The choice of fares available to delegates at a discount has been extended through the inclusion of more booking classes, with applicable discount levels now ranging between four and 20 percent.
Conventions and meetings products showcased at the trade fair IMEX. Star Alliance, the way the Earth connects, has improved its Conventions Plus product for delegates and organisers. Delegates have a wider range of fares to select from, the booking fee for the online tool has been eliminated, organisers benefit from a new support programme and a more simplified contracting scheme has been introduced.
The choice of fares available to delegates at a discount has been extended through the inclusion of more booking classes, with applicable discount levels now ranging between four and 20 percent.
In principle the higher value booking classes attract a larger reduction than the lower ones. For example, the discount off a Business Class fare booked in “C” class will be greater than the one applicable to an Economy Class fare booked in “Q” or “W” class. As the fares can be interlined among the participating Star Alliance member airlines, delegates can choose from more flights when travelling to their selected convention.
Star Alliance has also eliminated the EUR/USD 10 booking fee which had up to now been applied on all Conventions Plus travel booked via the dedicated online booking tool, making it even more attractive for delegates to use the tool.
For convention organisers Star Alliance has introduced a new support scheme which is now linked to the number of delegates booked. With each delegate booking, the organiser accrues credit for his or her own travel needs. In contrast to the previous scheme, the new one is more directly related to performance and at the same time allows the organisers to fully reap the benefits, as the cap from the old scheme has been removed.
Following the trend for more e-enablement in the travel industry, Star Alliance has introduced a new and simplified Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Conventions Plus product. Lead times have been reduced and the cumbersome paperwork done away with.
“We have seen that the Conventions and Meetings Travel market has been one of the most reliable market segments in our own company’s 17 year history. We have managed to achieve year-on-year growth – both in terms of contracted events and delegates travelled – ever since we introduced Conventions Plus in 2002“, said Horst Findeisen, Vice President Commercial and Business Development at Star Alliance. “We are convinced that the enhancements will be well received by organisers and delegates alike, as both parties benefit from the changes“.
With Conventions Plus, Star Alliance became the first airline alliance to introduce a dedicated conventions product, providing simplified travel solutions to major event organisers by providing access to the entire Alliance network through one of the member airlines. Delegates and one companion are entitled to fare discounts, depending on the type of fare, class of travel and airline used. In addition, the Alliance also offers an organiser support programme.
Moreover, Star Alliance was also the first alliance to offer an online booking and ticketing service for convention delegates. Complementing traditional fulfilment channels, the new tool was launched more than two years ago and allows the convention organisers to direct delegates to a dedicated online booking and ticketing site for all air travel contracted under Star Alliance Conventions Plus. Using the online tool, delegates can check real time flight availability, price their required itinerary using the applicable discounted fare, book the corresponding flights and purchase the ticket.
Meetings Plus
In addition to Conventions Plus, Star Alliance launched Meetings Plus in 2009 as a further global product for the meetings market. Companies and meeting planners needing to organise gatherings with participants from different countries, have access to the entire Star Alliance network and discounted fares, by contracting their travel needs through just one Star Alliance member airline. Meetings Plus can be used for most meetings of 50 people or more, with attendees originating in at least three different countries.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
