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After five years, Jerry Mpufane has left his post as president of the North American hub of South African Tourism, the government tourism board, to pursue other opportunities. Although his tenure 2019-2024 included the time of COVID’s global rampage, Mpufane leaves SAT in a better position than when he took the post in May 2019. When he started, North America, including Canada and the United States, was the third largest source market for South African visitors. Now it’s the largest Read the rest of this entry »

Scott Austin had been with his host agency for only six months when things started to go wrong. A former hospital CFO, he signed up with Pinnacle Travel in 2022, and immediately immersed himself in learning about the industry first-hand. He traveled extensively with Pinnacle owner Annaliza Proctor to places like Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, and quickly came to consider her a “very, very good friend.”

When his first commission check failed to appear, he let it be. The second time, though, he called the supplier—and was told they had sent the money to Pinnacle 45 days earlier Read the rest of this entry »

With almost $2 million in sales within the first year of his travel business, Rick Ables feels like he “has the Avoya system down”—and he’s ready to move on.

His career in travel started when he was sitting in the hospital with a child on chemo. During that time he talked with a nurse about travel, and then about selling travel, and then about how the nurse was selling travel on the side through Avoya Travel. He was hooked.

For the past year, the proud owner of Nimble Travel LLC in Lindon, Utah, has been building his business almost entirely through four key suppliers—AmaWaterways, Oceania, Collette, and Globus/Avalon—and mostly with Avoya leads, on which he earns the standard 30% Avoya commission Read the rest of this entry »

In a major change to its business model, Avoya Travel this weekend announced a new program that offers 100% commission on some bookings to its top agents.

Under the Elite 100 program, top-producing Avoya agents who book a customer of their own, and not an Avoya lead, will keep 100% of the commission rather than the current 80%. The program defines top producers as those who have earned $50,000 in commission from customer travel in the past 12 months.

Avoya’s model traditionally has focused on customer leads that Avoya pushes out to its travel advisors, making it an especially attractive host for newcomers to travel. Its Million Dollar Expo in Seattle last week, for example, hosted 10 travel advisors who sold $1 million in travel in their first year in business, much of it thanks to Avoya leads.

Recent research has shown that the industry has changed, Avoya co-CEO Jeff Anderson said at a press conference announcing the program, “we haven’t changed our compensation plan for 15 years.” In today’s market, “most independent advisors aren’t looking for everything we offer, and there’s a bit of a misconception that you only went to Avoya because they offered leads. That’s pretty cool, I think we’ve by far had the best program in terms of that. But if somebody thought that’s all we were about, then we’ve missed an opportunity. We needed to change up our message so the industry knows we’re as much of a host as everyone else.”

Of the 90 agencies that joined Avoya in August, more than 80 are brand new to travel, Anderson said; “that’s where the vast majority of our network comes from. There’s nothing more important than bringing great people into this business, and the more we sell the better it is for everyone.”

Still, though, Avoya doesn’t want to lose its very best experienced advisors; “ultimately, we want to build the host agency of the future.”

The research also found that Avoya customers spend 60% more on their vacation than the average agency customer, Anderson noted, so even an 80% split will be profitable.

Avoya currently has about 1,800 travel advisor members and hopes for 2,000 by year-end, up from about 1,600 in 2019 and 1,500 in 2022.

For more on the Avoya announcement and reactions to it, please see my column here at Travel Research Online on Friday.

Looking to its profitable and resurgent group business, AmaWaterways on Tuesday announced an extension of its bonus commission program and its online AmaAcademy for travel advisors selling groups.

SVP Sales Alex Pinelo told TRO, “During the Covid period, there was a lot of uncertainty about when travel would resume and what restrictions might apply when it did. Travel advisors had a difficult time promoting new groups because of that uncertainty. Read the rest of this entry »

New bonus commission opportunities for travel partners are running until February 17—and to make things easier to sell, Royal Caribbean on Wednesday announced details of the planned expansion of its popular private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and its newest ship, Icon of the Seas. Read the rest of this entry »

There were four interesting takeaways from the Travel Leaders Network press conference in New York last week, but this one really caught my eye: An air booking system, already in beta testing at new TLN member Avoya Travel, that holds the promise of increasing airline commissions and making it possible to build and price your own resort packages.

Also on the agenda were membership numbers that keep on growing, a new cruise booking tool, and more education around potentially profitable niches.

“We’re taking a risk with NCFs,” acknowledged Norwegian Cruise Line SVP of sales Todd Hamilton. “But if you are offered a ride on a rocket ship, you don’t ask which seat.”

