The Sky Ball

The U.S. house party has taken to the skies. Time: between peak periods of the tourist rush to Europe. Place: charter flights across the North Atlantic. Guests of honor: thousands of Americans who might never visit the Continent without the organized buildup, the cheap fares (average round trip: $265), and the group security of the newest way to go abroad. In three years charter flights have grown 200%, now account for more than one in every ten passengers who fly the North Atlantic. This year charter flights will attract such diverse groups as Manhattan's Cliff Dwellers Deviltry and Diversion Society, the New Glarus (Wis.) Yodlers, the Flatbush Bridge Club, members of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Neighborhood Cleaners Association (New York City). For most charter travelers, the flight overseas will be an aisle-roaming, convivial carnival in the sky. Says Lois Raebeck, a member of Manhattan's Lexington Democratic Club: "They sort of drink and feed you all the way across the ocean. It's really royal treatment."

Although tourist travel accounts for the biggest share of charters, corporations are joining the fun. Next week Hupp's Gibson Refrigerator Division of Greenville, Mich, will spend nearly $2,000,000 to charter 31 Pan American 707 jets to fly 5,080 dealers from 23 U.S. cities to Honolulu for a sales convention; General Electric has chartered 17 jets for a similar junket this fall. All of the nation's 16 major-league ball clubs now travel on chartered planes, and there are even charter runs to ferry monkeys and elephants from India, blooded Irish race horses to and from the U.S. for stud service.

Less Bother & Bookkeeping. But the bulk of the charter flight boom reflects the growing U.S. passion for seeing new places. The airlines like charter flights because they keep equipment in use during the off season. The flights entail less bother and bookkeeping than regular flights, since an entire plane is chartered for a flat rate (e.g., $22,000 for a DC-7C seating 79) to a group that collects the money from its members, handles the tickets and seating. For the economy-minded traveler, charter flights offer the equivalent of first-class service (meals include hors d'oeuvres, filet mignon, hard liquor, wine and champagne) at less than half the price, and a chance to travel with --or meet--friends. With more and more regular passengers taking jets, airlines are able to use their prop planes on the charter runs.

Charter flights, of course, have their disadvantages. Flight dates are fixed and tickets are not changeable. In peak travel periods charter flights are hard to get, thus must usually be arranged twelve months in advance. Civil Aeronautics Board regulations for charter flights are strict. To qualify for an international air charter flight, an individual must have belonged to a club for more than six months, and the club must exist for a reason other than the charter flight. The CAB is usually tough about approving charter applications from club organizers and travel agents, sometimes cancels flights at the last minute if it suspects deceptions. Although wives and children of club members may join the flight, clubs cannot advertise the charter flight except in their own publications, cannot make a profit from it.

More Planes for Hire. Nonetheless, many travelers have found ways to beat the rules. Some groups form six months in advance with the announced purpose of aiding a special charity, admit members to a charter flight for a fixed contribution to the charity. Democrats have been known to turn Republican and Republicans Democratic long enough to get in on a charter flight scheduled by a political club. Complains Icelandic Airlines President Nicholas Craig, who does not usually offer charters: "There has been too much abuse in charter groups. It has gotten to the point where people with brown eyes organize a club to arrange a charter flight to Europe."

With the new jets there will be even more prop planes to charter. Some lines (Sabena, Pan American) are already offering jet charters, and others are expected to follow soon. The new jets will demand bigger charter parties (144 seats v. about 79 for a prop plane), thus be harder to fill. Major airlines hope to woo away some potential charter business with the new 17-day $350 excursion fare for individual tourists that goes into effect Oct. 1. But charter nights will get a boost this winter when Capitol Airways begins a $230 charter round trip from New York to Hawaii. Since Hawaii is not considered an international run, the nights are not required to meet international regulations. This means that the CAB will accept a more liberal definition of a group, thus enable an even wider range of potential travelers to support some charity via a sky ball across the ocean.

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