Holiday add-ons: How to make extras special

STUCK on how to sell a pass to SeaWorld? In a dither about Disney or delaying selling airport parking? The holiday add-ons sector is growing, with new products such as resorttaxis.com coming into the market. Some agents already view holiday add-ons as a strong revenue stream, earning vital extra pounds in commission. What are these agents doing to secure sales that other agents aren’t?

Travel Weekly spoke to four star sellers to find out how they are cashing in.

Trowbridge-based Howard Travel is a top seller of tickets and attractions, and office manager Melanie Raymond says it is vital to tell clients the cost of tickets early in the sale.

Any selling tips? “If someone comes in for a quote I discuss the prices of tickets and attractions. If, for example, a family of four is going to Florida for two weeks, they could spend up to £2,000 on tickets. This can be a shock. We do have our own leaflet for clients which is constantly updated and which explains all the different passes in Florida. The various passes can be quite daunting for someone who doesn’t know Florida.

“We also do radio advertising to publicise a whole range of offers, and there are posters inside and outside the shop. I tend to sell add-ons at the end of a sale. People tend to book the holiday and then book their passes. It’s easy commission.”

How much commission? Keith Prowse says commission depends on its agreement with individual agents.

Sample product: a 10-day Hopper pass costs £199 for adults and £159 for children aged three to nine. Prices are valid until the end of the year.

Humberside-based Holiday Travel managing director Steve Allerston never misses the opportunity to sell airport parking.

Any selling tips? “I bring up airport parking once I have clinched the sale. I’d probably say something like: ‘It’s an early flight – have you considered an airport hotel and car parking?’ Suggestions can also be perceived by the customer as a caring attitude.

“We conduct training on selling holiday add-ons. In these competitive times, staff need to be very clued up on extras. Some people do say they will check on the Internet, but we explain that our prices are competitive and customers also have the convenience of booking with us, and not having to have change at the airport. We know the nitty-gritty when it comes to our regular car parks and if someone found a cheaper price on the Internet I would ring the supplier to tell them.”

How much commission? Agents can make between £8 and £10 on a two-week parking-only booking. If they up-sell to Meet and Greet or a BCP executive lounge, they can increase this.

Sample product: two weeks’parking at Gatwick with BCP costs £79.95.

Liverpool-based TravelWise retail director Rita Hunter makes sure no opportunity to sell car rental is lost – even if it means going back to customers who bought their holiday two weeks earlier.

Any selling tips? Hunter said TravelWise is reprinting its ticket wallets to include information about attractions and car rental. Agents are sometimes asked to refer back to their bookings for the previous two weeks to see whether they could still sell some car rental.

“At the enquiry stage, customers sometimes can’t make their minds up. Going back has a drip-drip sales effect,” she said.

Horncastle Executive Travel managing director Peter Drummond said car rental should be taken seriously: “I look at it as a revenue stream.”

How much commission? Holiday Autos said it varied from agent to agent, depending on their contract.

Sample product: one week’s car rental in Malaga, Spain, starts from £69 with Holiday Autos.

West Midlands Co-op travel division deputy general manager Sue Reid said self-confidence and confidence in the product were key to successful insurance sales.

Any selling tips? “We have a dedicated person in-house who is responsible for insurance. Agents get an updated selling pack every year and our booking system has prompts. We try to be as competitive as we can. We heavily promote the excess deletion, where clients pay a small amount to remove the excess on their policy. Agents also remind customers who are going to buy elsewhere to make sure their cover is as comprehensive as ours. We have had a couple of cases where clients would have faced a hefty bill without cover. Agents need to have confidence in the product and have a good contact at the insurer.”

How much commission? Agents add their own mark-up, typically around 35%.

Sample product: Journeys Travel Insurance sells a policy offering two weeks’ cover in Europe for one adult for £12.80, which agents can