I doubt there’s ever a week that goes by in which a travel agent isn’t asked to fulfil a customer’s round-the-world bucket list.
Problem is, half the time, round-the-world fares are overcomplicated.
There’s the bother of an abundance of rules and regulations, interconnecting flights not marrying up, clients not having access to their dream destinations, or the time to complete the trip.
The expense can also be, well, unfathomable.
Thankfully, due to oneworld®, the first global alliance to introduce interline ticketing, the pipeline dream of your customer has now potentially become a reality.
Launched in 1999, the oneworld alliance has grown to incorporate 15 of the world’s greatest airlines and 30 affiliates over a network that spans over 1000 destinations in over 150 countries.
Their round-the-world fares includes a Qantas initiative, the oneworld Explorer Fare, which allows customers to visit three continents, including up to 16 flight and surface segments, with no minimum stays.
And while this may be enough to convince your aspiring traveller to jump on board the oneworld Explorer Fare, here are eight reasons that make this round-the-world option the world’s best for you and for them.
1. You’ll be guided from start to finish
oneworld understands how hard it can be at times to close a sale on a round-the-world flight.
To get over this problem, oneworld offers a comprehensive guide on how to provide your customers with a seamless round-the-world experience.
The oneworld Training Academy offers modules on how to navigate a route, answers to frequently asked questions and any rules and restrictions regarding the fare.
2. You don’t have to be a navigation expert
With the Training Academy comes the Interactive Planner which allows you to create a multitude of routes and options while simultaneously alerting you should your route not meet the guidelines of the fare.
The Planner is also accessible across a multitude of platforms. That means a lot more interaction and transparency between agent and customer as you both plan the trip of a lifetime.
3. You can put your customer in the driver’s seat
Should your customers request far greater autonomy over their travel choices, the oneworld Explorer Fare allows the customer to plan and optimise their trip themselves.
So long as they’re maintaining a minimum of three continents and plan their route in a single direction, whether east to west or north to south, customers are able to chop and change their itinerary.
This means more control for them and less ground work for you, should they want to drop a stopover or add a destination.
4. You’ll be dealing with a fare that has no mileage limits
oneworld Explorer fares are based on the number of continents visited (a minimum of three), as opposed to mileage.
For the agent, this means you no longer have to be an expert mathematician whose hours are spent, hovered over a keyboard, attempting to cram in as many destinations before the mileage limit ticks over.
By omitting mileage limits, the Explorer Fare has also managed to make fee calculation easy.
That is, by basing prices on the class of travel and the number of continents visited, your customers will get more bang for their buck and be able to effortlessly breakdown expenses.
5. Time is no longer a constraint
The oneworld Explorer Fare allows customers 12 months to complete their trip.
No longer will you have to try to convince them to take a chunk of time off to complete their bucket list, as they will be able to return to their destination of origin in 10 days.
6. You can guarantee service excellence
As stated, the alliance boasts 15 of the world’s greatest airlines, providing almost 3500 aircrafts, who all maintain a level of service excellence.
For your customers, that means a flawless experience from start to finish.
For the agent, it’s a signed and sealed guarantee that you will be selling a superior product that is guaranteed to deliver an unsurpassed travel experience.
Don’t believe us? Just ask one of the 510 million passengers they carry per annum.
7. Maximise the frequent flyer points
Customers who tend to indulge more in travel due to their frequent flyer points will now be able to have them transferred onto all 15 airlines within the alliance and across their entire global network.
That means, should they become a oneworld member, your customers will be able to enjoy their frequent flyer perks throughout their journey.
8. You’ll be able to go that extra mile
Not only does the oneworld Explorer Fare offer more flexibility and bang for your customer’s buck but, dependant on what tier status they boast, you will be able to provide them with an array of special privileges and rewards.
For example, the Ruby tier could provide your customers with access to business priority check-ins, access to pre-reserved seating and priority on waitlists when on stand-by.
Sapphire members can also indulge in access to some 650 business lounges, priority boarding and extra baggage allowance.
In addition to all this, an Emerald member will also have access to first class lounges and check-ins, along with fast track security lanes.
Therefore…
While it may seem that your customers will be benefitting from the flexibility and service excellence supplied by the oneworld Explorer Fare, it also becomes apparent that the work of an agent becomes effortless.
Which is why, in way of round-the-world trips, it is easy to see why the oneworld Explorer Fare is the world’s best.