Speaking at the Signature Travel Network conference in Las Vegas about Norwegian’s promise to pay commissions on NCFs, Hamilton noted that the cruise line’s growth plan (like that of many agencies) is headed upscale. “Cookie-cutter itineraries” are being replaced with more curated, longer, more port-intensive—and more expensive—ones, with the goal being to give guests not just a cruise but an amazing all-inclusive vacation experience.

Staying on the booking curve requires three things: being easy to do business with, being a true partner to the travel advisor community, and providing value to the guest. To that end, Norwegian’s marketing budget for 2023 is written in pencil, waiting for a number that travel advisors will help it determine.

“We have no clue what the number will be because we will market enough to fill our ships,” Hamilton said. “We are going to come to you guys and ask, what do you need?”

Selling more expensive cruises than those offered by its mainstream competitors requires real experts who can explain the value proposition to customers. “Marketing is at the heart of everything we do,” Hamilton said. “We want you to work with our sales team to come up with the best possible plan. We want to be a true partner; we are here to support you and we ask you to support us.”

NCL last week announced that it will pay commissions on NCFs starting with sailings departing May 1, 2023, and booked more than 120 days out—but travel advisors must file a marketing plan to be eligible.

Hamilton stressed at the conference that while the initial announcement said it was for bookings made after January 1, the offer has been made retroactive, so bookings made today are eligible.

Following on the heels of a similar announcement by Norwegian Cruise Lines this week, American Cruise Lines has changed its policy and will roll non-commissionable fees (NCFs) into its fares—and pay travel advisors commission on them. Read the rest of this entry »

Travel + Leisure magazine is hoping to grow its partnership with travel advisors by offering ready-made commissionable itineraries through a new booking portal on VAX Vacation Access.

Dubbed Travel + Leisure GO for Professionals, the site will offer full itineraries “inspired by editorial content” in the magazine and/or featured hotels on the T + L World’s Best Awards list – including air as well as commissionable hotel, car rentals and activities – to which advisors can add their own fees.

“We’re giving advisors the opportunity to leverage the trust, authority and accessibility of the Travel + Leisure brand to their client base,” the company says, and “creating a path for advisors to seamlessly turn their clients’ inspiration from reading the magazine into trusted travel experiences.”

Current itineraries include Fashion Week in Paris, Milan or New York; handpicked moments in Mexico, Travel + Leisure’s Destination of the Year; and experiences in top cities around the world from Amsterdam, London and San Francisco.

Travel + Leisure already had links to the travel advisor community, publishing a directory of top advisors. But many are unmoved by the new offer.

“I curate my own trips, thank you very much,” says leisure travel consultant Linda De Sosa at Travel Experts, adding that what clients need is a travel advisor with broad knowledge of the industry rather than being a specialist in one destination. That’s “useless for clients who want to have a relationship with their agent.” After 20 years in the industry and having been to 155 countries, “I know most places in the world, and I don’t know an area, I know where to find a specialist.”

If you are interested in signing up for Travel + Leisure GO for Professionals, contact goexperts@travelandleisure.com.

SATA Azores Airlines launches its Winter 22/23 schedule. All flights are operated by the fuel-efficient A321 Neo LR. Schedule, timings, and aircraft refer to a typical winter week. For further information, please consult the GDS or azoresairlines.pt  

 Boston 

SATA Azores Airlines will be flying directly into Ponta Delgada from Boston on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with returning flights on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

 New York

This winter SATA Azores Airlines will also be continuing their service from New York (JFK) to Ponta Delgada and Funchal. The flight from JFK to PDL will be operating on Friday and Saturday, returning on Thursday and Saturday. The flight from JFK to FNC will depart on Thursday and return on Friday 

10% commission promotion. 

Earn 10% Commission on flights from New York to the Azores and Madeira. Flights from New York (JFK) to Ponta Delgada (PDL), Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO), Paris (CDG), Praia (RAI), and Funchal (FNC) via the Azores and Madeira qualify. This promotional commission is only valid for sales ticketed between September 26 – October 31, 2022, with travel between October 1 – December 14, 2022.

Details: 

Valid only for JFK Gateway, must be plated and booked on SATA Azores Airlines operated flights, the commission must be taken at the time of ticketing and reported through ARC, agents must apply the commission manually, only valid for Azores Airlines operated flights, and nets not included.

