Travel Agent Professional October 2012 Issue 20
By Sherry Laskin, ACC
www.autoeurope.com
October 2012
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BySherryLaskin TravelWriter/NACTAWebinarModerator
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Who I’d Be ByScottKoepf
VicePresidentofSalesAvoyaTravel/AmericanExpress
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http://issuu.com/action/page?page=16
Redheads Can Finish First! Les-LeeRoland OwnerofThePackageDeal
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http://issuu.com/action/page?page=18
How Affinity Groups Can Make Home Base Agents VERY... ByMitchellJ.Schlesinger VicePresident,Sales&MarketingVoyagestoAntiquity
Showcase Amadeus .......................................................13 OASIS............................................................17 Expedia CruiseShipCenters’ ..........................22 Alamo National Car Rental ...........................23
October 2012 Issue 20
By Sherry Laskin, ACC
Ad Index
Cover by Celebrity
Auto Europe................................IFC http://www.AutoEurope.com
Travel Planners Int’l........................7 http://www.myhosttravelagency.com
Avoya Travel/American Express....21 http://www.joinavoya.com/default.cfm?ref=115
Voyages to Antiquity ......................3 http://us.voyagestoantiquity.com/
Leisure Pops .................................11 http://www.leisurepops.com/ Royal Caribbean Line ...................BC http://www.royalcaribbean.com/
Travel Agent Professional
2012
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Ten Tips for a First Trans-Atlantic Cruise
TAP
Travel Agent Professional October 2012 Issue 20
Travel Agent Professional P.O. Box 120202 Staten Island, NY 10312 E-mail: info@travelagentprofessional.com Phone: 718.227.7541
Joel M. Abels
Legend In the Travel Industry April 1927 to January 2007
Ann M. Hoek Publisher/Creative Design ann@travelagentprofessional.com Bonnie Walling Editor Bonnie@travelagentprofessional.com Alan Cohen Vice President marketing Alan@travelagentprofessional.com
Meet Our Editorial Board
Mitchell J. Schlesinger Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity www.voyagestoantiquity.com Rusty Pickett, ECC Shellback Cruises www.shellbackcruises.com Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal Scott Koepf Vice President of Sales Avoya Travel/ America’s Vacation Center www.joinavoya.com/default.cfm?ref=11583 Sherry Laskin, ACC Travel Writer/NACTA Webinar Moderator www.cruisemaven.com Sue Shapiro, President Shapiro Travel Resources sue.shapiro@gmail.com www.shapirotravelresources.com Paull Tickner, Creator of Special Interest Britain pjtickner@yahoo.co.uk www.greatdays.co.uk
Contributions Lee Rosen, CEO Leisure Pops www.leisurepops.com
Travel Agent Professional has its roots in Home Based Trade, the first magazine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in 2004. Joel and Lenore Abels ran Travel Trade for nearly half a century – it was started by her grandfather, John S. Lewis, and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, and they took the publication over after her grandfather’s passing. Under Joel’s direction, the company grew to be one of the travel agent industry’s leading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agents throughout North America. It spawned a famous series of trade shows and three monthly magazines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and Home Based Trade. The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the Neal Award, called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hitting editorials. On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and staying with him until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man. He was like a second father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by his word and believed in his work. There will never be another. While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping that this new publication, which reunites the original Home Based Trade editorial board, will be able to carry on his passion for travel and those who sell it.
Ann M. Hoek This online magazine is dedicated to the memory of Joel Abels, Travel Trade's editor and publisher. Joel and his life's work may be gone, but with your help it can live on.
September 2011
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4
whenever someone says to me, “I’d never go onatrans-Atlanticcruise.”
middleofnowhere,thereisn’tawholelotof activity going on around you, except maybe Youdofeellikeyouareoutthereallalone.
A C C
for an occasional whale or dolphin sighting.
L a s k i n ,
I have to admit, while not exactly in the
S h e r r y
nowhere.” That’s what I find myself saying
B y
“It’s not exactly in the middle of
Sherry Laskin Travel Writer/NACTA Webinar Moderator www.cruisemaven.com
Photo by RCL
Kindof.
