Shearings Holidays has launched the functionality to make air bookings online for the first time through Travelink, its new reservation platform.
This development enables the tour operator to offer its biggest selection of holidays from more airports around the UK.
The new Travelink system has dual benefits for agents when booking air holidays. Firstly, it will enable agents to dynamically package flights online with a greater selection of existing coach holidays and river cruises, for those customers who love the idea of a Shearings break once in resort, but do not want to make the journey to the destination or travel by road.
The operator has offered flight packages on some of its tours previously, but agents only option to get flight details, latest prices and book was to call the contact centre.
Secondly, it will also allow the operator to sell new stand-alone holidays by air, some of which are to destinations or regions that have never been featured before, either due to their inaccessibility by coach or being too far to travel by road on a seven night holiday.
The system is currently live with a selection of summer 2019 products.
Jane Atkins, managing director of the tour operator, said: ?Our specialist Travelink reservation platform gives us the functionality to source live flight inventory and find the best value flights on offer for those customers who wish to travel by air. This is the first time agents will be able to search and book a range of holidays with flights online, with real time pricing. Agents will be able to check for alternative airports to compare prices and suitability of flight times.
?Travelink puts the agent in control as it lets them search and book the best air holidays for their customers, all in real time. This development is all about saving agents time, offering greater choice to meet the needs of a wider customer base and it will allow agents to be more dynamic thus making their lives easier.
?Coach tours are at the heart of our product offering, but developing our air options means we can add an extra layer of choice for both existing and new customers.?
