SUNQUEST FLYING FROM US BORDER CITIES
Sunquest is offering 26 new routes — 14 to US destinations and 12 to the Caribbean and Mexico — departing out of five new US gateways: Bellingham (WA), Burlington (VT), Buffalo (NY), Bangor (ME) and Detroit (MI). With an estimated five million Canadians crossing the United States border on land every year in order to fly from US airports to various points south, Sunquest considered this new service to be a natural extension of its product offering.
“As long as significantly cheaper flights are available from the US, Canadians will continue to fly from US border cities,” says Frank DeMarinis, president, Sunquest. “We are giving customers what they clearly want, which is an option to save money on their vacation by booking cross-border packages with a reputable Canadian company and paying for it in Canadian dollars.”
Three out of four US border city packages are cheaper than the equivalent Canadian package. In real terms, a family of four flying from Toronto to Orlando could save almost $1,400 on their vacation simply by booking the same package departing out of Buffalo. The following are a few samples:
!!! Buffalo to Punta Cana: $1,096 p.p., including taxes, for a seven-night package at the Ocean Sand by H10. Save $826 per couple. Savings are based on the equivalent flight from Toronto departing on Dec. 8.
!!! Burlington to Cancun: $1,420 p.p., including taxes, for a seven-night package at the Grand Solaris Cancun & Spa. Save $678 per couple. Savings are based on the equivalent flight from Montreal departing on Dec. 9.
!!! Bellingham to Las Vegas: $450 p.p., including taxes, for four nights at The Cosmopolitan (no meals). Save $326 per couple. Savings are based on the equivalent flight from Vancouver departing on Jan. 26.
!!! Bangor to Jamaica: $1,373 p.p., including taxes, for a seven-night package at the Sunset Beach Resort, Spa & Waterpark. Save $500 per couple. Savings are based on the equivalent flight from Moncton departing on Jan. 28, 2014.
The benefit to travel agents? They earn their regular Sunquest commission on packages for a whole new and growing segment of travellers. “Through this new service we are also providing our agent partners with even more options for their clients, and in turn more opportunities to increase their revenue,” says DeMarinis.
Here are the new routes to the Caribbean and Mexico: Bangor to Cancun, Montego Bay and Punta Cana (US Airways, Delta, American Airlines); Burlington to Cancun, Montego Bay and Punta Cana (Delta, US Airways, United Airlines); Buffalo to Cancun, Montego Bay and Punta Cana (US Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta); Detroit to Cancun, Montego Bay and Punta Cana (American Airlines, US Airways, United Airlines).
To U.S. destinations: Bellingham to Las Vegas, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Honolulu (Alaska Airlines, Delta, United Airlines); Burlington to Orlando, New York City and New Orleans (United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue); Buffalo to Las Vegas, Orlando and New York City (Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, US Airways); Bangor to Orlando (US Airways, Delta); Detroit to Orlando and Las Vegas (Delta, United Airlines, US Airways).
All of these new border city routes are available to book in Revnet (the blue screen), where agents also have access to Sunquest’s entire range of product, as well as have the flexibility to book any duration, in any of these destinations, from any of these gateways. Agents can also use their favourite shopping platforms (GDS/Sirev) to access a selection of these new routes, including all of the sun destinations.
