21 minute read
6Three agents share best practices on upselling
The art of upselling: Three tried-and-true tips from travel advisors
By Cindy Sosroutomo
TORONTO — For Rhonda Parker, shrimp cocktail is more than just her favourite appetizer, it’s also a valuable selling tool.
The Victoria, B.C.-based travel industry veteran and President of Destinations By Design, a Cruise CEO affiliated company, has found repeated success in upselling her clients by sharing one particular scenario.
“I love shrimp cocktail and have had it on all of my cruises. But this one time when I ordered it on a three-star cruise as part of my meal plan, it ended up being small canned shrimp served in the can sauce. Had I just upgraded my meal plan for another $80, I would’ve enjoyed a much better dining experience at an alternative restaurant,” Parker tells Travelweek.
Of course, the prospect of upselling to clients, whether it be for quality seafood or ultra-luxe accommodations, may seem like a daunting task for many travel agents, particularly at a time when people are only now returning to work or are still relying on government aid to make ends meet. But according to Parker, not only is business booming, people are paying above and beyond to reward themselves after a near two-year hiatus from travel.
“Travellers work hard for their travel time and dollars and they want to ensure it’s everything they hoped it would be and more,” says Parker. “I believe we’ll see more travellers upgrading and new aircraft with more Premium, Business and First Class seating. Gone are the days of sardines in a can. Now are the days of taking that little more for ourselves because we deserve it.”
Caroline Hay, Cruise CEO President, says that the luxury market has bounced back quicker than others, largely because clients are seeking more space, exclusive experiences and a sense of security.
“When travel was paused, advisors repeatedly heard, ‘We just need something to look forward to,’ which propelled clients to secure the trip of a lifetime. We saw cruise lines launch their world cruise itineraries and sell out in 24 hours, which is unheard of and very exciting to see,” says Hay.
As Hay also notes, there are millions of Future Cruise and Travel Credits still yet to be used, which for travel agents, represent a good opportunity to sell extras and value-added perks.
“Clients are using their credits to pay for a portion of the trip – perhaps they have $5,000 in credits – and now they’re adding an extra $2,000 to the cost of their trip to have a premium experience or upgrade to Premium or Business class. They’re okay with increasing their budgets to ensure that their trip encompasses all of these elements,” says Hay.
We asked Parker, Hay and other travel advisors for their tips on how to upsell to clients. Here’s what they had to say:
PAINT A PICTURE
A little bit of visualization can go a long way, says Parker. As someone who has personally experienced Concierge and Suite life during her cruise travels, Parker has found that painting a picture for her clients has been really effective.
“I always do a comparison between a 3 star (plastic cups and plates at the buffet), a 4 star (real coffee cups and glassware), and a 5 star (waiters carrying the tray to your table),” she says. I find more often than not they will upgrade because of the extra value, whether it’s perceived or actual.”
The tactic also works when trying to get clients to upgrade their flight seats, “one of the easiest upgrades for anyone,” adds Parker.
“Paint a picture of going from Economy to Premium, with wider seats and more legroom to stretch out, getting to board the plane first and having extra time to settle in and have a bit of Champagne before the flight departs. Now compare that to sitting side by side with 250 other people,” she says. “If they don’t have the extra cash, suggest using points. The points-to-cost ratio makes it very appealing.”
DON’T UNDERSELL For Lola Vassiliadis, Owner of Cruise Holidays of Oakville & Lawrence Park, the old adage of “not selling from your pocketbook” couldn’t be more true. She encourages other travel advisors to not let their personal preferences get in the way of what the client wants.
“Don’t get caught looking at a price and saying you wouldn’t pay that much – it’s not you that’s buying,” she says. “The client may be very used to paying a premium to get what they want. Underselling can be an insult to them so aim high and let them tell you if you are out of their price range. It’s a lot easier going down than trying to bring them up to a higher price.”
Hay also agrees, adding that despite the fact that the travel industry has been one of the hardest hit since the start of the pandemic, travel advisors
can’t assume that clients are in the same financial situation as them.
