What is one of the main reasons why you work in travel? Surely it is to experience as many of the dream holidays that you spend your working days selling to clients, who are lucky enough to be able to afford to buy them at full price.
It was once the preserve of the rich and famous to experience the exotic countries of the world. Now these destinations have become attainable to your regular clients. It is, therefore, now even more important that you get the opportunity to have as many chances to travel as regularly as possible. This provides you with the knowledge your clients demand, and enables you to take some wonderful holidays in the process.
Apart from the possibility of sponsored fam trips, how do you achieve this? What if you want to holiday with your partner, parents or a couple of friends? How can you ensure you get the best deal with the minimum time and effort?
Touchdown Holidays provides reduced rate travel to people working in the travel industry, and is the exclusive provider of these offers to Travel Weekly readers.
Know what’s on offer
Travel agents can get discounts on everything travel related and more. Companies that currently offer agent discounts include Mark Warner, Neilson and Virgin Atlantic. As well as cut-price flights and hotel rooms, you can get discounts on all the extras, such as car hire and airport lounges. In fact, you can pretty much get discounts on everything from safaris, to luxury train trips, to weddings.
Research the best time to book
Many flights can be booked up to 11 months in advance, particularly British Airways (BA), so to get the best peak season holiday availability, book as early as possible. Through Touchdown, BA has no embargoes and no peak-season supplements, but these seats are limited, so agents are advised to book early.
Alternatively, take your chance nearer the time, as flight availability increases in the last few weeks prior to departure. We have some fantastic deals coming through shortly with BA on Caribbean and North America routes.
Share the deal with friends and family
Many airlines, particularly BA and Virgin Atlantic, allow agents to include up to three other people on their bookings at the same price. Cruise and most ancillary products are available to agents’ friends and family, who may take advantage of the deals, even if the agent isn’t travelling. Most hotels will offer you a friends-and-family rate if you can’t get more than one room at a reduced rate.
Know where to look
Each week you will find offers in the Travel Trade Staff Offers pages in Travel Weekly to whet your appetite. Gazetteers.com also features all the latest product in its Travel Industry Offers section.
You can also see a full selection of offers on Touchdown’s website. You can also call the reservations department or sign up for the weekly email newsletter.
Take advantage of our flexibility
Touchdown mainly works with hoteliers and airlines. On the airline side, it offers mainly scheduled flights. This means you can book almost any destination and time combination you like.
Web help
Touchdown Holidays: Sign up for the weekly Touchdown email newsletter, which features the company’s latest special offers. It’s also packed with ideas to help you choose your next holiday or treat.
Touchdown Plus: Launched in December 2008, Touchdown Plus offers its members the opportunity to upgrade flights and hotel rooms, receive further discounts on many Touchdown products, and enter fantastic monthly prize draws to win long-haul holidays, Touchdown vouchers and accommodation prizes. It also runs regular competitions with international and domestic sports and concert tickets among the prizes.
Alan Forbes is deputy managing director of Touchdown World Travel Group. He has more than 30 years’ travel experience.