BonBon backlash: Transat responds as advisor demands answers about restitution process

Transat has responded to a social media campaign aimed at rallying travel advisors around the tour operator's glitch-ridden BonBon program, specifically addressing its restitution process.

“We are aware that some advisors have encountered difficulties during the process,” wrote Julie Sareault, commercial director at Transat, in an email to PAX on July 2. “Although these situations represent a minority of the requests received, each one is being handled on an individual basis.”

Late last month, Quebec-based travel advisor Gail Lea called out Transat on her Facebook page for forcing advisors to “jump through hoops to be paid what belongs to us.”

Tagging 28 other advisors in her post, Lea wrote that it is “NOT about the amount of money, it is the principle.”

“This issue goes well beyond a technical problem,” she wrote. “It raises broader questions about transparency and accountability.”

“Over the past two years, travel advisors have witnessed significant layoffs, public announcements of strong financial performance, and the collapse of a loyalty program into which many advisors invested years of bookings and loyalty.”

“Today, many of those same advisors are still struggling simply to access the restitution process.”

BonBon breakdown

In a previous statement to PAX, Transat said it was making headway in its BonBon restitution process.

On June 11, the company said it received more than two thousand forms since launching the process on April 30.

READ MORE: Transat reports progress on BonBon restitution; 2,000+ claims received

According to Transat’s latest update, that number has now jumped to nearly 3,000 travel advisors who have submitted a restitution request.

For context, travel advisors are grappling with Transat’s BonBon loyalty program, which was suspended almost a year ago after persistent technical issues at TruCash, a third-party entity, can submit restitution requests via Agent Direct.

Travel advisors once earned rewards on their Transat bookings, including travel packages, coach tours, cruises, flights, accommodations and car rentals.

These rewards, in the form of dollars, were then loaded directly onto BonBon TruCash Visa cards.

But for some time, as PAX has previously reported, many advisors weren’t able to access their money due to their Visa cards being blocked.

The problem only escalated as agents were paying monthly fees for a service they could not use, in addition to receiving T4 statements for income they had no access to.

Last September, Transat initiated legal proceedings with TruCash, a subsidiary of TCA Group Of Companies, in order "to shed full light" on the BonBon fiasco. 

“Our investigations revealed findings of serious irregularities regarding the BonBon program,” a notice read at the time. “The recent breach of the agreement combined with a significant breakdown in collaboration from a long-time external partner required that we take firmer action to advocate for our members.”

TruCash had supplied Transat’s cash incentive program since 2009.

At a Transat product launch held in Toronto last November, Sareault addressed the BonBon issue with an audience of travel advisors in a ballroom.

At the time, Sareault said Transat was awaiting the final results of a “serious investigation” to gain a full understanding of the situation.

“We understand this uncertainty is very frustrating,” she told the crowd. “It is for you, it is for us.”

Speaking to PAX at that event, Sareault said a new rewards program was being developed and will be “parallel” to what BonBon offered.

The full picture

In her Facebook post, Lea said the statements Transat has been sharing with the media, as well as The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA) may be accurate, but do not address the “fundamental issue many advisors continue to face.”

“We cannot even access the restitution process because the system does not recognize our accounts,” she wrote.

Transat says approximately 3,000 travel advisors have now successfully submitted restitution requests through the BonBon program.

The company noted that an advisor's BonBon ID must match their Agent Direct login to ensure requests can be processed correctly.

“The restitution form is designed to automatically recognize the name of the advisor associated with the Agent Direct ID used to log in,” Sareault wrote in her latest email to PAX.

“If the recognized name differs from that of the BonBon account holder, it will not be possible to obtain reimbursement of the balance.”

This issue may arise, for example, when an agency uses the same username and password for all of its advisors, she said.

“It is therefore the responsibility of each agency to properly manage Agent Direct access so that every advisor can submit their own restitution request." 

Transat has also retained Deloitte to validate restitution amounts through a forensic accounting process.

“Their analysis made it possible to calculate the amounts accumulated and spent since January 1, 2023, based on the complete set of transactional data provided by DC Bank,” wrote Sareault.

“In addition, if travel advisors previously received a payment from DC Bank, it is important to note that this amount has been taken into account as part of the BonBon restitution process.”

Advisors experiencing issues are being asked to contact bonbon@transat.com for assistance.

“Each request is reviewed individually, and when manual verification is required, processing may take approximately three to five business days due to the confidential nature of the information being reviewed,” wrote Sareault.

Additionally: “We would also like to remind advisors that, although the legal proceedings related to the BonBon program are still ongoing, Transat has chosen to move forward with reimbursing the funds,” wrote Sareault.

Travel advisors “deserves transparency”

In her post, Lea raises several questions about Transat’s restitution process, including how many advisors remain unable to submit claims because of system errors, why some accounts display a $0.00 balance despite advisors believing they are owed funds, and how many cases are still unresolved.

She also asks what safeguards are in place to ensure no advisor is excluded because of administrative or technical errors, and what Transat's plan is to identify and reimburse every eligible advisor.

The post includes other questions about the transparency and accountability of the process.

“I believe the travel advisor community deserves transparency,” she wrote. “If the restitution process is functioning exactly as described, that should be confirmed. If it is not, advisors deserve to understand why.”

PAX submitted Lea’s questions directly to Transat and received the updates outlined above. Sareault supplemented the response with additional context.

“The solution currently in place was developed as the fairest and most practical option for all parties involved, given the circumstances,” wrote Sareault.

“We remain committed to transparency and fairness, and our goal continues to be to support our valued partners as effectively as possible within these constraints.”

Sareault also thanked Transat’s travel advisor partners once again “for their understanding and for their continued partnership with Transat throughout these challenging circumstances.”

Sunwing’s STAR loyalty relaunching soon

BonBon isn’t the only travel agent loyalty program to encounter issues over the past year.

Sunwing’s STAR loyalty program, too, has faced technical glitches, impacting advisors’ ability to access or withdraw their points.

In May, at the WestJet Group’s inaugural Agency Summit in Toronto, Deanna Murphy, vice president of trade sales and business development for Sunwing and WestJet Vacations, revealed that Sunwing will be relaunching a new and improved STAR program “very, very, very soon.”

“As we have communicated over the last several months, you're still earning those STAR points and will have access to those STAR points,” Murphy said at the event, which was attended by roughly 70 travel advisors.

“We profusely apologize that it has taken this long. It was an extremely, extremely complicated situation.”

When the new program launches, “there will be no action required of you,” Murphy added.

She said the team is also looking at ways to enhance the rewards program.

“It has been an award-winning loyalty program for many, many years. We're just as anxious to have it back as you are,” she said. “Rest assured, your earnings are secure.”

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