New commission policies, protections & tools: ACV’s Nino Montagnese updates trade

Effective immediately, Air Canada Vacations (ACV) will offer a new commission payment policy that aims to offer the travel trade enhanced financial protection and stability.

Nino Montagnese, vice-president of Air Canada Vacations, shared the details in a letter to travel agency partners on Tuesday (Aug. 15).

As part of the initiative, travel agents will now be entitled to receive standard commission on any cancelled individual bookings made 45 days or more prior to departure (Cancelled with Deposit), with the exception of cruise and group bookings, Montagnese wrote.

In addition, Air Canada Vacations will protect full commission on any schedule change that provides no option of reprotection and results in a cancelled booking, he said.

“Unforeseen schedule changes are an occasional reality, and we understand the challenges that travel agents face when cancellations arise due to schedule modifications beyond their control,” Montagnese wrote.

There are conditions, however. In the event of unforeseeable and unavoidable Force Majeure situations that result in cancelled bookings, commission protection will not be applicable, Montagnese noted.

As well, for situations where a customer voluntarily cancels the reservation due to their refusal to accept ACV’s offered alternatives, commission protection will again not be applicable.

In addition, this fall, ACV will introduce Flex Travel Tool’s new functionality, offering agencies greater visibility and control over their commission payout, making it easier than ever to track and manage their earnings.

“Agencies will have clear visibility of all commissions paid and pending on their bookings, providing a comprehensive overview of their earnings,” Montagnese wrote.

“We thank you for your feedback. Rest assured, we are committed to consistently seeking input at every opportunity to enhance the customer experience, promotions and offers. Our ambition is to better serve you and make Air Canada Vacations the first choice, every time.”

Agents can “stay tuned” for more details on ACV’s new optional function to request auto-collection of the final payment on the customer's credit card, similar to the initial deposit process.

Dream of Sun & multi-city tour

Last week, Air Canada Vacations unveiled its second annual Dream of Sun interactive digital brochure, which offers more than 1,000, primarily all-inclusive, hotels across 45 destinations.

This year’s brochure adds 63 additional hotels to its roster and 25 semi-exclusive resorts. 

Travellers can notably search for hotels and resorts that declare a commitment to one or more ecolabels (endorsed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council) and LGBTQ2+ vacation spots and hotels.

ACV also offers more than 100 cruise itineraries to choose from and Canadians will find family-friendly vacations at more than 96 Play Collection resorts and 25 Play hotels in the U.S.

AVC is also enthusiastically planning its in-person #ACVDreamMakers On Tour for this year.

“We have had tremendous support from our supplier partners and our sponsorships are now sold out!” Montagnese wrote.

Agents are invited to join Air Canada Vacations as it hosts events from coast-to-coast to celebrate the launch of the 2023/2024 collections as well as the rest of its product lines.

Agents can register now: 

• September 6, 2023: Halifax, Nova Scotia – Cedar Event Centre

• September 12, 2023: Edmonton, Alberta - Marriott Hotel

• September 14, 2023: Vancouver, British Columbia - Marriott Hotel

• September 19, 2023: Montreal, Quebec – Congress Montreal

• September 21, 2023: Toronto, Ontario – Universal Events

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