How Do NFL Teams Travel to Away Games?

A look at how NFL teams travel to away games, including the various methods of transportation used and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

By Plane

The vast majority of NFL teams travel to their away games by plane. In most cases, teams will fly the day before the game and stay in a hotel near the stadium. This gives them a chance to rest and go over the game plan with their coaches. The night before the game, they will have a team meeting and go over the game plan again.

Commercial

Most NFL teams travel by commercial airplane to away games. The exceptions are the teams located in the same general vicinity, such as the Jets and Giants, who often travel by bus to save money.

The typical NFL team travels with about 50 to 75 people on a chartered flight. This includes players, coaches, trainers, doctors, and other team personnel. The flight crew consists of a pilot, copilot, and usually two or three flight attendants.

The average cost of an NFL team chartering a flight for one away game is approximately $250,000. In comparison, the cost of flying commercial is about $100,000 less per game.

Private

While most people think of pro football teams traveling by bus to their away games, the reality is that most teams now fly on private planes. It’s faster and more comfortable, and it allows the team to get to its destination with less wear and tear on the players.

Of course, flying private doesn’t come cheap. A typical NFL team will spend anywhere from $1 million to $2 million per year on air travel, which is a significant portion of the team’s overall budget. But for many teams, it’s worth it.

If you’re wondering how an NFL team decides whether to fly commercial or private, it all comes down to logistics. For example, if a team is playing a game in a city that’s within driving distance, it makes more sense to take the bus. But if the game is in another city that’s several hours away by car, then flying becomes the better option.

Another factor that plays into the decision is the time of year. During the regular season, when there are games every week, it’s more convenient (and less disruptive) to fly. But during the offseason, when there are no games and players are spread out across the country, it makes more sense for each player to fly commercial.

The bottom line is that flying private is simply a matter of convenience and comfort for NFL teams. It allows them to get where they need to go without having to deal with traffic, bad weather, or other delays. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters most.

By Bus

Most NFL teams travel to away games by bus. The team will typically leave on Friday and arrive at the hotel near the stadium on Saturday. They will then have a walk-through practice on Saturday afternoon and attend a team meeting before going to bed. On game day, they will have a pre-game meal and then head to the stadium for the game. After the game, they will take the bus back to the hotel and then fly back home on Sunday.

By Train

In the early days of the NFL, teams would travel to away games by train. This was the preferred method of travel as it was relatively affordable and it allowed the team to bond during their journey. However, as air travel became more prevalent, teams began to fly to their away games. Today, most teams fly to their away games, although there are still a few teams that travel by train.