“Many companies and industries and industries have recognized growth throughout the pandemic. As a result, we have a lot of clients who were not negatively affected financially,” she says. “They are ready to travel and catch up on the experiences they missed.”
PROVIDE OPTIONS Jeff Smith, Travel Advisor and Tour Guide at Sunny South Vacations-TPI in Whitby, Ontario, says that his approach with all his clients is simple yet effective: provide a variety of options to consider that fall both within and outside their budget.
“It all starts with an initial conversation and listening to your client. I often find that the vacation experience they want is always a little bit outside their budget parameters, which is why I always show an option that is slightly above the range they provide. That way they can see for themselves what they can get by increasing their budget,” he says.
“Don’t get caught looking at a price and saying you wouldn’t pay that much – it’s not you that’s buying,” says Cruise Holidays owner Lola Vassiliadis.
The options that fall outside their budget parameters usually offer significant value over the other options, whether it be a better room/stateroom, better flight times or access to an elevated level of service like a preferred club, he adds. But as he notes, clients don’t need to increase their budget by much – a couple hundred dollars is often all it takes to unlock so much more value.
“I provide the information and they generally make a purchasing decision that often involves selecting the upgraded package or experience. Providing information empowers them to make the best vacation decision for their personal situation,” says Smith.
USA’s road to recovery: An update from Discover America Canada
TORONTO — At Discover America Canada’s ‘Ready, Set, Go: Where Are We Now?’ virtual conference, top destination partners and keynote speakers offered updates as Canadian inbound travel to the U.S. restarts in earnest. Susan Webb, President of Discover America Canada, says a sense of normalcy is finally starting to return.
“Every day we’re getting more positive news and we actually have some in-person events planned for 2022. We’ll be holding our AGM, which is necessary for any association, on Feb. 24. We’re also really excited that IPW will be in Orlando next year, with Kissimmee hosting our Canadian delegation party on June 5. Then, we’re also looking at in the fall to do some travel trade training events in Toronto and Montreal, with plans for the following year to do other cities like Vancouver and Calgary then possibly rotating cities every year as part of a roadshow for Discover America Canada members,” says Webb.
The Conference Board of Canada’s Jennifer Hendry, Senior Research Associate, says the Winter Travel Intentions survey found that half of respondents plan to take a leisure trip between November 2021 and April 2022, which is still a smaller share than what was recorded at the start of the 2019-2020 season but significantly higher than last winter when just 36% of respondents reported positive travel intentions. With regards to the U.S. specifically, Hendry says that the global uncertainty along with slow vaccine rollouts in many countries give short-haul destinations like the U.S. an edge.
“Canadian travellers are really familiar with places in the U.S. and are feeling much safer about transborder activity; 36% of respondents said they’re most likely to take a transborder trip first. So barring a new COVID wave this winter, shares will likely continue to trend upward as Canadians look to transborder destinations as their first choice of international travel,” says Hendry. She adds: “In all, 86% of Canadians miss travelling and are eager to get back to it. Our current projections suggest activity this winter for transborder trips will amount to 40%-50% of pre-pandemic volume, which is definitely better than the 5% of activity we saw last winter. So it’s not a tidal wave of travellers by any means, but activity is finally beginning to recover and that’s good news across the board.”
As travel restrictions ease the borders reopen, just 15% of respondents without travel plans identified closures or restrictions as their primary barrier, about half the share reported earlier this year. On the other hand, entry requirements including pre-arrival and pre-departure testing is now the top barrier at 22%, a larger share than previously reported.
At the same time, vaccination requirements is now an issue for just 7% of respondents, compared to 19% at the beginning of the year before vaccines were widely available.
Air Canada was among the industry partners taking part in the virtual conference.
“We continue to rebuild our network as the major transborder carrier to the United States from Canada,” says Timothy Liu, Managing Director, Sales Planning & Effectiveness, Air Canada.
Liu highlighted various new routes including Vancouver to Orange County, Quebec City to Orlando, and Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale, “providing our customers with more choices and our travel agency partners with more itineraries to sell.”
