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AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 11:53 am
by RisePilot
Would anyone have recent (past 6-12mo) feedback or advice on getting AirTotal and AirBP fuel cards?

This is for private use, UK resident, Avgas and not having a French bank account (though able to directly pay/fund in Euros).

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 12:05 pm
by Iceman
Air BP and Total cards can both be applied for on-line. A UK bank account is ok for the Total card. I have both. A deposit is required for the Total card, the amount dependent upon your anticipated usage. A few scanned documents have to be supplied with the Total card application, e.g., aircraft registration document, a fuel bill, proof of address, bank statement, etc.

Iceman 8)

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 1:01 pm
by johnm
We're in the same place as @Iceman

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 1:10 pm
by GrahamB
I’ve had both for a number of years, and very useful they are too. I got them back in the days when a French domiciled Euro bank account was required for a Total card but that presented no problem as I had one anyway.

An Irish friend of mine is responsible for triggering the softening of Total’s requirement by starting proceedings through the ECJ!

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 1:24 pm
by patowalker
I don't know why Air Total want to know your registration. The pumps don't ask for it and you can fuel up more than one aircraft. This works well when travelling in a group. Somehow, if you pay for the fuel and they make up for it by paying for your food and accommodation, it seems as if you are having a free holiday. :)

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 2:00 pm
by Bathman
Might sound a daft question but why do u need one? Why can't u just pay with a debit or credit card like you do at a petrol station in France?

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 2:17 pm
by patowalker
Better ask Air Total and Air BP, but I think it is because they own the pumps, not the airfield, and they can protect themselves against misfuelling claims by limiting the cards to the particular fuel you have signed up for.

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 2:44 pm
by RisePilot
Thanks for the above. What kind of time frames has it taken people to get their cards?

Following are the site links for anyone else looking at the same:

AirTotal https://www.bp.com/en/global/bp-air.html
AirBP http://www.airtotal.com/general-aviation/french-card.html

Regarding the deposits, I've heard of ranges from EUR 200 upwards of nearly EUR 1000. What's the guidance; give them a low estimate of yearly purchases?

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 2:44 pm
by Iceman
A number of the smaller airfields in France will take only a Total card or cash for fuel. Having the card means that you don't get caught out having no cash on you. Quite a number of places in France also take the BP card, of course.

The time frame was a few weeks for each card. I put down €400 as a deposit for the Total card; others seem to have paid less. ISTR that I stated an estimate of 2000 litres annual usage for the Total card.

Iceman 8)

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 2:47 pm
by Huntj86
Mine took a few weeks, and I think my deposit was nearer €500.

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 5:10 pm
by EddieHeli
Only took a couple of days, everything done by email.
Total wanted 700 euro deposit, Air BP card has Aircraft Reg and Fuel Type on it.
Air BP required me to send Direct Debit form to my bank myself, which I didn't notice and didn't do, as most DD's get sent to the bank electronically by the vendor nowadays, so first payment didn't get debited until I sorted it out.

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 6:19 pm
by patowalker
Iceman wrote:A number of the smaller airfields in France will take only a Total card or cash for fuel.


... and sometimes it is only a Total card, which means finding someone at the airfield who has one and is willing to accept your cash in exchange for using his card. There was nobody at Dinan when we landed this week, but we were able to fuel three aircraft on one card.

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 6:27 pm
by mmcp42
I have an AirBP card
worked for almost every place I refuelled in France
it does ask the registration at time of dispensing fuel
and only allows the fuel type (AVGAS) you sign up for
but all very easy and no deposit :)

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 6:47 pm
by patowalker
Allowing only one type of fuel is inconvenient, where Rotax engines are concerned. They prefer UL91, but as 100LL is more widely available, that is what I picked.

Re: AirTotal & AirBP Fuel Cards

PostPosted:Mon May 27, 2019 8:18 pm
by derekf
I complained at the deposit asked for and they reduced it to 200eu and said this was the lowest they could do...