Ten Tips
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August 2012
5 Cruise Never mind my very first trans-oceanic trip in 1961 aboard the petite Matsonia, from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Let’s fast-forward to my first “grown-up” trans-Atlantic crossing in 2005. This would be a litmus test for latent agoraphobia. To visualize that, imagine a tiny cork gently bobbing or violently tossing around in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, with no swimmers in sight. Yes, I was a bit nervous. When my first trans-Atlantic ship, the Celebrity Century, quietly slipped through the channel in Ft. Lauderdale and out to sea, I drew a deep breath and said to myself, “You can do this.” And “do this” I did. Since then, I’ve done a total of eight trans-Atlantic “voyages,” as Cunard prefers to call them. What’s it like and do you really feel totally stranded out there? Here are some of my thoughts and advice to help clients making their first trip across an ocean. Be prepared. Channel your inner Boy or Girl Scout and be prepared — with lazy day diversions. With a minimum of six consecutive sea days, even the most entertaining of the mega ships will have a lull in the activities. All of the ships have some sort of library. For the best selection, get there when it first opens. By the
second or third day, the choice for best sellers has dwindled. Not a reader? Bring your home craft project (providing it fits into your suitcase.) You’ll find knitters, needlepointers and scrapbookers meeting each day in some public space, as unhosted activities. Wine tasting has expanded into single-malt scotch, craft beer and tequila tastings. There is a fee, but what else do you have to do? Smell the roses. If you find yourself on the verge of activity overload, scout out a quiet spot to watch the sea. I usually search for both an indoor viewing area as well as an outdoor, windblocked vantage point. Sunny days with flat seas warrant an outdoor vantage point. On foggy or rough seas days, you’ll want to curl up in a comfy chair near a picture window. Yes, you will want to look out and see what’s going on. When you’re mid-ship on a low deck, you’ll hardly feel those 30-foot seas and gale force winds! Keep moving. On some ships, you can almost walk your way across the Atlantic. On Cunard’s wraparound outdoor walking track/promenade, a mere three times around is 1.1 miles. On other ships, you can walk in circles 10 or 11 times to finish one mile. (continued on page 6)
Travel Agent Professional
6 If a good fitness center is important, head on over to the cruise line’s Web site for photos of their workout facility — the bigger the better. A tiny gym means having to use one of only five treadmills for 1,000 passengers on a trans-Atlantic crossing, which is going to take some planning. The legendary weight gain. With a stretch of six to possibly ten sea days, one of the biggest concerns is weight gain. I’ve come to realize over time that it isn’t the actual over-eating that is the cause, but the amount of salt in the food that is the culprit. Also, I hear a lot of people complaining about swollen feet and ankles. Again, it’s the sodium in the food. Solution? Tell your dining room waiter that you would like to be on a sodium-free diet for the cruise. Here’s how it works: every night at the end of your dinner, the waiter (or head waiter) will present to you the menu for the next evening. You choose your entire dinner and the order is brought to the kitchen where there are other special diets orders (gluten-free, allergy requests etc.). By eliminating the “built-in” salt, you will avoid retaining water and thus not blow up like a pufferfish. But be forewarned: if you order salt-free, your dinner will be salt-free. This means that the gorgeous bowl of steamy French onion soup will arrive sans toasted French bread and cheese. You can always do a modified salt-free when something sounds too good to pass up.
Photo by Celebrity
A trans-Atlantic is a great time to do nothing. This isn’t an “If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium” experience. Trans-Atlantic cruises are generally not “port intensive.” But if there is a port you would like to visit, chances are you can find a cruise that stops there en route to where you will disembark. With careful planning, you can find an itinerary which will visit two to five ports along the way once you’ve crossed the ocean. Some cruise lines are eliminating the “cruise” portion and are almost mainlining straight across with only one port visit before debarkation in Europe. (continued on page 8)
October 2012
Travel Agent Professional
8 Make a new plan, Stan. My suggestion is that once you’ve decided on which trans-Atlantic voyage to take, book yourself into back-to-back cruises so that you stay onboard for either the first cruise once you arrive in Europe or the last cruise before the westbound crossing. That way, you not only feel “special” in saying that you are “continuing on,” but you get to spend time in many wonderful ports throughout Europe. What time is it, anyway? One of the best advantages of a trans-Atlantic crossing is the elimination of jet lag. Yes, you arrive at your destination either in Europe or the U.S. without needing two or three days to catch up to the local time zone. Which direction is better? Personally, l prefer a westbound crossing because it results in 25-hour days. Here’s how it works. Say, for example, you are booked on a crossing with seven sea days before you get to Florida. Starting on the first or second night after departure from Europe, clocks are set back one hour at bedtime. You continue to do this for maybe two consecutive days, take a break to adjust and set the clocks back again until you reach your debarkation port. I find that I do wake up a bit earlier than usual towards the end of the voyage, but I’m well-rested and ready to go.
