One of the incentives of being a travel agent is being rewarded by sellers for a considerable number of bookings, better known as loyalty programs, designed for both agents and travelers. Loyalty programs benefit both travel professionals and individual travelers.
After acquiring new customers, travel professionals should consider obtaining a list of airline, hotel, and car frequent flyer numbers to ensure travelers receive points for reservations used. If they don’t have loyalty numbers, suggest that they sign up for benefits. This is a small gesture that an agent can do to win the business of their clients.
Travel agents must enroll in any loyalty program offered by suppliers to obtain additional benefits for them. This becomes a mutual benefit for the agent and the client.
Starwood Hotels® offers guests a points program to earn free nights. Travel agents can sign up for Starwood’s Travel Agent Education Program, which offers discounted rates with no loyalty reservations to experience its hotels first-hand.
Starwood Hotel Brands:
- Sheraton®
- Four Points®
- St. Regis®
- The Luxury Collection®
- W Hotels®
- Le Meridien®
Marriott Rewards® also compensates its frequent guests with free nights after earning points at its hotels and other partners. Agents are rewarded with discounted hotel and resort rates with Famtastic® rates and other discounts after completing their educational test.
The Marriott brand hotels include:
- Marriott®
- Courtyard by Marriott®
- Residence Inn by Marriott®
- Springhill Suites by Marriott®
- Towneplace Suites by Marriott®
- Fairfield Inn by Marriott®
- Marriott Vacation Club International®
- También gane puntos de hoteles asociados, Ritz Carlton, ExecuStay y Marriott Executive Apartments
Radisson Hotels and Resorts ® rewards frequent guests with points to accumulate for free nights or other gifts with Goldpoints® program. For travel professionals, signing up with Look to Book® and entering your ID at the time of booking will earn you free nights or other reward options.
Radisson Hotel and Resorts incluye:
- Radisson Hotel and Resorts®
- Hoteles Carlson®
- Country Inn and Suites®
- Park Inn®
- Park Plaza®
The Hilton Honors® program also rewards travelers with points that are added to free nights of stay. Travel agents can take advantage of loyalty bookings in conjunction with Budget Car Rental’s Unlimited Budget Program®. Points that are reverted to dollars can be earned when booking Radisson hotels, as well as Budget and Avis car rentals. Hertz offers Hertz Agent Gold Rewards® for travel agents to earn points for gifts, while the customer uses Hertz # 1 Club® to earn points for rewards.
Hilton properties comprise:
- Waldorf Astoria®
- Conrad Hotels and Resorts®
- Hilton®
- Doubletree®
- Embassy Suites®
- Hilton Garden Inn ®
- Hampton Inn and Suites®
- Homewood Suites®
- Inicio 2 Suites by Hilton®
- Hilton Grand Vacations®
Choice hotels, with their wide variety of hotel options, offer their guests the Choice Privilege Rewards Program®, award-winning hotels, gift certificates or other gift rewards. Travel agents are rewarded with Daily Dividends®, a points system that points to free hotel nights or gift cards.
The Choice brand of hotels includes:
- Comfort Inn®
- Comfort Suites®
- Quality®
- Sleep Inn®
- Clarion®
- Cambria Suites®
- MainStay Suites®
- Suburban Extended Stay Hotels®
- Econo Lodge®
- Rodeway Inn®
- Hoteles Ascend Collection®
Intercontinental Hotel Group®, IHG, also has a popular rewards system, Priority Club® Rewards. Points can be earned by staying at their many hotel brands or dining at partner restaurants or shopping at partner stores. Travel agents can sign up for the Travel Consultant Connection to take advantage of discounted hotel rates and preferred agent incentives.
IHG consists of:
- Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts®
- Crowne Plaza Hotel and Resorts®
- Hotel Indigo®
- Holiday Inn®
- Holiday Inn Express®
- Staybridge Suites®
- Candlewood Suites®
These are just a few of the many programs that offer loyalty points. Tour operators, such as Funjet Vacations, Classic Vacations, and Apple Vacations, have agent loyalty programs and offer competitive vacation package rates for clients. Whenever a tour operator, hotel, car rental or other service provider is used, it would be beneficial to check the loyalty programs before making reservations.
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