Though optimism is high for transborder recovery, Liu warned of ongoing challenges. “The cost of and the various testing requirements and protocols for travel to different markets are confusing to our customers, which is why we work closely with government entities to make sure we have the most transparent information available,” he said. “Since Nov. 8, Canadians have been permitted to enter the United States by air, land and sea for non-essential purposes and we welcome that news greatly and, at the same time, significantly expanded our transborder network to more U.S. destinations,” Liu added. “We continue to rebuild our network as the major transborder carrier to the United States from Canada.”
Effective at the end of this month, fully vaccinated Canadian travellers returning to Canada after short trips out of the country of 72 hours or less will no longer need to show proof of a negative PCR test. The new rule takes effect Nov. 30, 2021 and applies to Canadians and permanent residents and those registered under the Indian Act, for both land border crossings, and air travel. It’s good news as the travel industry continues its recovery. However the travel industry will feel more of a positive impact if and when pre-departure PCR testing is phased out for longer duration trips, the trade’s bread and butter.
AIRLINES
Air Canada is withdrawing from further financial support from the federal government, thanks to its improved liquidity position and ongoing recovery from the pandemic. Air Canada and the Canadian government announced their agreement on a $5.9 billion financial assistance package in April 2021, consisting of loans and credit for the airline amid the pandemic, including $1.4 billion earmarked for refunds for passengers out-of-pocket in the wake of COVID-19 cancellations. Air Canada only tapped the funds dedicated to refunding customers’ non-refundable tickets. In other news, Air Canada has also agreed to a US$4.5-million settlement of charges it failed to promptly refund customers after cancelling flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the settlement will resolve a legal action by its aviation consumer protection agency.
Airline passengers are in favour of using biometrics to speed up processes and eliminate queuing post-pandemic, says IATA, based on the results of its 2021 Global Passenger Survey (GPS). IATA says its GPS results are based on 13,579 responses from 186 countries. IATA’s data shows that 73% of passengers are willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes (up from 46% in 2019). More than half (56%) say they have concerns about data breaches. Passengers also said they want clarity on who their data is being shared with (52%) and how it is used (51%). Velas Resorts has announced plans to build a seventh hotel in Mexico. Casa Velas Los Cabos is expected to open in 2023, in Los Cabos. The luxury property will have 75 - 80 suites and will be located near Mar del Cabo and Grand Velas Los Cabos. Both are flagship properties for Velas Resorts on the Baja California peninsula. “In recent years, our hotels have welcomed more and more Canadians, and we hope they will embrace our new addition too!” said Juan Vela Ruiz, VP, Velas Resorts. Further details on the hotel and its opening are expected in 2022.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has opened its newest offering, the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. The 14-storey addition has 349 guest rooms – including 151 suites – with floor-to-ceiling views of the resort. The property is positioned adjacent to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin in the middle of Walt Disney World Resort. Hotel guests can walk to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and receive special Walt Disney World hotel guest benefits including early theme park entry and extended evening theme park hours.
CRUISING
NCL’s Norwegian Joy has resumed sailings from Miami, while Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam restarted operations from Fort Lauderdale. Starting in December, PortMiami will be home to four NCL vessels including Norwegian Joy, Encore, Getaway, and soon to restart, Norwegian Pearl. Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam's restart marks the fifth Holland America Line vessel to reenter service, joining Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.
Air Canada, Farenexus collaborate on AC Connex with full NDC content
TORONTO — Farenexus Group has been appointed as Air Canada’s technology partner to build a new platform for travel agencies. Called AC Connex, the new offering will provide agencies with full Air Canada NDC content featuring profile integration to optimize workflow. All Air Canada agency partners can use the AC Connex platform to ensure their agents can offer all the benefits that Air Canada’s NDC content will bring to agencies’ customers.
Says Keith Wallis, Senior Director Distribution and Payments at Air Canada: “Air Canada is very excited to be working with Farenexus Group on this industry-leading platform for our agency partners. We are convinced that NDC provides enormous opportunity to deliver greater value to the customer, their travel agency and the airline.
“As we continue on our retailing strategy, AC Connex will provide travel agents with a simple and efficient new solution to access the entire suite of Air Canada products and provide their customers with the increased value that can only be enabled through NDC,” said Wallis. Farenexus Group CEO Ravi Kumar added: “We understand how important the expansion of NDC is to Air Canada and are proud that we have been able to extend our Nexuswind platform to enable Air Canada and their agency customers to take advantage of the many benefits that NDC content provides for their mutual customers.”
Air Transat, WestJet sign codeshare agreement on select routes
MONTREAL — Air Transat and WestJet have signed a codeshare agreement on select transatlantic routes.
The codeshare agreement is scheduled to start in early 2022, subject to regulatory approvals.
Codeshares will be available on select flights to Europe with Air Transat, and WestJet flights in North America, to allow both carriers to offer the connecting transatlantic itineraries. “More details and benefits” will be coming once finalized, say the carriers. Says Annick Guérard, President and CEO of Transat: “We are very excited to join forces with WestJet in what I am sure will be a successful collaboration. This agreement is a first milestone in our strategy to grow and strengthen our network through alliances. It will create great opportunities for our existing and future customers, who are looking to connect between North America and Europe and will enhance our long-standing presence on the transatlantic market.” Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO, says: ”This new codeshare with Air Transat complements our worldclass Boeing 787 Dreamliners and our strong relationships with leading European airlines. Confidence in travel is building and this new transatlantic cooperation will allow WestJet to offer even more destinations to travellers, connecting North America and Europe in new ways, and benefiting guests on both sides of the Atlantic.” This is the first news of Transat forging ties with a competitor since its proposed merger with Air Canada. That deal, two years in the making, was terminated in April 2021 amid the turbulence of the pandemic.
Just days before the May 16, 2019 Air Canada - Transat proposed acquisition announcement, rumours were circulating that WestJet, in a recent acquisition deal of its own with Onex Corp., might be interested in Transat.
In July 2020, in the early months of travel’s shutdown due to COVID-19, Transat cancelled all of its flights from Western Canada to south and USA destinations.
In August 2020, in an exclusive interview with Travelweek, Joe Adamo, Chief Distribution Officer, Transat and President, TDC, said the decision to cancel the Western Canada program was “very painful”, adding that streamlining the focus to Ontario and Quebec would help the company move forward during the pandemic.
WestJet’s strong network in Western Canada will no doubt help Transat with its cross-Canada reach to generate more transatlantic traffic. And while WestJet has pushed ahead with many transatlantic routes of its own, it can now take advantage of Air Transat’s long-established transatlantic routes as well.
We wanted to know, could there be more codesharing to come if this venture proves successful? And have Air Transat and WestJet broached the possibility of other forms of partnership as well?
Transat spokesperson Odette Trottier told Travelweek: “As we refocus on our airline business, one of the ob-
Royalton Hicacos
jectives of our new strategic plan is to expand our network. And one of the ways we're going to do that is to work with other airlines. This agreement is a first milestone in that strategy, which certainly paves the way for others in the future. We had said that we were engaging in a number of discussions towards entering into airline partnership agreements, this is the first result of those discussions. We are looking forward to announce others when the time comes.”
More reopening dates for Blue Diamond Resorts’ Cuba properties
TORONTO — Blue Diamond Resorts has announced the official reopening dates of several properties in Cuba, after temporary closures due to the pandemic. Effective Nov. 25, 2021, nine properties will begin to reopen in Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa Maria, Havana, Trinidad and Varadero.
Blue Diamond Resorts has implemented its enhanced Safety-Assured Vacations protocols to help safeguard its staff and its guests. Measures include physical distancing guidelines, advanced dining safety, increased staff training, and a 360° Clean Approach of all resort common areas, and Diamond Clean Guest Rooms.
Blue Diamond Resorts is prepared for the upcoming return of guests, offering safe and relaxing vacation experiences in paradise,” says the company.
Here’s a look at what’s already open: Memories Caribe and Memories Flamenco; Royalton Cayo Santa Maria; Memories Miramar Habana; Memories Trinidad Del Mar (opening Nov. 25); and Grand Memories Varadero, Memories Jibacoa, Memories Varadero, Mystique Casa Perla by Royalton, Royalton Hicacos, Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero and Starfish Varadero.
