On Board Courier bound for Cannes Film Festival
The Challenge
As the Crown SDS Heathrow team were wrapping up after a busy week, a request came in to provide urgent support to a customer that required a rapid European courier service.
The Westminster-based customer had tried (and been unsuccessful) in finding a logistics service that could offer time-critical overseas delivery of two suitcases to the French Riviera. The cases in question were high-end beauty products, supplied to make-up artists providing services to high-profile VIP’s appearing at the Cannes Film Festival.
This particular challenge had been exacerbated by COVID-related travel restrictions in place, making the logistics around moving items internationally much more difficult.
The Solution
Crown SDS prides itself on the partnerships it has created over three decades, something which has been a key factor in enabling the business to offer a wider range of same day services to its customers.
One of those partnerships, with Diamond Air International, was called upon at short notice to support in finding a time-critical solution to assist the customer. Having a team based on-site at Heathrow airport meant Crown SDS could handle the request much more directly and efficiently.
Whilst other providers were unable to offer a solution that would meet the time-critical requirements of the request, Crown SDS were able to quote for an on-board courier service that would ensure the items reached the recipients within 24 hours of the request.
The Crown team worked in partnership with Diamond Air to quickly source an on-board agent who was fully vaccinated and had taken both an antigen and PCR test – a huge challenge within the small time-frame. An international travel certificate was also obtained successfully, stating the reason for travel, which would allow the agent to travel into France and personally hand the items over.
Successfully meeting the strict travel requirements, the Crown SDS team were able to ensure the appointed agent was on a flight heading out to Nice the following morning, with the items safely on board.
Tony Clements, Area Manager of the South at Crown SDS said,
“Despite time being against us which is often the case within the logistics sector – we were proud to be able to deliver the makeup products, with additional time to spare using an on board courier service”.
Read more in an article published by Courier News – ‘Cannes Film Festival Fashion Emergency Averted‘