Aviation and soccer collide this November as followers get the uncommon probability to fly aboard the Arizona Cardinals Boeing 777 crew airplane.
Provided by Cardinals Premier Journey, this all-inclusive, first-class expertise will put as much as 288 die-hard Playing cards followers on the crew’s customized 777 constitution for choose away video games, letting them journey in the identical sky-high type as the professionals.
The primary alternative for followers will start with a high-profile Monday Evening Soccer matchup towards the Dallas Cowboys on 3 November. This primary-of-its-kind program blends the joys of NFL fandom with the attract of flying on a custom-made plane tailor-made for skilled athletes.
This journey is a full-on, curated NFL highway journey with all of the trimmings. Who thought flying with a bunch of sweaty soccer followers would ever sound this fancy?
A Boeing 777 Constructed for the NFL
The Cardinals’ fleet, operated by Gridiron Air—an organization specializing in aviation providers for skilled sports activities groups—consists of 5 ex-Delta Boeing 777-232ERs, with two at the moment lively and three in storage, in response to planespotters.web.
The 2 lively plane embrace:
N860DA | Delivered new to Delta Air Traces in March 1999 and to the Cardinals in September 2023 | Age: 26.4 years
N866DA | Delivered new to Delta Air Traces in December 1999 and to the Cardinals in March 2025 | Age: 25.6 years
The three parked plane are:
N777AZ | Delivered new to Delta Air Traces in March 2002 and to the Cardinals in October 2023 | Age: 23.4 years | Presently in storage at Marana Pinal Airpark (MZJ), Arizona.
N861DA | Delivered new to Delta Air Traces in March 1999 and to the Cardinals in December 2022 | Age: 26.3 years | Presently in storage at Roswell Industrial Air Middle (ROW), New Mexico.
N864DA | Delivered new to Delta Air Traces in December 1999 and to the Cardinals in October 2022 | Age: 25.8 years | Presently in storage at MZJ
The Arizona Cardinals Boeing 777s characteristic 288 seats: 220 economic system, 48 enterprise class, and 28 first-class/lie-flat seats, with 166 boasting further legroom and wider cushions for these of us who don’t have a linebacker’s quads.
The 777s boast different specialised facilities, together with:
State-of-the-art refreshment stations serving dietary meals tailor-made to athletes’ dietary wants.
A big lounge space for mid-flight crew conferences and technique opinions (or for followers arguing over the ref’s final name).
Enhanced cabin options like further noise-canceling supplies, temper lighting, superior local weather management, enlarged overhead bins, and high-speed WiFi.
High-tier air filtration programs for a cleaner, more healthy cabin atmosphere.
From the outline, I think about the airplane as half locker room, half luxurious liner. And actually, I wouldn’t complain about it.
Cardinals Premier Journey: The Fan Expertise
The primary fan flight will depart Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) on 1 November 2025. As much as 288 followers can be on board, on their solution to Dallas for the Cowboys sport. The identical Arizona Cardinals Boeing 777 will deliver everybody dwelling following the sport’s conclusion on 3 November.
The all-inclusive bundle, described by the Cardinals as a “curated journey,” consists of roundtrip airfare on the crew’s 777, lodge lodging, sport tickets, personal vacation spot transportation, crew swag, a pregame tailgate, a reception with Cardinals legends, and extra.
In a crew press launch, Cardinals proprietor Michael Bidwill, who has clearly seen the hordes of red-clad followers storming away video games, emphasised this system’s enchantment.
“Lately, the variety of Cardinals followers who journey to help the crew at highway video games has elevated exponentially,” Bidwill mentioned. “To fulfill that clear demand, we’re introducing Cardinals Premier Journey, which can provide followers an unprecedented alternative to journey to video games in consolation, type, and comfort, similar to the crew.”
The variety of Cardinals followers who journey to help the crew at highway video games has elevated exponentially.
Michael Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals Proprietor
The packages are tiered to supply various ranges of luxurious, with pricing and facilities as follows:
Silver Bundle ($2,500/individual): Fundamental cabin seating, two nights on the Marriott Dallas Uptown, and lower-level sport tickets. Followers preferring further legroom that doesn’t make you are feeling like a pretzel can improve to Silver Premium for a further $500/individual.
Gold Bundle ($4,500/individual): Enterprise class seating, two nights on the Marriott Dallas Uptown, and club-level sport tickets.
Platinum Bundle ($6,000/individual): First-class/lie-flat seating, two nights on the crew’s 4-star lodge, and personal suite-level sport tickets.
Seating is assigned primarily based on the bundle bought and the reserving order, so early reservations are key for prime spots. Passengers are permitted one checked bag and one private merchandise at no extra price, aligning with the premium expertise.
Why a 777? As a result of NFL Groups Don’t Journey Mild
The Cardinals’ use of Boeing 777s displays the distinctive logistical calls for of transporting an NFL crew. If you’re hauling gamers, coaches, workers, and sufficient gear to outfit a small military, a regional jet simply received’t lower it. Plus, some groups cut up their rosters throughout a number of planes for security and insurance coverage causes–no one needs the entire beginning lineup on one flight if turbulence will get feisty.
Past sport days, the Cardinals’ 777s don’t simply sit idle. Throughout the low season, they help charity work and emergency operations. For example, in January 2025, two of the crew’s 777s have been deployed to evacuate the Los Angeles Rams and their households throughout devastating wildfires, relocating them to Phoenix till it was secure to return.
And now, with the 777s opened as much as followers, they are going to be utilized much more. Actually, realizing how worthwhile these belongings are each on and off the sphere is an efficient enterprise transfer. Both approach, it’s fairly cool for a airplane that’s older than a few of the rookies it carries.
AvGeek Enchantment and Fan Frenzy
For us avgeeks, it is a golden ticket to expertise a 777 tricked out for NFL royalty. The customized cabin, from lie-flat seats to outsized bins, is a case research in tips on how to flip a industrial airliner right into a cell crew headquarters. The truth that these planes began life with Delta earlier than Y2K and obtained a Cardinals makeover solely provides to the nerdy attract. For Playing cards followers, it’s an opportunity to reside like a participant (minus the 5 a.m. exercises), rub elbows with legends, and scream your lungs out at AT&T Stadium.
However let’s be sincere: $6,000 for a weekend may make your pockets cry tougher than a fan after a foul name. Nonetheless, the Cardinals are breaking new floor by letting followers board their crew airplane, and that’s a fairly large deal. It’s like being invited to the cool children’ desk, besides the desk is a 777 at 35,000 ft, and the cool children are most likely arguing about who will get the armrest.
So, in case you’re an avgeek who is aware of your 777-232ER out of your 737-800 or a Cardinals fan able to bleed purple from a lie-flat seat, Cardinals Premier Journey is your probability to merge your love of planes and pigskin. Simply don’t count on the pilot to do a flyover of the stadium—these are reserved for the Air Power, for now.
Need to geek out extra or e book a spot? Test the Cardinals Premier Journey web site for particulars. And possibly deliver a spare bank card.