Meanwhile the following properties will open Dec. 20: Starfish Cuatro Palmas, Starfish Las Palmas, Starfish Cayo Guillermo, Grand Memories Santa Maria, Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria, Memories Paraiso, Starfish Cayo Santa Maria and Starfish Montehabana.
TORONTO — The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) wound down more than a month ago. Meanwhile, with the lifting of the travel advisory, bookings have picked up.
But long booking windows and upon-departure commission payments mean many, many agents, particularly independent agents, are still facing dire straits.
“There is no more CRB. And now more than ever we need to get the word out to independent travel advisors that they need to call or write to their MP - they can now visit their office in person as well - to set up a meeting with ACITA so that we can continue to update the government on our need for sector specific aid, for at least 6-12 more months,” ACITA co-founder Judith Coates tells Travelweek.
The voices of independent travel advisors need to be heard especially as the federal government’s new programs, announced last month for this stage in the pandemic - the Tourism & Hospitality Recovery Program, and the Hardest Hit Recovery Program - focus more on salaried staff workplaces with wage subsidies and rent support. And the ‘Lockdown Benefit’ touted to replace CRB is geared to very one-off lockdown situation supports.
Says Coates: “An industry colleague made a statement that I will be re-quoting in our MP meetings: ‘Re-opening does NOT mean Recovery.’ Just because travel is beginning to resume safely doesn't mean our businesses are seeing recovery yet. We continue to reiterate the message that it will take 6-12 months past the lifting of all travel advisories (including the Level 4 cruise advisory which is still in effect) before we start to see recovery in our businesses.”
ACITA has added four more presenters to its roster, adds Coates, “so that we can cover more ground in meeting with government officials.” Since ACITA’s founding in June 2020, the group has held no fewer than 278 Zoom meetings with MPs, to get the word out about everything from commission protection, to the desperate need for financial aid for independent travel advisors.
ACITA recently launched a new email campaign targeting every MP across Canada, asking for a meeting. “In many cases, it's an update to let them know that despite the elimination of the CRB,
not much has changed in our businesses except that we are further in debt than ever, while continuing to work for our clients,” says Coates.
Plus, a new petition from ACITA, open for e-signatures until Nov. 28, has a two-part ask: 1. Provide sector-specifi c funding for independent travel advisors in the form of bridge fi nancing until May 2022, at the very minimum, until they are able to see recovery in their businesses; and 2. Ensure that independent travel advisors are included in the class of eligible applicants for the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program.
The petition notes that independent travel advisors “are sole proprietors and are among the hardest hit in the travel sector”, and that federal assistance programs including CEBA, CERS, CEWS and RRRF exclude the majority of these small business owners, “leaving them to slip through the cracks, and forcing them into massive debt and bankruptcy.” Plus, the retail travel sector won’t see revenue in their businesses until 5-11 months after the lifting of travel advisories and cruising advisories.
CALGARY — WestJet has announced new, nonstop service between Calgary and London-Heathrow starting in early spring 2022.
The new route, which will operate on the airline’s 787 Dreamliner, will increase Calgary’s connectivity to 77 nonstop destinations throughout the year. WestJet will also continue to off er nonstop fl ights between Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax to London, Gatwick.
According to John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Offi cer, the new route signals confi dence in the recovery of business and leisure travel between both destinations. “As the airline with the most fl ights from Alberta, this is an important recovery milestone as we forge new connections between Canada and one of the world’s most sought after global hubs,” he said. “We continue to strengthen our network, off ering more options for business and leisure travellers and these investments will expedite our industry’s recover while ensuring Western Canada builds back from the pandemic more connected than ever before.”
WestJet’s 787 service features the airline’s Business Cabin including liefl at pods, dining on demand and elevated Premium and Economy Cabin options. Additional network details including frequency, timing and introductory pricing for the new route will be available and go on sale in the coming weeks.
Earlier this year WestJet announced new Edinburgh fl ights out of Toronto starting June 2022, as well as new Toronto-Dublin nonstops that begin on May 15, 2022.
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