ACV Dream Makers informs and entertains

Air Canada Vacations (ACV) informed and entertained close to 1,000 travel agents and more than 85 suppliers last night (Sept 7) at Muzik Nightclub in downtown Toronto, unveiling an assortment of new products and promotions.

“We’ve got a big winter ahead of us,” Nino Montagnese, managing director, sun markets at ACV, told PAX at the well-attended soiree, aptly named ACV Dream Makers, which included a trade show, a live DJ, pasta and taco stations, and featured a live performance by a drum corps, an electronic violinist and a breakdancing troupe.

Drummers kick-off last night's ACV Dream Makers event at Muzik.

Among ACV’s latest offerings include 17 per cent more lift via the company’s carrier, Air Canada rouge, which offers 100 leisure routes on five continents via 44 aircraft and, in just three years, has reportedly flown more more than 11 million passengers.

New flights offered by AC rouge include direct routes from Montreal to Puerto Vallarta and San Jose, Costa Rica; Toronto to Palm Springs; and Vancouver to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Ixtapa.

George Platanitis, VP of sales and partnerships at ACV

George Platanitis, VP of sales and partnerships at ACV, delivered a presentation that detailed some of ACV’s latest selling tools and promos pertinent to the travel trade, including:

• ACV coupon offer. This October, customers across Canada will receive a coupon that will earn them $100 off their vacation when they book through their favourite local travel agent. “It’s about driving traffic through your doors,” Platanitis told the crowd.

• Increased Privileges Program. ACV’s Privileges Program entitles customers to guaranteed vacation essentials, such as prime room locations, early check-in and late check-out, free WiFi, a la carte dinners and the ability to earn Aeroplan miles. This season, the program covers more than half of the resorts in ACV’s latest brochure, covering more than 320 resorts.

• Return of ACV’s Play program. “It was such a success last year that we had to bring it back,” Platanitis said. Play-branded resorts typically include supervised kids’ clubs and kid-friendly menus, pools and entertainment. The offer lets kids eat, stay and play for free, and includes extra incentives for families, such as pre-boarding privileges and free seat selection.

• New offerings for groups. “You only need eight people to make a group,” Platanitis said. New to ACV’s Groups offerings include a $500 hotel or excursion credit per 25 passengers on incentive groups, complimentary site inspection for bride and groom for groups over 50 at select hotels and a groups price drop guarantee incentive.

• All-in-one cruise packages. Agents who book clients by Sept. 30, 2016, will be able to offer a $100 deposit per person (which is normally $500) and get up to $200 in instant savings per person. ACV will offer 12 per cent commission for such bookings.

• Online seat selection. As of Nov. 1, 2016, agents will be able to select seats for customers online. “No more waiting on the phone,” Platanitis said, generating cheers and applause from the audience. “It was a long time coming, we finally did it. Welcome ACV to the 21st century.”

• Park' N Fly promo. For all bookings made in Oct. 2016 for travel in Jan. through Apr. 2017, customers will receive eight-day free parking included in their ACV package.

ACV also unveiled the names behind its new advisory board, which consists of 28 travel professionals representing groups, cruises, international and sun from international agencies to independent chains across Canada.

“This advisory board is all about our retail partners,” Montagnese told PAX. “They’re going to tell us what we’re doing right and wrong. We’re giving them a voice in our company.”

The night also featured a presentation by Craig Landry, president at Air Canada Leisure Group, who identified four trends in today’s travel market: lower oil prices and how it impacts the Canadian dollar, rising U.S.-dollar land costs, the rising costs of travel due to fragile demand and heavy competition and health-related challenges, such as the Zika virus and Sargassum seaweed.

Craig Landry, president at Air Canada Leisure Group

These are trends “we have our eyes on,” Landry told the crowd. “We need to work that much harder to ensure we’re bringing the right products, services and type of promotions to the market to stimulate demand.”

For more on Air Canada Vacations, go to vacations.aircanada.com.