Race for Miles Takes Punta Cana

I stepped onto my ocean view balcony at Secrets Cap Cana and inhaled the salty air.

“Wow. What a view.”

Decorated with luxurious marble, Caribbean furnishings and breathtaking views, my suite, (which is one of 457), definitely felt a home away from home.

Beforehand, I had no idea what was in store for me during the three days I spent with American Airline Vacations (AAV) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

After the fact? I can confidently say: These folks really know how to have fun.

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Between dancing the bachata, racing against the clock to make a hotel bed with perfect hospital corners and competing to create the best cupcakes and Monfogo, joining the Race for Miles event November 1-4 allowed me to meet some of the most passionate travel agents in the business—like Carmela Beth Butner.

A spunky and outgoing Promotional Director and Travel Advisor at Way to Go Travel in North Carolina, Carmela may have been on team Zoetry, the team that came in last place, but that didn’t stop her from learning and laughing as much as she could.

“Seeing the properties first hand can, a lot of times, help you close the sale.” she said with excitement. “When your clients hear that you’ve seen the resort, tasted the food, interacted with the staff and slept in the beds, it gives them even more assurance that they are making the right choice.”

READ MORE: Selling AMResorts Just Got Easier with New Booking Engine

The competition rewarded travel agents who sold the most AMResorts earlier this year. Agents were grouped into five teams, each named after resorts from the AMResorts brand. The teams worked together to complete tasks assigned at each venue, focusing on each’s amenities and services and, most importantly, AAV’s mission to have fun.

In the end, Team Sunscape split the top prize of 500,000 American Advantage miles, while second-place Team Now and third-place Team Breathless split 300,000 miles and 200,000 miles, respectively.

The event was hosted by AMResorts' adult-only Secrets Cap Cana and included site tours of other all-inclusive AMResorts properties around Punta Cana: Zoetry Agua Punta Cana, Dreams Dominicus La Romana, Now Onyx and Sunscape Bavaro Beach.

Race for Miles started more than 10 years ago as a competitive scavenger hunt in Las Vegas. Now, the event is taking agents to other AMResort locations around the world. Last year, the contest was held in Cancun, Mexico.

READMORE: Get a Jump Start on 2018 with American Airlines Vacations

As someone who has only heard of the Sandals Resorts chain, I was completely blown away by these properties.

Ranging from family-friendly to adult-only, AMResorts puts their customers first, ensuring everything you can ever want or need while on vacation is available to you. They are all equally unique and breathtakingly beautiful. Each resort we visited was overflowing with warm and passionate staff members, making it easier for me to understand their enduring appeal.

“We create memories for a lot of people, and that is a noble profession,” said Eduardo Marcos, president of American Airlines Vacations.

Indeed, as someone who is used to planning her own vacations, I have a new appreciation—not just for the travel industry, but the agents I met who put their hearts and souls into making sure their clients enjoy their vacations from beginning to end.

As far as I’m concerned, they are all winners.