About SATA Group 

Established in the Azores in 1941, and with more than eighty years of History, SATA Group has at its core the depth of the Azorean soul and is committed to overcoming the archipelago’s isolation.
Composed of two airlines (SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines) and an aerodrome managing body in the Archipelago of the Azores, the SATA Group has affirmed itself as an international airline that embraces the mission of building Atlantic bridges between the Azores and the world. SATA Airlines currently operates a network of regular national and international routes, playing an essential role in the economic and social development of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Susan Shure is tired of suppliers who keep clients’ payments but refuse to pay her commission. So she’s paying no attention to the many notices she has received from Carnival Cruise Lines asking her to return $200 commission paid her on a cruise that was subsequently canceled.

“It’s not very much,” concedes the owner of Susan Shure Travel, “but it’s the principle of the thing. I’m ignoring them.”

It’s not just Carnival, of course. “This has affected me personally more times than I care to count—and what makes it even more frustrating is that it has happened repeatedly during Covid, when we already aren’t making as much. It has to stop. If the suppliers are keeping money, then we should be getting some of that.”

Full-Service Luxury Villa Company Helps Travel Advisors Earn Up to $2,500 on Every Booking All Month Long

Rental Escapes, a full-service luxury villa company specializing in providing unparalleled private villa rentals worldwide, today announced the launch of a new bonus commission program.  In celebration of the company’s valued travel advisor partners, thanking them for their hard work, continued support and incredible dedication as travel continues to bounce back, Rental Escapes will offer a bonus commission of up to $2,500 on every booking made this June.

Rental Escapes’ bonus commission offer is valid on bookings made June 1-30, 2022 for stays between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023. In addition to outstanding earning potential on luxury vacations, travel advisors working with Rental Escapes have access to various tools to grow their business including training videos, a dedicated villa specialist, and a concierge team to assist with providing around the clock care for guests. Banding together with a villa specialist and concierge team helps advisors offer the personalization and elevated, unique experiences that travelers are increasingly seeking for the most unforgettable vacations.

With a rapidly expanding portfolio of premium vacation properties around the world, Rental Escapes’ villa specialists and concierge team are trained to assist travel advisors searching for the ultimate luxury villa rental for their clients. Their team of experts are able to combine extensive product knowledge with personal service, hand-picking from a highly curated selection of more than 5,000 luxury villas globally and organizing personalized experiences for travel advisors and their clients, including private charter boats and yachts, personal chefs, helicopter tours, cultural excursions, in-villa spa services and more.

“Travel advisors have been essential to our business and valued partners since our inception ten years ago,” says Willie Fernandez, chief marketing officer of Rental Escapes. “As the travel industry rebounds, luxury villas continue to welcome travelers in increasing numbers, given the premium space, comfort and service they provide.  We are committed to offering travel advisors the very best tools they need to feel equipped for success. And, with special offers like this, we are excited to celebrate the valuable role they play in our industry with the ability to increase their earning potential.”

For more information on Rental Escapes, visit RentalEscapes.com. Stay up-to-date on the latest news by following Rental Escapes on Facebook, Instagram,Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Rental Escapes

Rental Escapes is a full-service luxury villa company that prides itself in providing top-notch personalized service and unforgettable villa experiences. The company offers a hand-picked selection of more than 5,000 carefully vetted and curated luxury villa rentals in 70 destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, the United States and beyond. Its team of highly trained villa specialists assist guests and travel advisors in planning and booking the ideal villa stay. In addition, every reservation is provided with a concierge service to take care of arranging everything from private chefs to boat charters.

AmaWaterways extended its Portugal river cruise sailings through the Winter Holiday Season this week, for the first time, adding 14 new round-trip sailings in Portugal on the AmaDouro.

It’s a sign of how strong the interest in Europe river cruises is running this year, says chief marketing officer Janet Bava.

“We saw a huge influx in demand for Europe with the loosening of travel guidelines, and very quickly got a lot of demand for the western side of Europe. We were completely sold out for Portugal,” she told TRO at Seatrade Cruise Global last week. “But our travel partners were still calling us—so we said why not extend the season, especially since Portugal tends to have warmer weather, and go ahead and help travel advisors generate some extra commission for 2022.”

While Ama is the first river cruise line to extend Douro sailings through December Read the rest of this entry »

The Travel Institute and AmaWaterways have launched a new, additional $50 bonus commission for all travel professionals who successfully graduate with their CTA, CTC, or CTIE in 2022 and subsequently book and deposit a new AmaWaterways river cruise within 90 days of their certification date.