Photo by RCL
Hop on the bus, Gus. Important to note, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is the ONLY cruise line offering regularly scheduled non-stop trans-Atlantic crossings nearly year round. The Queen Mary 2 is also the ONLY purpose-built actual ocean liner, not cruise ship, in service today. She’s built for transAtlantic voyages and sails them beautifully.
Going eastbound, with 23-hour days, you might find yourself at the buffet at 2 a.m. because your body is telling you it’s only 9 p.m.! If you are sensitive to time changes, be sure to check that the ship you are on will have a 24-hour food option, even if it’s only room service. Otherwise, you might find yourself, like I have many times, at the 24 hour coffee and tea location at 2 a.m., getting a flavored tea to bring back to my room to have with cookies that were saved from the afternoon. Is anyone out there? For a little piece of mind along your journey, remember that the ship travels in shipping lanes. You are never too far from another ship, even though it may not be visible. However, there is a por tion on the nor th Atlantic where you may find yourself in “noman’s-land” for a day or so depending upon the route that your captain decides to follow. Be prepared for a brief blip in satellite communica-
October 2012
9 of that spent zooming under the English Channel, you arrive rested and relaxed at St. Pancras train station in London. Walk a few yards from your train to the departure hall, find the Cunard representative and board their motor coach to Southampton. In another two hours, you’ll board the Queen Mary 2 for your voyage home.
tions, which affects the Internet and television. On my recent Cunard voyage, we never lost a second of communication via Wifi or TV. Ships’ satellite technology (meaning the company that they contract with for access) vastly improves every year. Roundtripping. Finally, if you have the time, why not do like I do and make the trans-Atlantic crossing in both directions? This does take a bit of skillful planning and occasional maneuvering, but it is, quite frankly, the best way to visit Europe. For example, cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona. Continue onboard for a Mediterranean cruise , which returns to Barcelona. Spend a couple of days in Barcelona and then make your way via train to Paris. Depending upon your schedule, spend a night or two in the City of Lights. At 9 a.m., take a taxi to the Gare du Nord Eurostar train station.In 2.5 hours, with 21 minutes
Travel Agent Professional
With the mystery of a trans-Atlantic crossing hopefully solved, why not start planning your trip today? If you would like the convenience of staying in the same cabin for back-to-back cruises, book early. Otherwise, your room attendant can help you change cabins on turnaround day. But if you can remain in the same cabin, it’s so much easier and less stressful. Once you’ve experienced the exhilaration and excitement of crossing an ocean, you will be hooked. For a very memorable experience, sail into New York City. Cruise ships arrive into New York harbor at dawn, pass under the colorfully lit Verrazano Bridge and quietly sail past the illuminated Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Everyone is out on deck at 5:30am to view this amazing sight. I’m sure many passengers reflect on how their ancestors might have felt hundreds of years ago. I’ve seen grown men cry and overheard people speaking in hushed voices with thick Irish brogues. Others blankly stare at Ellis Island. It’s a very moving moment, indeed. Now that you know there is nothing to fear and know what to expect, it’s time to plan your trip. Here’s to your first crossing!
10
Who I’d Be
By Scott Koepf
Don’t be an Ogre. Pretty simple advice. That is, of course, unless you really are an Ogre like the most famous one of all, Shrek. While you may be familiar with the movie, I will, as always, reference the musical of the same name. Shrek suffers from low self-esteem due to years of being ridiculed and chased with pitc forks, which is actually quite understandable. I believe travel agents suffer from the same issue. While we can be thankful that most of our clients don’t resort to pitchforks, we have over the years lost a bit of our mojo. The good news is that recently there has been an upsurge in positive media about travel agents. While we need to celebrate that, it will take more than that to truly overcome any lingering doubts about the value of our profession. Even after Shrek saves the Princess in heroic fashion, he still can only see himself as an Ogre. Travel agents save vacations and perform heroic tasks all the time but still don’t give themselves the proper credit. This song that Shrek sings as he grapples with his place in the world could be sung by travel agents.
