As travel advisors know well, if you see it, it’s so much easier to sell it.
By visiting 11 of the 15 diverse properties offered by Air Canada Vacations on the eastern Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, participants in a recent fam got an eyeful of a beautiful destination.
Representing six different host agencies, a dozen travel advisors jetted off to Saint Lucia, along with your TravelPulse Canada representative, trip host Krista Rothfuchs, Air Canada Vacations Sales Manager for ACV@Home, and Davia ‘Kenya’ McLennon, Reservations Supervisor for Unique Vacations Canada, representing trip accommodation sponsor Sandals Resorts
As a tour operator that has put an increasing focus on home-based, host agency advisors for the past four years, Air Canada Vacations was taking the next step, its first-ever fam trip exclusively for that segment, led by the person tasked with helping nearly 4,000 host agents sell better.
The beautiful setting of Sandals Grande St. Lucian. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Before setting off from our Sandals Grande St. Lucian home base on the ambitious task of visiting 11 hotels in 2.5 days, the group spent a couple of hours being trained by Rothfuchs on ACV’s overall sun product.
With so many agents Rothfuchs needs to be efficient with her time. “The advisors I work best with are the ones who really want to work with me,” she says.
Rothfuchs makes it easy, even allowing advisors access to her calendar to book a consultation. She can also offer training for teams, assistance with consumer nights, group opportunities, help with escalation requests. Constructive input and feedback is always welcomed, she says.
ACV helps out with all kinds of content to assist advisors, including online Travel Guides that go deep into the product inventory, offering resort ratings on things like pools, spa and dining. “They can get quite specific,” Rothfuchs says, “and really help narrow down the options.”
ACV also does that with its Collections, dividing the more than 500 resorts its offers in 35+ sun destinations into categories including Luxe, Boutique (under 100 rooms), Adults, Green Hotels, Family, Spa, Play and LGBTQ2+-.
For advisors interested in selling more ACV product, Rothfuchs listed a number of distinguishing attributes, along with the operator’s huge sun resort inventory, access to lift and first checked bag free policy.
Aeroplan (Photo Credit: Air Canada)
Aeroplan
The millions of Aeroplan members can earn and redeem points on Air Canada Vacations packages. Clients can simply go online and turn their points into ACV gift cards. These come as codes that advisors can apply to the booking. “It’s an option that’s really nice to have,” Rothfuchs says.
Family members can all have their own Aeroplan accounts now, and share them for group travel.
Aeroplan members also get free texting on almost all sun flights, a popular new perk in partnership with Bell.
Carefree & Careflex
Rothfuchs says these travel protection packages that offer seat selection, price drop guarantees and flexibility for changes can be a useful upsell for advisors, and they come with 20% commission.
E-Packages
Using the SIREV code VAE instead of VAC, advisors can create air and hotel packages with net air and commission on land. The first checked bag is still free, and dates are flexible.
Price-Match
Advisors requesting a price-match can send two screenshots to [email protected], and Rothfuchs says a response is usually supplied within a couple of hours.
Instant Group Quote
It’s not here yet, but it’s coming, says Rothfuchs, likely before the end of the year.
ACV&Me Rewards
Points earned from selling ACV product can be redeemed for travel vouchers, restaurant and retail gift cards, VISA gift cards and more.
Wrapping up the training on her first-ever fam group of host agency members, Rothfuchs noted that there are more than 1,000 members on the ACV@Home Community Facebook page. “I was hoping for 500, so that’s pretty great.”
Rothfuchs had The Travel Agent Next Door in her territory from the start, and she has witnessed that company and others grow at an exponential pace over the past decade. Fam group members included members of TTAND, TravelOnly, Trevello, Nexion, Centre Holidays and Flight Centre Travel Group.
“Home-based advisors work differently, and they’re all business owners. There’s so much ambition,” says Rothfuchs. “This was a great group for our first ACV@Home fam.”
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