Liberty Travel on Oct. 1 opened a flagship store in New York.
The store, on Madison Avenue between 39th and 40th streets, has a staff of 15, three times more than what traditional Liberty Travel stores employ.
A "customer concierge" greets guests when they arrive at the 1,500-square-foot agency and asks them a few questions to determine which Liberty Travel agent the customer should meet.
The store is divided into multiple zones. The Explore Zone is equipped with a half-dozen iPads so customers can look at maps, videos, photos and reviews, all designed to help plant a germ of an idea for a vacation.
In the Flight Zone, three airfare experts work to book air. These experts have access to information on last-seat availability, which is not generally available to consumers.
The Cruise Zone holds cruise guides, information on ships, deals and a questionnaire to help consumers decide what kind of cruiser they are.
The MyTime Zone features resorts that give Liberty Travel customers a variety of added amenities such as chauffeured airport transfers, spa treatments and gifts from general managers.
The Discovery Zone features daily, in-store events held by Liberty Travel's destination, hotel and cruise partners. These will be interactive demonstrations on everything from Alaska cruises to Tahitian honeymoons. All events are free. There will be exclusive, day-of-booking incentives.
Mobile vacation experts roam the store with iPads, capable of doing whatever they could do at their desktop computer on the iPad.
Throughout the store, 10-by-10 flat-screen monitors display images of destinations and travel scenes from around the world.
The store is part of the three-floor New York Travel Center, which houses travel brands owned by Flight Centre USA, including Liberty Travel, travel management companies FCm Travel Solutions and Corporate Traveler, Stage and Screen Travel Services, boutique agency Travel Associates and event-management company CiEvents.
Follow Kate Rice on Twitter @krtravelweekly.