Scott Koepf VP of Sales Avoya Travel/American Express www.JoinAvoya.com
I thought I’d be a hero, With sword and armor clashing Looking semi dashing, A shield within my grip Or else I’d be a Viking, live a life of daring While smelling like a herring, upon a Viking ship. I’d sail away, I’d see the world, I’d reach the farthest reaches I’d feel the wind, I’d taste the salt and sea. And maybe storm some beaches. That’s who I’d be. That’s who I’d be. I dreamed I’d be a poet, Write a different story, One that told of glory, and wiped away the lies And to the skies I’d throw it, the stars would do the telling The moon would help with spelling, and night would dot the ‘I’s I’d write my verse, Recite my joke, it’d fit in perfect timing. I’d share my heart, confess the things I learn, and do it all while rhyming. But then we learn. But then we learn. An Ogre (travel agent) always hides, an Ogre’s (travel agent’s) fate is known An Ogre (travel agent) always stays in the dark and all alone (continued on page 12)
October 2012
12 The amazing thing is that Shrek is already all of the things that he wishes he’d be! He is a hero to the Princess and all of the other fairy tale characters. While he may not smell of herring (although I am not sure the standard Ogre aroma is much better) he already lives a “life of daring” like a Viking. By the lyrics of this song alone, he is also a poet. It is simply a matter of perspective. Because he sees himself as “just an Ogre,” he does not see what he already is.
full of daring adventures. You are a poet! Each vacation you create is poetry in motion!
In the same way, travel agents sometimes suffer from the same self-imposed limitations. But you need to take a look at who you really are. You are a hero! You create dreams, save your clients from costly mistakes, and change lives. You are a Viking! You travel the world, and to most people live a life
Remember, you are a hero, you slay dragons every day, you write the best chapters of your client’s lives, and you talk to donkeys! Well three out of four is impressive and there are no angry mobs with pitchforks anywhere in sight! A travel agent – that’s Who I’d Be!
Shrek ultimately learns the truth about himself while not losing the fact that he is all of those things and an Ogre. You are also all of these things and a fabulous travel agent! It is all about perspective. Believe in yourself and take a different perspective — especially if you find yourself becoming an Ogre!
October 2012
Showcase Norwegian Cruise Line Selects Amadeus For Next Generation Air Travel Booking Technology Multi-year IT agreement will deliver more options and service for travel agents and consumers to book air travel along with cruises while also streamlining employee travel Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, and Norwegian Cruise Line, an innovator in cruise travel with a 44-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, have entered into a 10-year IT agreement to provide the cruise line with a flexible, scalable technology platform that will deliver new air shopping and booking functionality for travel professionals and consumers, as well as improved air travel integration andproductivity for Norwegian’s own corporate and crew bookings. “Norwegian is extremely excited about partnering with Amadeus to improve our air booking technology. The new platform will enable us to give travel professionals and consumers access to real-time air pricing and inventory, allowing them to find the lowest airfares possible,” said Crane Gladding, Senior Vice President of Revenue Management and Passenger Services. “This innovative technology will provide agents and travelers with a convenient onestop-shop for both cruise and air reservations, making it even easier for our valued travel partners to do business with us.” The integrated, customized air/sea reservations solution will enable trav-
el agents and travelers for the first time to quickly and efficiently access and process bookings for the best air travel options while they shop for Norwegian cruises. The Amadeus platform will be used across Norwegian’s consumer booking website, travel agent booking website and by their in-house agents. The cruise line will be able to integrate contracted, negotiated,and published air fares on a single display to assure users can access and select from the best available air travel options. The solution will also be used internally by Norwegian’s corporate employees and fleet personnel to fulfill their comprehensive and complex global air travel needs. The solution will enable the cruise line to efficiently interface complex global travel requirements for their staff and crew along with airline availability and ticketing. The solution will be used by the cruise line’s approximately 16,000 corporate and crew professionals to shop and book their policy-compliant air travel around the world. Norwegian currently owns and operates a fleet of 11 ships sailing to more than 200 ports throughout the world and carries more than 1.5 million guests annually.
ment, Amadeus’ next generation technology will enable them to further enhance the travel shopping experience for their customers and employees alike,” said Carolyn Cauceglia, Vice President, Strategic Sales & Account Management, Amadeus North America. Cauceglia said Amadeus has a committed focus and successful track record as a premier provider of IT solutions to the cruise industry. Amadeus has provided distribution and IT services to Norwegian for almost three decades. Norwegian is also a participant on Amadeus Cruise, the industry’s leading browser-based, graphical cruise booking tool for travel agents. Norwegian is also available via the newly launched Amadeus Cruise Shopper product, a complete online sales solution for leisure travel companies looking to sell cruises online. Notes to the editors: About Amadeus Amadeus is a leading transaction processor and provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel and tourismindustry.
Technology development is currently underway and the cruise line will roll out the new functionality in phases in 2013.
Customer groups include travel providers (e.g. airlines, hotels, rail, ferries, etc.), travel sellers (travel agencies and websites), and travel buyers (corporations and individual travelers).
