MONTREAL — Effective immediately, Air Canada Vacations has implemented a new commission payment policy offering enhanced financial protection and stability.

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.

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.

A statement outlining ACV’s commission policy changes, from ACV’s Vice President, Nino Montagnese, 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 added: “The beginning of this year has been a busy and exciting time for us all as travellers are finally taking those long-awaited vacations. To further solidify our dedication to building stronger partnerships and ensuring shared success within the travel agent community, we are implementing concrete steps to support and empower our trusted travel agent partners with the tools they need to thrive in the dynamic travel industry.”

In the event of unforeseeable and unavoidable Force Majeure situations that result in cancelled bookings, commission protection will not be applicable.

And for situations where customers voluntarily cancel their reservation due to their refusal to accept ACV’s offered alternatives, commission protection will not be applicable.

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

With this in mind, agents are advised to 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.

NEW FUNCTIONALITY FOR ACV’S FLEX TRAVEL TOOL

ACV is also rolling out new functionality for its Flex Travel Tool, offering agencies greater visibility and control over their commissions payout, and making it easier 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,” says Montagnese.

‘DREAM OF SUN’ INTERACTIVE BROCHURE

Last week ACV debuted its ‘Dream of Sun’ interactive digital brochure, showcasing its 2023-24 Sun Collection. ACV is offering 1,000+, primarily all-inclusive, hotels across 45 destinations for the coming winter. This year’s brochure adds 63 additional hotels to the tour operator’s roster, and 25 semi-exclusive resorts. Travellers can connect with Air Canada’s domestic network from across Canada.

The Dream of Sun brochure can be found here: https://agents.dreamofsun.aircanadavacations.com/

2023 #ACVDREAMMAKERS ON TOUR

ACV’s annual Dream Makers product launch is also coming up, starting in Halifax on Sept. 6, crossing the country and wrapping up Sept. 21 in Toronto. All events will take place 5:30 – 9 p.m. with an evening of cocktails, prizes, and live entertainment, as well as a presentation from ACV’s senior executives highlighting the 2023/2024 collection.

Here’s the schedule …

. Sept. 6 – Halifax – Cedar Event Centre

. Sept. 12 – Vancouver – Marriott Hotel

. Sept. 14 – Edmonton – Marriott Hotel

. Sept. 19 – Montreal – Congress Montreal

. Sept. 21 – Toronto – Universal Events

“We have had tremendous support from our supplier partners and our sponsorships are now sold out! You are invited to join Air Canada Vacations as we host events from coast-to-coast to celebrate the launch of the 2023/2024 collections as well as the rest of our product lines. We can’t wait to see you all. Register now!” said Montagnese.