Morning sports update: An inside look at the luxurious plane the Red Sox used to fly to London

A video tour of the plane shows how different it is from a regular commercial airliner.

The Red Sox staff preparing the team's bags for travel to London. The Associated Press

June 28, 2019

3 minutes to read

The Celtics are on the verge of what promises to be a busy NBA free agent period. Official negotiations can begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday (June 30). The rumors are already swirling.

And the United States women’s national team faces host nation France in a much anticipated quarterfinal of the World Cup today at 3 p.m. The winner will play England in the semifinal.

The Red Sox flew to London in style: Despite having to fly to another continent to play a two-game series in the middle of the season, the Red Sox likely won’t have any complaints about their travel accommodations (or at least not the plane that the team flew to London on).

As has been revealed, the Red Sox jetted to London for this weekend’s special international series against the Yankees on a custom-fitted Crystal Boeing 777-200. It’s an airplane that is designed specifically to make flying as comfortable as possible.

Normally able to fly with 300 passengers, the plane is equipped for a smaller capacity of only 88. This means that every seat is large and spacious. It also means that there’s more room for a bar and dining area (which includes an in-flight “executive chef“).

https://twitter.com/jmoorereal/status/1144245702844919808

Here’s a full tour of the plane, which is normally a part of Crystal Cruise’s luxury itineraries but is also available for charter service — and which can cost its 88 passengers almost $500,000 for a six-hour flight:

Trivia: With the Red Sox in London, and the U.S. in the World Cup, it’s time for (what else?) some Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup trivia: Though Viktor Krum caught the snitch in the final of the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, his Bulgarian team ultimately lost. What country won by a final score of 170-160?

(Answer at the bottom.)

Hint: In case this wasn’t clear, Harry, Hermione, and members of the Weasley family were present to watch the game.

More from Boston.com:

The story behind Red Sox rookie Michael Chavis

: Boston Globe reporter Julian McWilliams dug deep into the backstory of Red Sox rookie infielder Michael Chavis. One notable discovery: Chavis’s parents would punish him in high school by forbidding him to hit in the family’s backyard screen setup.

“When I was in trouble for something in school, [my parents] would take away hitting,” Chavis told McWilliams. “That’s not a joke, bro. I had a screen in my backyard and I wasn’t allowed to go hit. I didn’t play video games. It wasn’t my thing. In the offseason, when I’m just hanging out with my brother, I’ll just be like, ‘Dude you just want to go hit?’ It’s just something that I need.” [The Boston Globe]

Breaking: Kyrie Irving is not a popular NBA player in New England.

Kevin Durant is second ‘most hated’ player in the NBA, according to fan tweets https://t.co/rrCKt3GHdl pic.twitter.com/NRjhrO8W5p

— SFGATE (@SFGate) June 27, 2019

The Lakers, now equipped with the cap space to pursue a third maximum contract, are reportedly in pursuit of Kyrie Irving:

Kyrie Irving remains as much a target for the Lakers as Kawhi Leonard, league sources say, now that the Lakers are sure they can open maximum cap space. They are swinging for the fences despite all of the signals that have pointed Irving to Brooklyn …

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 28, 2019

On this day: In 2018, Jackie Bradley Jr. marked his own bobblehead night at Fenway Park by making a trademark spectacular catch in centerfield and also hitting a home run. The Red Sox beat the Angels 4-2 to complete the series sweep.

Daily highlight: England’s world-class right back Lucy Bronze capped off a dominating quarterfinal win over Norway with a thundering goal from a set piece: