If your ideal 2024 vacation involves grooving to soul music in the home of the blues, filling up on ribs in the pork BBQ capital of the world, or just sitting back in a luxury hotel, getting pampered from the moment you leave home until the moment you return, then your dreams are coming true.
Peterborough travel agency BST Vacations (Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd.) is making it easy to do any or all of that with a tour to Memphis, Tennessee that departs directly from Peterborough Airport. From September 19 to 22, the journey cuts out all the hassle of flying by providing a travel experience that is exactly that — an experience.
“Once you fly out of Peterborough Airport, you’ll never want to go back to Pearson,” says Arleigh Elson, the head of business development and marketing at BST Vacations. “Usually, the transportation aspect of travel is the worst part of travelling, from going to the airport to the actual flight. But when you go through Peterborough Airport, it is absolutely enjoyable.”
Including round-trip airfare on the private chartered Boeing 737-800 189-passenger aircraft and three nights of accommodation, the tour to Memphis is one of the destinations for the 2024 Peterborough Airport Departures by Stewart Tours. Other destinations for 2024 that are already sold out include New York City and St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The Peterborough Airport Departures program launched on the company’s 40th anniversary in business. At the time, the Peterborough Airport had just completed upgrades to the runway that would allow for a 737 to land and depart from the Airport. The team at BST Vacations wanted to do something big and very different to celebrate the anniversary, and after plenty of legwork were able to run the first passenger Boeing 737 aircraft to fly from the Peterborough Airport.
“When the first planned trip to New York City sold out in 24 hours, we knew we were on to something and that a market for travel out of the Peterborough Airport exists,” says Elson. “Since the inception, we have continued to improve the experience and grow the program each year.”
VIDEO: Fly from the Peterborough Airport – BST Vacations / Blowes & Stewart Travel
This year marks the 10th anniversary since the inaugural launch of Peterborough Departures and, to celebrate, BST Vacations has planned a trip back to where it all began: New York City. Part of the group will immerse themselves in the vibrant energy of the Big Apple, while the others will embark on a luxurious cruise to Bermuda from the iconic port of New York City. They are also running charters to St. John’s, Newfoundland, and — to change it up from the usual fast-selling trips to Nashville — the trip to Memphis.
BST Vacations has also launched a new line of charters for the 2024 season called Elevated Escapes, a collection of charters that promises an elevated and more intimate departure experience from Peterborough Airport, using a private 33-passenger aircraft for an unparalleled travel experience. Destinations include the Magdalen Islands and Quebec City.
All the direct from Peterborough flights offer an advantage even beyond the proximity of the runway, including having to arrive only 90 minutes before departure, complimentary parking, complimentary drinks and snacks while waiting for departure, and a drive-thru luggage check-in (where staff pull the bags out of the car while travellers remain seated).
“It’s great for the group of people that want a quick getaway that’s easy, without the headache of travelling to Pearson or the cost of paying for transportation or parking,” says Elson. “It’s an experience on its own, as opposed to just transporting you from one place to another.”
When on the flight to Memphis, the luxury treatment does not stop. All passengers are given a complimentary breakfast (typically a croissant sandwich with fruit and chocolate), as well as two complimentary alcoholic beverages to get them in the vacation mood.
All the food is made fresh by the catering department from Sobeys Lansdowne on the morning of the flight, taking into account passenger allergies and dietary restrictions.
The beverages are also locally sourced, with spirits coming from Black’s Distillery and beer from Publican House Brewery.
Though any alcoholic drinks must be purchased on the return trip back to Peterborough, it’s for a good cause as all the proceeds are donated to the Peterborough Humane Society.
With Publican House Brewery already supporting the Peterborough Humane Society through sales of its Pet Pilsner, Elson points out that the Humane Society receives the donation from the purchase of the pilsner, and again when passengers purchase it in-flight, giving the Humane Society double the donation on the same product.
“We’ve always had a relationship with the Humane Society and our guests appreciate the chance to support them,” says Elson. “They do great work and we are happy to be able to donate to them at the end of each charter season.”
After touching down in Memphis, a bus is on site to take passengers directly to the four-star Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel. Just outside the doors, guests can get a $1 trolley right to Beale Street, the city’s entertainment district full of live music, buzzing bars and restaurants, and lively street performers every night of the week.
“You can’t miss that unique experience of the Memphis trolley,” says Laurie Bertrand, the head of the Peterborough charters department. “Beale Street is its own unique thing, like Broadway in Nashville or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. With wall-to-wall bars, live music, soul and blues, it’s where you want to be.”
BST Vacations offers several optional excursions for spending your days in the heart of Tennessee. Some excursions include the Elvis Experience Tour at Graceland, the American Soul Tour, Johnny Cash’s Birthplace Tour, and a tour of Sun Studios which launched the careers of Elvis, BB King, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
“You don’t even have to be a music fan to see that there’s so much history there,” says Bertrand. “There’s a lot of big names — and not even just the old timers — so it’s really quite interesting for people of all ages.”
For the foodies in the group, Memphis lives up to its reputation with more than 100 barbeque joints, while also boasting a surplus of other soul and southern restaurants and a recent rise in Mexican eateries. If you’re really lucky, you just might stumble upon a diner serving up The King’s iconic favourite sandwich: peanut butter, banana, and bacon.
Other popular tourist spots include looking out from the Memphis Pyramid, visiting the award-winning Memphis Zoo, diving into history at the National Civil Rights Museum or at the Stax Museum of American Soul, or taking a cruise along the Mississippi River.
“Elvis is huge, but Memphis is not just Graceland and Elvis,” notes Bertrand. “There’s so much to see and do culturally.”
All of this and more can be booked by the BST Vacations representative who will be in the hotel acting as concierge for the weekend — booking excursions, buying tickets to shows, and scheduling dinner reservations for guests.
“Guests can be as independent as they want, or they can purchase one of our tours and be part of a little group,” Elson says.
Representatives are also onsite and available 24/7 to help with any issues, questions, or concerns that may arise.
“We handle every single aspect of the journey,” explains Bertrand, adding that they even give out their personal cell phone numbers so guests can always reach them. “If throughout the tour, they need something, they can call our cell phones. We’re available and we’re going to help them, whatever the problem is. It’s not a no-name, no-face trip — we’re there.”
For those who prefer to travel domestically, there is still space available on the Elevated Escapes Departures from Peterborough Airport to Quebec City from April 18 to 21.
Labelled as a more personalized experience, it includes airfare on a SAAB 340 33-passenger aircraft, and comes with even more benefits like future tour discounts, an end-of-season celebration, and more complimentary food and drinks on the flight.
“People are really excited about us offering something new and a little more exclusive than what the Peterborough departures experience already is — which is certainly already an elevated experience,” says Elson.
Like the Memphis departure, the journey to Quebec is designed to provide guests with a stress-free travel experience. BST Vacations sends one of their staff to act as onsite concierge so passengers don’t have to lift a finger to organize what they would like to experience. BST Vacations will look after any dinner reservations, attraction passes, theatre tickets, spa bookings, etc. Whatever passengers are looking to do, BST Vacations will arrange.
“It’s hands-on right from the moment you booked your trip to the moment you get off of the plane and get back into your car to go home,” says Bertrand. “We take care of you every step of the flawless and seamless journey.”
For more information on Peterborough Airport Departures, including the Memphis trip and the trip to Quebec City, visit bstvacations.ca/2024-peterborough-departures/.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with BST Vacations (Blowes & Stewart Travel Group Ltd.). If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
