Spain: Little things mean a lot

In a market as mature as Spain, where both agents and
clients are familiar with the product on offer, there are plenty of
opportunities to upgrade a holiday to something beyond the
norm.

Getting clients to opt for a villa instead of a three-star hotel,
persuading them to upgrade from half-board to all-inclusive or
convincing them they need a larger hire car are some examples of
how agents can give better service and earn more commission at the
same time.

Done in the right way, up-selling need not solely benefit the
agent. If you have listened to your clients’ requirements you
should be able to offer them a number of alternatives which give
them a lot more holiday for little extra cost. It’s a win-win
situation.

To achieve this on Spanish holiday bookings, it is essential agents
know what’s out there. Travel Weekly provides a guide to some
of the up-selling opportunities being offered by operators to Spain
this year.

First Choice senior product manager Courtenay Simpson said
upgrading a family from self-catering to all-inclusive at one of
the operator’s Holiday Villages is a winner for all.

A family of four spending seven nights at the Holiday Village Costa
Del Sol in Benalmadena in early July will pay £1,446 if they
go self-catering, compared with £1,822 if they choose
all-inclusive.

“Clients can budget better knowing all their food and drink
is included for an additional £376 for the whole family, which
is good value for a week,” said Simpson.

Other potential earners for agents booking First Choice include
late check-out options at around £20, and in-flight meals
costing £12 per adult and £6 per child for a round
trip.

Superbreak sales director Ian Mounser says flagging up low-season
deals, where clients can stay at four-star hotels for less than
three-star prices, has long-term benefits. “It may not earn
you extra commission now, but it’s likely the client will
like the standard of the hotel and will spend more on a property
the next time they book a holiday,” he said.

Sample product: Superbreak offers a low-season
accommodation-only deal at the four-star Aparthotel Voranova in
Palma Nova, Majorca, where prices start at £15.75 per person,
per night self-catering (reduced from £21). Up to two children
under 16 go free if sharing with two adults.

Sovereign Villas Spain product manager Chrissie McKinnel
recommends suggesting to clients they can get a better deal on a
villa holiday by persuading friends or family to join them.

Prices for a week’s stay at the La Media Luna and El Rosario
properties, two and four-bedroom houses respectively, in La
Molineta near Frigiliana in Andalusia, demonstrate this.

For a family of four, one-week holidays at La Media Luna will cost
£693 per person in August. If they can take friends with them
or fill the villa with extended family, they can book the
four-bedroom El Rosario and reduce the cost to £578 per
person.

The saving for a family of four if they fill the villa to capacity
is £460. For the agent it means a rise in the total booking
from £2,772 to £4,624. The increased value of £1,852
brings extra commission of around £185.

Sovereign also offers an array of additional extras, from in-villa
chefs to baby packs, which can bump up the value of the booking and
earn extra commission.

Sample product: a grocery welcome pack costs
between £15-£20 per person from Sovereign, while clients
can also have a cook or maid.

Pre-bookable baby packs, including a high chair, cot, buggy and
bottle sterilisers, are available from £45 for one week.

Holiday Autos commercial director Ian Coyle believes hire cars
shouldn’t be seen as commodities. “This is prime
up-selling territory and there is a huge choice for
clients.”

Holiday Autos offers a range of vehicles, from a two-door Fiat
Seicento, which costs £53 for seven days in June with a
pick-up at Malaga Airport, to a top-of-the-range Mercedes or BMW,
priced at £399 for the same period. Coyle said agents have the
chance to sell a bigger car if they remind clients how much room
luggage takes up. “Four people may think they can squeeze
into a Corsa but once you add the suitcases, it’s going to be
a struggle. Clients will thank you in the end.”

Every booking on the holidayautos.co.uk website also gives the
agent the option of upgrading to a car with air conditioning, while
Coyle says agents should advise clients to hire a more powerful car
if they plan to drive up to areas like the Sierra Nevada in
Andalusia, Mount Tiede on Tenerife or the Pyrennees.

Sample product: a spacious five-seater Renault
Scenic people-carrier can be hired for £179 for a week in July
with Holiday Autos for a pick-up at Alicante Airport. Add an extra
£1.86 per day if clients want air conditioning.

Clients taking Spanish city breaks are increasingly open to
pre-bookable excursions, according to Bridge product development
manager for cities Michelle Evans.

Popular options are Bridge’s half-day city tour of Barcelona
from £25 per person and the Barcelona football experience
tour, which includes a pre-booked match ticket and entry into the
Barcelona FC museum for £39. Agents can also offer clients a
Bridge city guide for an additional £7.50.

For clients after something a bit special on their weekend away,
Cresta product development manager for cities Ian Lomas suggested
upgrading clients from a standard hotel room to a deluxe or
superior room, or even a suite.

Two nights with flights at the five-star Le Mérdien in
Barcelona leads in at £386 per person for the standard room
and £406 per person for the deluxe room with Cresta. Throw in
flowers, pre-booked from £21, and a chilled bottle of
Moët champagne, leading in at £74, and the trip is sure
to go with a bang – and you’ll have earned yourself a
bit of extra cash.

For the adventurous, Lomas said a multi-centre Spanish city break
can also earn agents extra commission.

Sample product: Cresta can organise a four-night
twin-centre Spanish city break including two nights at the two-star
Meson Castilla in Madrid and two nights at the two-star Alexandra
in Barcelona for £474 per person in April and May, including
all flights.

There is a huge range of add-ons available for clients heading to
Spain this year.

According to Thomas Cook product manager Mark Pallister, theme park
tickets continue to be a popular pre-booking option.

A three-day ticket for entry into Universal Mediterranea near Salou
costs £35 per child and £45 per adult, while a two-day
ticket for Terra Mitica theme park near Benidorm costs £17 for
kids and £23 for adults.

If your clients are heading for a Thomas Cook Super Sun resort on
either Majorca or Fuerteventura you can offer to book their
children a stint at either a Brazilian soccer school or a stage
school.

Two three-hour slots learning to dribble like Ronaldo cost
£25, while the same time spent training the next Pop Idol
champion costs £30.

And while the kids play, mum can pamper herself by taking advantage
of Thomas Cook’s wellbeing packages, introduced this year for
clients staying at selected properties.

Sample product: Thomas Cook offers pre-bookable
wellbeing packages for clients staying at the four-star Hotel Audax
Spa and Wellness on Minorca and five-star Altea Hills Resort in
Valencia.

A facial treatment, manicure, full-body massage and health-club
pass package costs £85. Add an aromatherapy session and body
exfoliation treatment and the cost rises to £169. If an
additional house speciality and anti-cellulite treatment is
included, the cost is £199.