The Department of Tourism's advertising agency offered Premier Ewart Brown a ride to Washington on a private jet, so he could watch the World Cup clash with Trinidad on Sunday and meet US president George W. Bush at the White House yesterday morning.

Sunday night's flight was arranged with the help of Don Coleman, of Global Hue, who had an employee on board.

Also on the plane were Dr. Brown, his Press Secretary Glenn Jones and a security official.

"A friend offered to give us a ride, one of our tourism partners," Dr. Brown said. "When they found out I was between a rock and a hard place, either I was going to miss the game or I was going to miss meeting the President, neither of which I wanted to miss, they offered to give us a ride so the Press Secretary, my wife (Wanda Henton Brown), a security official and myself went.

"We have asked the company for an invoice in the amount equivalent to commercial first-class tickets for the three of us and my wife is writing a cheque to the company for her own ticket."

A statement from Cabinet Office yesterday read: "Although it is not typical for the Premier to travel on country business by private plane, one was utilised on this occasion because there was no viable commercial flight option allowing the Premier to attend the Bermuda versus Trinidad football match on Sunday night at the National Sports Centre and the meeting with President George W. Bush on Monday morning at the White House.

"Both engagements are viewed as having high national importance. Neither engagement could be rescheduled.

"As an added benefit, the non-commercial flight option permitted the Premier to participate in the annual Senior Citizen' Tea at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday afternoon and a breakfast meeting with former Federal Reserve chairman Dr. Alan Greenspan on Monday morning."

The plane flew to Washington Dulles Airport. The Bermuda delegation will return to the Island on commercial aircraft.