickets have been booked offline by contacting your travel management provider, as booking these tickets requires a broader range of skills, such as combining airlines, knowledge of transit airport requirements and, nowadays, Covid restrictions.
Which airlines can I use when booking marine and offshore fares?
These fares are offered by global and local commercial airlines (excluding low-cost carriers). Some even offer these fares for domestic flights.
ATPI is the largest Marine & Offshore speciality contract provider in the world, due to our global network of offices.