Rocky Mountaineer Offers Bonus to North American Agents
By James Ruggia
February 14, 2012 10:44 PM
To celebrate its recent World Travel Award win and record year of awards and accolades, Rocky Mountaineer is offering a special thank you to North American travel agent partners. From now until March 31, agents will receive a $100 bonus for each guest booked on a qualifying 2012 vacation package in GoldLeaf or SilverLeaf Service.
“We wanted to thank our travel agent partners for their support and the integral role they play in helping us win international awards year after year,” said Bob Nicholas, vice president, global sales. “In 2011, we won the most awards in our company's history and to show our appreciation, we are offering agents 100 more reasons to sell a Rocky Mountaineer package.”
The Travel Agent Bonus offer is valid on new bookings made directly with Rocky Mountaineer by North American travel agents between now and March 31 for travel between April and October 2012, subject to availability. This offer is applicable to any Rocky Mountaineer vacation package with a land tour portion of three nights or more that includes a two-day rail route taken from the 2012 Rocky Mountaineer brochure. Qualifying vacation packages must be purchased in GoldLeaf or SilverLeaf Service only.
The offer is not available on RedLeaf Service bookings, group tour bookings, wholesaler bookings, custom group bookings, two-day rail bookings or child bookings, and is not applicable to bookings on the Whistler Sea to Sky Climb. The bonus will only be paid on fully paid bookings which are 60 days or less from travel by check in either Canadian or U.S. dollars. The bonus will be sent to the travel agent, and should be received within four to six weeks after the date the booking becomes non-refundable and has been paid in full. Further restrictions may apply. Rocky Mountaineer offers more than 45 Canadian vacation packages and four rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta.
2/15/12
Regardless of your experience on Rocky Mountaineer you should be aware that on June 22, 2011 Rocky Mountaineer locked out over 100 dedicated onboard attendants.
RMR has boasted that they are a 200 million dollar company but refused to give it's employees a reasonable wage increase after 3 years at the same pay rate.
Onboard Attendants are trained in safety and emergency procedures; they narrate commentary on passing scenery. They provide the service onboard, meeting and exceeding each guest's every need.
Their years of talent and experience have been substituted for replacement workers – scabs – who have little to no training and little to no practical knowledge. The use of scab labour undermines the right to fair bargaining by the employees.
Rocky Mountaineer does not want its guests to know about the lock out; if information is provided it is often partial and misleading. Guests are left to face a difficult choice: violate their ethics and cross a union picket line or forfeit the cost of their holiday.
Complaints regarding substandard service have often been ignored, disregarded, or responses met with great delay before being addressed.
On two separate occasions Rocky Mountaineer’s actions have been denounced in the Canadian Parliament. Many provincial and municipal politicians have written the Company urging them to return to the bargaining table and end the lock out.
The company has not returned to the bargaining table since July 7th where they sat for exactly 11 minutes and offered a 2% wage DECREASE. Further, it has begun recruiting for the 2012 train season with no effort made to renew talks.
I have taken the train and quite enjoyed myself, but part of what made the trip so exceptional was the amazing staff on board. Knowing the difference of how the service should be and what it is now, I would never take the train again, and I would certainly never ever cross a picket line.
You can do your part by voicing your displeasure to the company, write to the company, or postpone your trip until the dispute is over.
For more information go to http://rockymountainlockout.wordpress.com/.