Standing By Its Travel Advisor Partners

When it became clear that travel would grind to a halt during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Apple Leisure Group Vacations (ALGV) sprang into action.

"One of the first things ALG Vacations did to help advisors in the pandemic was creating a 125 percent future travel credit (FTC). We invested in this credit so that advisors could offer their clients an incentive not to cancel," said Scott Wiseman, senior vice president and general manager-travel agent brands strategy for ALGV. "So far, we’ve had a great response to the FTC – more than 40 percent of our clients are choosing to upgrade and enhance their future vacation with the credit."

Onslaught of Calls

The company itself – whose tour brands include Apple Vacations, Funjet Vacations, Travel Impressions, Southwest Vacations, Blue Sky Tours, United Vacations and more – was dealing with an onslaught of phone calls.

"As one of the biggest tour operators in the U.S., when the coronavirus hit, we started getting hundreds of thousands of phone calls into our contact center for cancellations, refunds and other questions," Wiseman said. "In order to take some of the pressure off of the call center, we quickly created a series of videos for advisors about all of the things they could do themselves on VAX VacationAccess. They didn’t have to wait on hold to request a refund or select the future travel credit. Over time, we were able to put more technology behind these self-service options, and now advisors can rebook a vacation and pay for it using their future travel credit and never have to get on the phone to do it."

'Ready, Set, Go'

ALGV also gave agents several tools to help them rebound when their clients were ready to travel again. Among them was a series of "Ready, Set, Go" videos for advisors to repurpose for their clients.

"Our research shows that nine out of 10 Americans are already thinking about their next trip – either looking at dates or specific locations," Wiseman said. "We hope our aspirational creative assets will give them a push to make a booking. We house all of these assets on ALGV 360, our creative assets platform that agents can easily access. It’s a great library of videos, infographics, social posts and more that are offered to our advisor network."

'Steal of a Deal'

Another proactive campaign was the "Steal of a Deal" program, designed to appeal to travelers motivated by limited-time deals.

"While we know that safety and sanitation are top of mind for travelers right now, we also know that a huge deal will still attract buyers," Wiseman said.

For example, the company offered a four-night Riviera Maya vacation package in the fall for $389 per person, including all meals and drinks, nonstop air from Chicago O’Hare and accommodations at Sunscape Akumal Beach. "That’s unheard of," he said.

Viva Las Vegas

Destinations that have rebounded quickly include Las Vegas and other domestic places, as well resort areas in Mexico and the Caribbean that can be reached on nonstop flights.

"Las Vegas has quickly become our number-one selling destination this summer. This falls in line with current consumer trends that show domestic travel is incredibly popular right now," Wiseman said.

Meanwhile, ALGV made a "significant financial investment" in its ENVF – for Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flights – program. "As early as this fall, we are offering ENVF programs to Cancun from Chicago, St. Louis and Denver, and we will have more U.S. gateways and beach destinations on sale for winter 2021," he said.

Travel Protection Plus

Of course, Wiseman also recommends the company’s Travel Protection Plus with Cancel for Any Reason coverage.

"Cancel for Any Reason protection allows clients to have peace of mind that they won’t lose their vacation investment," he said. "And Travel Protection Plus is a must-have these days. Coverage starts from $59 per adult, and commissions up to $200 are protected if the booking is canceled."

There are three plans for Travel Protection Plus: 100 percent cash refund, 50 percent cash refund/50 percent travel credit and 100 percent travel credit.

In summary, Wiseman urged agents to stay the course: "We’d like to encourage travel advisors to keep the faith and know that we are all in this together. ALGV will work with you side-by-side to help travel recover, and we look forward to celebrating our success together, hopefully on a tropical beach, when this pandemic is over."

Seal of Trust

To meet concerns about health and sanitation protocols, Apple Leisure Group Vacations (ALGV) developed TripTrust, a seal of approval of sorts.

Most destinations, hotels and resorts are following the advice of government entities like the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization or a third-party consulting group like Cristal International, ALGV Senior Vice President Scott Wiseman said.

"We wanted travel advisors to have an easy, at-a-glance way to tell if a hotel or resort was following specific protocols, so we created TripTrust," he added. "Basically, if you see the TripTrust logo next to a hotel, you know that they have reported their third-party protocols to ALGV."

ALGV Brands

Here’s how the company differentiates its six vacation brands.

Apple Vacations

– Mass-market operator appealing to sun and sand lovers looking for affordability, value and personalized service in resorts

– Focus on Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii

– Worldwide leader to Mexico and the Dominican Republic

– Customer-rated hotels

– Committed to travel advisors for 50-plus years

Travel Impressions

– Global portfolio

– Luxury operator appealing to travelers looking for a high-end experience

– Appeals to niche segments including destination wedding groups and villas

– Highly service-oriented

– Distributed exclusively through travel agents

Funjet Vacations

– 45-plus years in the vacation package industry

– Focus of international business in Mexico and Caribbean/Dominican Republic

– Focus of domestic destinations, including Hawaii, Vegas, Florida and California

– Appeals to the masses – both experienced and new-to-travel vacationers that care more about the memories than the price

– Friendly, adventurous and reliable

United Vacations

– Global portfolio – focus on Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas

– Target customers include United Airlines MileagePlus members, United Airlines credit cardholders and customers in UA hubs

– Broad appeal to both value-seekers and luxury-focused travelers

– 50 percent male/50 percent female split

Southwest Vacations

– Target clientele include Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards members and Southwest Airlines credit cardholders

– Mass-market appeal for travelers looking for affordability and value

– Destinations: U.S., Mexico, Caribbean, Hawaii, Central America

Blue Sky Tours

– Hawaii and South Pacific specialists

– Affordable, value-packed vacation packages

– Distributed exclusively through travel agents

– Knowledgeable and flexible