“Amadeus has had a long partnership serving the technology and distribution needs ofNorwegian Cruise Line. Now under this new agree-
The group operates a transactionbased business model and processed more than 947 million billable travel transactions in 2011.
To find out more about Amadeus please go to www.amadeus.com To visit the Amadeus Investor Relations centre please go to www.investors.amadeus.com
Travel Agent Professional
14 Redheads Can Finish B y L e s - L e e
If you have been reading my columns
R o l a n d
over the years, you know that I have not just a passion about my profession — I also have a temper. Some relate it to my red hair. Les-Lee Roland Owner of The Package Deal
Now, the Web is both the agent’s friend and our enemy. In this case, it was both. When clients say they will check out the Web, I
Sure, I was born a redhead, but at my age, I am far from natural. I recently had a day to turn my red locks white. It started out like any other, with a phone call about my marketing that made me feel good. I had recently sent out my monthly Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary and Thinking of You cards. Yes, lots of you send out a celebratory card, but how many of you send them out five months in advance? I select the people who will be having a milestone birthday or anniversary. If it ends in a “5” or a “0,” it is something special.
know they may be directed to a site that offers deals that are hard to match.
So I sent out a card to clients who haven’t booked anything in a couple of years and would be celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary in February. My message on the card was that I wanted to be the first to remember the special day, and if they were planning a gathering, perhaps I could suggest options — including travel.
October 2012
First! Well, Mrs. K, called me immediately thanking me for remembering. She said she was thinking along the same lines, a trip for the two of them, plus their daughters and sons-in-law. She mentioned Fiji but didn’t like the long flights from Florida. Knowing the type of vessels she has liked in the past, I suggested a new itinerary on either Wind Star or Star Clippers. She said she would check it out on the Web. Now, the Web is both the agent’s friend and our enemy. In this case, it was both. When clients say they will check out the Web, I know they may be directed to a site that offers deals that are hard to match. Sure enough, she called me and said she checked out my suggestions. She had Googled the cruise line I recommended, and was led to Vacations to Go. Yes, they pay to be listed at the top when people type in the cruise line. She found the perfect cruise and wanted to make sure my price was the same or better. I told her that I would price out the amount of cabins she needs, and with my fingers crossed, I said it was very rare that anything advertised on the Internet would be lower than what I could offer. I immediately checked out Vacations to Go aka Cruises to Go aka “problems.” Yes, the rate was good, and the $100 shipboard credit was great.
15 I called the cruise line, and was quoted a price that was $200 more per cabin. I told the reservation agent that I saw it advertised for less on VTG’s site. Here’s where the red hair comes into play. The res agent said that promotion is no longer in effect, it ended two days previously — on a Saturday. I said that if my office was closed over the weekend, couldn’t it end today, on Monday. He said no. I asked him if they would honor the price for VTG if the clients booked it today. YES! YES! YES! He, a res agent, not a big person in the organization, said that Vacations to Go is a big account for them, and they could get the price. He went on, as my hair was turning grayer, to say, “Perhaps if you start to do as much business as they do, you can get better pricing.” Have you ever heard anything like that from the phone person for Royal Caribbean, HAL, Globus, or any of the other suppliers listed on the VTG Web site? I think not. I regrouped, had a cup of coffee, and then called back on a different line, to their corporate office — which may be just a phone station in the same room. I explained the dilemma and mentioned how I was spoken to. I told them I was affiliated with two hosts, and consortia, and asked how we could work this out. I said for a reservations agent to put me down was a total insult. (continued on page 16)
Travel Agent Professional
16 Whatever I said hit a nerve. I was reassured that I was a valuable agent for them, all agents are valuable to them, not just VTG. She said she would override the pricing, match it for me, AND I would get a $200 shipboard credit per cabin. The credit was not just to better the deal — we explored what the consortia was offering, and they qualified for the credit. I booked the cabins right away. The cruise line is preparing a special event for them as well. Great! Until….one son-in-law informed me that he had previously joined a travel club — the kind that advertises a free cruise, no strings attached, if you come to a presentation. These are popular invites in Florida, the Carolinas, and other areas. Well, this guy was lured in and paid $5000 to join — which he called a great deal, since the starting price was $8000. He called them and asked for “his” rate. He was promised a 20% rebate on whatever he booked, including the airfare. He asked if I could match it. Nope — I can’t. I asked what has he gotten 20% on since he signed with them. The answer — two car rentals! He hasn’t used them for anything else yet. What about the free cruise they offered with NCL, RCI, or Carnival? He told me it was not exactly free, they were charging service fees and taxes (that I mentioned were higher than what the lines actually charged). But he still believes in the company. As he thought about it, I was looking for my L’Oreal haircolor coupons. Glory be, the company could not match my price with the shipboard credit — remember, that offer had expired. I guess they didn’t know how to call a corporate person like I did and plead their case. Bottom line, or maybe top line, my hair is red again. I have the bookings secured, airline tickets confirmed, pre-and-post cruise stays and insurance arranged. So what’s the moral? Fight, fight, fight for those bookings — and, if you’re a redhead, maybe fight a little harder.