“Certification from The Travel Institute has propelled many travel advisors’ forward giving certified advisors the knowledge, know-how, and confidence they need to best advise their clients. We want to recognize those advisors for making this investment in their careers and striving to be their best for our mutual guests by giving them something extra to recognize this achievement,” shared Diane Horan, CTC, director of Strategic Partner Networks with AmaWaterways.

Horan, a longtime advocate of agent education and The Travel Institute, said the new bonus commission applies to any new booking for travel in 2022 or 2023 and is combinable with some additional promotions that may also be available at the time of booking. For advisors who graduated earlier in 2022, the program is retroactive to January 1 allowing 90 days from announcement of the bonus program for early 2022 graduates to complete a new AmaWaterways river cruise client booking.

According to Guida Botelho, CTIE, director of training for The Travel Institute, the AmaWaterways bonus commission in effect decreases the cost of certification by approximately 10%. “We applaud AmaWaterways, the leader in luxury European river cruising, for their efforts to support, recognize and reward travel professionals who go above and beyond to achieve a higher level of professionalism, career success and satisfaction via certification. Together with our graduates, they are creating truly amazing travel experiences,” she said.

To receive their $50 USD, pre-paid digital Visacard,* graduates must first register for the commission and then email AmaWaterways providing their date of certification along with the passenger’s full name and booking number. The card can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted and is redeemable for one year from date of issue; full details for the commission plan are available online at registration.  Learn more at The Travel Institute.

Looking for a new short vacation option with a brand consumers already know and love? Margaritaville at Sea has just the thing to sell this summer and all year round: 4- and 6-day sea-and land escapes that sail from West Palm Beach to Grand Bahamas.

At Seatrade in Miami, chief commercial officer Francis Riley told TRO the new ship “is going to include all the things you’d get in a Margaritaville resort” – the elevated room, pillows, and mattresses; the 5:00 Bar; the elevated dining with JWB Prime steak house; the valet service; the bands and music throughout the ship; the kids club;  “plus of course what you’d expect in terms of entertainment, including the new show we launched today written by  Jimmy Buffett.”

The new ship, which begins sailing May 14,  gives the company—and the travel advisors who sell it—the opportunity “to talk to a lot of customers who have experienced the land-based resort who might enjoy an elevated cruise experience,” be it just a two-night jaunt out of Florida or with an extended stay on Grand Bahama Island.

As a sign of its commitment to travel advisors, Margaritaville at Sea is setting aside “a minimum of one cabin per sailing” on every single ship starting at a $149 agent rate including taxes and fees.

Tell them Cheryl sent you!

AmericanTours International’s (ATI) Drive America customizable road trip packages make it easy for travel agents to set up, save clients money (compared to booking it on their own online), and generate commissions on a $3,000 couple booking and up to $10,000 or more for a small or multi-generation family. ATI support team knows about the ins and outs of traveling within your destinations and is always available to help you. Read the rest of this entry »

Start with travel advisors who are desperate for cash flow. Add suppliers who need a healthy distribution channel to calm wary travelers. Muddy the waters with commission recalls of $50,000 or more. And suddenly, the industry is abuzz with talk about paying travel agencies their commissions earlier in the cycle.

This being 2020, it’s no surprise that just as some applaud the idea, others call it a huge mistake. But in the space between, suppliers and advisors are Zooming about ways to make their payment policies fit the new reality.

“We’ve never had a program that pays advance commissions to travel advisors until now,” says Stephanie Mirando at Collette, which last week guaranteed $100 to $200 in commission on every reservation booked in 2021 for travel starting after May 1. Like a fee for service, advisors can keep it even if the trip is canceled. Read the rest of this entry »

You heard me right. It is okay to fail.

I’m not suggesting that you commit flagrant fouls. I’m simply asking you to allow yourself to experiment and make mistakes that come with trying to stretch beyond your current comfort zone. Mistakes are visible signs that you are trying to do something new. Here is a corollary:

Allowing yourself to make mistakes will actually make you and your life more interesting. The words “mistake” and “boring” do not work well together. Mistakes are never boring. Read the rest of this entry »

It cannot be said enough—you need to make sure you are insured! You would not drive a car without insurance. Hopefully you are able to afford health insurance. And you better make sure you have business insurance as well as a separate errors and omissions policy. Why? Well that can be told in two simple words… Read the rest of this entry »

I’m doing something a little unusual for this TRO installment! In order to maintain privacy, I’m answering a question without providing the specific exchange. Over the past two weeks, several travel advisors reached out to me to let me know that their host are not paying their commissions (sometimes to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars). Read the rest of this entry »