Hawaii hoteliers and packagers are encouraging travel agents to increase their Aloha State sales with bonuses and other incentives effective during the first three months of the year. Here are just a few:
Classic Vacations
Classic Vacations has introduced a gift-card incentive for bookings made through Feb. 5, for travel through Dec. 15.
Agents will receive a $100 gift card for their first three bookings (for a minimum of four nights) at any Classic Preferred property and an additional $25 card for subsequent qualifying bookings.
Participants will also be entered for a chance to win a $400 gift card; two winners will be chosen each week.
For bookings made through March 31, for travel through Dec. 18, Classic is also offering a Hawaii Air Credit Program at participating properties.
Guests who stay a minimum of four nights on Oahu receive an air credit of up to $400; a minimum of five nights on Maui, Kauai or the Island of Hawaii earns an air credit of up to $500; and guests can earn even higher air credits with stays of six nights or more at any participating property.
As part of the program, guests can also upgrade their Alamo car rental from a compact to a full-size, or from a full-size to a convertible.
In other news, Classic Vacations' redesigned website recently completed its beta-testing phase.
New features include a redesigned booking engine that enables agents to search for specific hotels or filter for chosen attributes and, according to Classic, "book vacation elements faster and more easily." Also, agents can now book more than one room on a single itinerary.
With the new Wanderlist feature, agents can create customized proposals for their clients according to destination and interests, such as romance or family travel.
Classic said it has improved speed and efficiency on the site's Private Label function, which enables agents to create their own marketing sites through Classic.
Information about Classic's Travel Smart Plans, land and cruise activities and pre- and post-cruise options is more easily accessible, according to Classic.
The new website is now live at www.classicvacations.com. According to Classic, further enhancements to functionality and features are expected in the coming months.
Mark Travel Corp.
Mark Travel Corp. brands are offering a number of agent incentives this month and next.
Blue Sky Tours is offering its Spring Fling from Jan. 29 to Feb. 12; United Vacations' Hawaii Exclusives Sale runs from Feb. 3 to 16; and Funjet Vacations' Hawaii Exclusives Sale runs from Jan. 27 to Feb. 9.
These promotional offers include discounts, resort credits, free nights and more; agents are asked to check the respective brands' websites, as promotions and discounts will change weekly.
A Fairmont Kea Lani villa. Pleasant Holidays is offering double bonuses for group bookings at the resort.
Pleasant Holidays
Pleasant Holidays is starting out the year with a number of incentive and booking-bonus offers that will be of particular interest to agents selling Hawaii.
Under 2017's Groups Booking Bonus, Pleasant will give agents up to a $500 bonus on all qualified group bookings at any resort in Hawaii.
In addition, the company is offering a Double Groups Booking Bonus: Agents can earn bonuses up to $1,000 at more than a dozen select Hawaii resorts, including the Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui and the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort.
Agents receive $200 for 50 room nights, $450 for 100 room nights or $1,000 for 200 room nights or more.
For Hawaii weddings bookings, Pleasant Holidays is offering a bonus of $25 per guest at participating hotels and resorts.
The bonus can be added to the agent's commission or can be gifted to the client couple's reservation.
Finally, for FIT bookings at the Grand Wailea and Hoolei at Grand Wailea, Pleasant is offering up to $750 in cash bonuses.
On bookings of a minimum five-night stay, for travel through Dec. 31, agents will receive $500 on three bookings or $750 for five or more bookings.
Starwood Hawaii
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Hawaii has extended its Mahalo Rewards program into this year. Starwood provides a Visa gift card (up to $150) for each new reservation made at one of the company's 11 participating resorts in Hawaii.
The program also includes the Aloha Amenity, which enables agents to send complimentary welcome gifts to their clients at no cost to the agent.