October 2012
Showcase OASIS Launches Future Agent Sales Training (FAST) Program to Accelerate New Agents Entry into the Travel Industry U.S Travel Association: Travel Industry Creating Jobs Nearly 30% Percent Faster
Than Rest of Economy OASIS, www.OasisAgent.com, a leader in the development of turnkey programs for home based independent travel agents, has launched its comprehensive new Future Agent Sales Training Program (FAST). The FAST program is designed for new homebased travel agents, who can jump-start their business by enrolling in the unique OASIS FAST program.
“Why You Need a Travel Agent,” an article by Larry Olmstead in the January 2012 issue of Forbes, notes that travel agents know more, are better connected, and have access to benefits and incentives that consumers simply cannot get.
OASIS exceptional business model allows agents to join the program with no initiation fees. They receive 100% commission minus “The OASIS FAST program a small transaction processing fee. (oasisagent.com/fast/) is unmatched in the trav- Individuals entering the FAST program el industry,” states Kelly Bergin, OASIS vice receive comprehensive, ongoing education, president of business development. “FAST pro- access to a customer relationship managevides future agents with product, destination, ment database and many other benefits. and proprietary SigNet training. The FAST With a significant decline in brick and morenrollee is then partnered with an experienced tar travel agencies, the demand for the valueagent to mentor and help the new agent quick- added, customer-focused services homely enter this explosive industry. Access to the based travel agents can offer is soaring. leading travel industry marketing tools through the Signature Travel Network ensures that they About OASIS OASIS, the Outside Agents Sales Integration System, can grow their business and succeed. With the is a division of Smart Travel Group of Boca Raton, travel industry approaching $100 billion in Florida. For more information about OASIS Agent or sales (Source: PhoCusWright), this is an ideal the OASIS FAST program, visit www.OasisAgent.com time for anyone seeking an exciting, flexible or contact Kelly Bergin at 800-613-8380 extension career, to consider becoming a home-based 120, or by email at kelly@oasisagent.com. travel agent,” Kelly added. OASIS, the Outside Agents Sales Integration System, is a division of Smart Travel Group of Boca Raton, Florida. For more information about OASIS Agent visit www.OasisAgent.com or contact Kelly Bergin at 800-613-8380 extension 120, or by email at kelly@oasisagent.com Travel Agent Professional
18 How Affinity Groups By
Can Make Home Base Agents
Mitchell
VERY
J. Schlesinger
Popular With Your Cruise Partners!!
Mitchell J. Schlesinger Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity m.schlesinger@voyagestoantiquity.com
So
HowcanHomeBasedagentshavecruiseline DSMs/BDMsfightingovertheirbusiness?Byunderstandingtheaffinitygroupmarket.Letmehelpyouput particularaspectsoftheaffinitygroupbusinessinto perspectiveandbecomeanimportantbusiness resourceforyourpreferredsuppliers.
let’s start at the beginning.
In the mainstream cruise market, group business has an overall conversion rate (actual group passengers as a percentage of group beds blocked per sailing) of around 10%-15%. So let’s imagine a cruise ship with 1,000 cabins. The revenue management department would like 300 group cabins on a particular sailing. This means, the company, through its group department and sales force, needs to block 2,000 cabins at group rates to materialize the 300 cabins for that one sailing using a 15% conversion. Mind you, this is just for one sailing of one ship. Similar requirements for a full year would call for 104,000 group cabins blocked for that same vessel.
You get the picture. The larger lines are processing MILLIONS of group cabin block requests because the conversion is so relatively low – and the reason for that is the majority of groups blocked are speculative and NOT of an affinity group nature. On the other hand, affinity groups generally convert anywhere from 40%-90%, which is why cruise lines will be very accommodating to agents who develop a consistent track record of high converting affinity groups. It completely changes how they manage a particular sailing or series of sailings because they are better equipped to project how much group business is coming because of the stronger conversion ratio.
