Panelists Rigo Borjas (Air New Zealand), Ashely Lawson (Achieve Incentives & Meetings) and Erin Zugelder (Wheels Up) joined SITE CEO Annette Gregg on July 28 for a conversation about transportation trends affecting incentive travel right now.
The group’s discussion covered a range of topics, including how to make long-haul travel a positive experience for qualifiers, when and how to consider integrating private modes of transportation, and what airlines are doing to improve the state of travel for the rest of 2023 and beyond.
Here are just a few highlights from their webinar conversation.
Making long-haul destinations worth the investment
Ashely Lawson joked that she “lives the long-haul life” as an incentive travel professional who has spent the last three years as a digital nomad. It’s given her plenty of insights about how planners can make a long-haul incentive travel destination a worthwhile investment for the right client.
First, said Ashley, keep in mind this is likely not the kind of program you’d pitch clients on year after year. It’s the best fit, she said, for big anniversary years or other major company milestones; for product launches; or to celebrate sales goals that deliver high profit margins. She advised stepping into your role as a consultative partner to show how embracing a long-haul trip can really drive business goals to set everyone up for success from the start.
Long-haul destinations are also often linked to people’s sense of adventure, Ashely continued. She suggested talking up the adventure, as well as the bucket list experiences qualifiers will earn, to sell the experience as a once-in-a-lifetime experience and tap into that energy rather than focusing on a long flight or other potentially daunting logistics.
Focus on the benefits first, she siad: then move onto working with your partners to tackle remaining challenges.
Invest in airline relationships
Airlines are well aware of the challenges travelers today are facing, said Rigo Borjas. He admitted progress is still ongoing, but talked about different ways airlines, including Air New Zealand, are working to improve slack in the system to give operations and sales teams more flexibility to deliver desired service to customers. They’re continuing to staff up, Rigo said, and investing in on-the-ground resources to continue improving service delivery.
Rigo stressed that airlines should be seen as partners, especially for those working with large groups. They’re just as invested in successfully moving your group from point A to point B, he said, and want the group to have a good experience. Rigo said airlines are aware of when they have large groups traveling with them, if that’s communicated properly to the airline in advance.
Forming relationships with your airline partners is key, he said, and making sure you’re transparent in your communications with them so the airline can stay on the same page with you and stay aligned with the best real-time information.
Charters add creative new options
Erin Zugelder rounded out the webinar by introducing some creative new solutions that Wheels Up and other private charter services can offer incentive planners.
Think about using charters for “last mile” delivery to add an extra lux touch, Erin suggested (pointing to a partnership her company has with Delta Air Lines, to make the experience even more seamless), and to make the last part of the journey that much more memorable for qualifiers and mitigate any hiccups they might’ve faced earlier.
Chartering an aircraft also gives you chances to customize virtually the entire onboard experience, Erin added. This gives you some incredible branding and gifting opportunities that can again enhance the overall incentive experience and really suit creative planners.
Time is currency, Erin also noted. When you put a price on what someone’s time is worth, especially if those people are your executives or top performers, the costs of chartering also start to balance out with the time lost to commercial flight times and reduce overall friction.
Bring it to the table as an option, Erin concluded — and don’t just focus on the dollars, but highlight the opportunity cost, too.
Catch up on the full conversation with the webinar replay here. Thank you to Tourism New Zealand for sponsoring this month’s webinar.