October 2012
19 For Home Based agents in particular, this represents a significant opportunity. I would like to offer two suggestions regarding both creating and broadening the reach of your affinity business. The key to this is knowing two things about all of your clients and prospective clients: what social/civic organizations they belong to and in what special interests/activities/hobbies they partake. Social/civic organizations, or what I refer to as traditional affinity groups, include a variety of organizations, such Rotarians, Knights of Columbus, churches and synagogues, the PTA and soccer and Little League teams. For Home Based agents who are immersed in their local communities, these should be easy to target if they’re involved in these groups themselves, or have family, friends or clients who are. However, because they are “local” community groups, with the primary tie being membership or social involvement, their size can be somewhat limited. The other affinity group type, which I call interactive activity groups, is Internet-based, has no geographic boundaries and can be much larger. This involves people across the country who communicate with each other about special interests, hobbies and activities in which they participate. Ten years ago there was basically no scrapbooking. It is now a multi-billion dollar industry — if you go to Google and search for scrapbooking clubs, you will see seven million hits! The same goes for hobbies such as quilting, photography, cooking, wine tasting and various types of dancing.
A client who quilts may have a sister who quilts in another city, they both have friends and family who quilt, and as the commercial use to say, and so on and so on etc. It doesn’t matter where they live, they can be attracted to come together to share their passion for this activity. By communicating across the Internet, you can achieve sizable groups, which convert at high percentages. This is going to make you VERY popular with your preferred suppliers. There is one more, very crucial step for making sure any affinity group you put together is successful and putting the seal on how much you can make your preferred suppliers appreciate you. It concerns notifying and pre-planning the group activities with the preferred supplier in advance to insure that your groups are well taken care of onboard. Cruise lines have a grid for every sailing that outlines all the activities they have planned across the public rooms during the course of the cruise, many of which are revenue generating. These are very important to the cruise line for obvious reasons, so your need of one of these public rooms or meeting rooms for your group requires them to re-organize their schedule. Remember something else: You are not the only agent booking a group on that sailing. The sooner the cruise line knows about your group, the more they can make sure that there are not multiple groups competing for the same public rooms, all of which interferes with their scheduled events and those that you are planning. (continued on page 20)
Travel Agent Professional
20 So here are some DOs and DON’Ts for affinity group handling with your preferred suppliers:
1. 2.
DO make every effort to book your affinity groups at least 15 months in advance of the sailing. Why? You will probably get a less restrictive deposit policy for the first several months. DO advise the cruise line as specifically as possible what the group needs will be during the cruise, immediately upon booking the group. This facilitates several important factors: If it is a large group requiring use of public space on multiple occasions, the cruise line can reorganize its schedule of activities accordingly; If the needs are complicated (electrical outlets, extension cords, lots of tables etc) it gives you and them plenty of time to pre-plan; If the group department is organized, it should prevent them from booking a large group with similar space needs on the same sailing. In essence, it is a race for space and if you notify the line first, they should work with you to insure your group gets what it needs.
• • •
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
DO send the cruise line an activity grid for the week as soon as you finalize one, so that if necessary, it can be shared with the hotel department and the group services manager on the ship. DO focus your affinity group business with your preferred suppliers as often as possible in order to further strengthen your relationship. DON’T schedule your activities smack in the middle of port days. While to you that appears to give you more room on the ship, but to the line, it is preventing guests from purchasing shore excursions. DON’T schedule onboard events in places which should generate revenue, but with your group, won’t. A group activity held in a lounge where there will be no beverage consumption is seen as counterproductive to the cruise line. DON’T wait to advise the line about your group. Advising the line at final payment that you have 300 quilters coming is a recipe for disaster.
If you develop a consistent track record as an affinity group producer — one that consistently produces multiple groups per year that convert at very high percentages — and you pre-plan well, you are going to become VERY popular with your preferred suppliers and receive special attention from them. There is a direct relationship between the number of affinity groups you produce, the conversion levels, how well you pre-plan with your preferred suppliers and the ultimate success of each group. In the end, your understanding the perspective of how your cruise partners view this process will importantly strengthen you relationship with them – which will make your affinity group business more successful and more profitable.
October 2012
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Expedia CruiseShipCenters' Honored With 2 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards! Travel Weekly's Magellan Awards honor the best in the travel industry, and Expedia CruiseShipCenters was presented with two this year! With a Gold Magellan in Training for our annual National Conference and a Silver Magellan for our direct mail loyalty magazine, Dream Voyages®, Expedia CruiseShipCenters continues to be at the forefront of marketing and training innovation. These outstanding awards are evidence of the ongoing support and powerful tools we provide our agents with. We are committed to ensuring that all 3,800 of our Consultants from our 160 locations from coast to coast have access to the training and systems they need to succeed. Here's what one of our Sales Managers from our retail franchise location in North Bay, California had to say about our marketing programs: “Marketing is an important part of growing my business and Expedia CruiseShipCenters makes it easy. With promotions and contests that attract new customers, my 7SEAS Club continues to grow, while the email newsletters and Dream Voyages loyalty magazine help to ensure my clients book with me again and again. All of this is done with the click of a button so I can spend more time on what really matters — planning dream vacations for my guests.” K-K Afre, Sales Manager Find out how you can leverage our award-winning training and marketing, an 80+ Partner Support team, and the power of the #1 brand in travel as an Expedia CruiseShipCenters Consultant. RSVP for an upcoming webinar or choose the session to the top right that best suits your schedule. Let us help you discover all of the ways that joining our team can Change Your Life. Warm regards, Pat Heathfield Expedia CruiseShipCenters
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October 2012
Sh o w ca s e Alamo Rent A Car & National Car Rental Locations Open in 5 Brazilian Airports Fr a n ch is e Ag r ee m e n t Wit h Un id a s Will B r in g Ala m o a n d Nat ion a l B r an ds t o 100+ B r a zil L oca t ion s b y M ar ch 2013
For the first time, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental locations are serving customers in Brazil. Five Brazilian airports — Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo; Galeao Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro; Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport in Belo Horizonte; Brasilia International Airport in Brasilia; and Salgado Filho International Airport in Porto Alegre — are home to new Alamo and National locations. A recent franchise agreement between Enterprise Holdings — owner and operator of Alamo and National, as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in North America — and São Paulo-based Unidas, a leading Brazilian car rental operator, will bring the Alamo and National brands to more than 100 Unidas airport and city locations throughout Brazil by March 2013. Under the 15-year agreement, Unidas operates as the National and Alamo franchisee at the new Brazil locations. “We are pleased to introduce the Alamo and National brands to the Brazilian market with the opening of these first five locations,” said Greg Stubblefield, executive vice president of global sales, marketing and strategy for Enterprise Holdings. “This partnership with Unidas — a company that strongly shares our belief in customer service — both expands travelers’ options and presents tremendous growth opportunities for all three brands throughout Latin America.” Pedro de Almeida, executive president for Unidas, added, “We believe business and leisure travelers in Brazil will enjoy having these expanded rental options, and we are committed to providing the excellent service our trusted customers have come to know and expect from Unidas, Alamo and National.” With annual revenues of $14.1 billion and more than 70,000 employees, Enterprise Holdings also operates, through its regional subsidiaries, more than 1 million cars and trucks, making it the largest and most comprehensive car rental service provider in the world measured by revenue, employees and fleet. Enterprise Holdings also operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in the UK, Germany and Ireland, and a franchise network that operates the National and Alamo brands throughout the Americas. Earlier this year, Enterprise Holdings acquired Citer SA in France and Atesa in Spain, and made a strategic investment in China-based eHi Auto Services. For more information, visit www.alamo.com or www.nationalcar.com.
Travel Agent Professional
A b o u t Ala m o R e n t A Ca r Founded in 1974, Alamo Rent A Car – the largest car rental provider to international travelers visiting North America – is a value-oriented, internationally recognized brand serving the rental needs of airport leisure travelers. Alamo offers low rental rates and a hassle-free customer experience at the most popular travel destinations throughout the world. In addition, Alamo customers in the U.S. are able to conveniently choose their own vehicles, based upon their advance reservation and requested car class, and then simply drive away from the airport. A b o u t Na t io n a l Car R e n t a l Founded in 1947, National Car Rental is a premium, internationally recognized brand serving the daily rental needs of the frequent airport traveler throughout the world. With National, time-sensitive customers in the United States are able to quickly choose their own vehicles, based upon their advance reservation and requested car class, and then simply drive away from the airport. National — which launched the car rental industry’s first comprehensive frequent-renter program — further expedites the rental process for Emerald Club members by offering counter bypass as well as access to National’s “Emerald Aisle,” an exclusive section of the lot where members can select any vehicle as long as they reserve a mid-sized car. In addition, Emerald Club members can choose to receive EmeraldAlerts SM — emailed communications that include Arrival and Return Alerts, and Drop & GoSM service with convenient eReceipts.
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