Group bookings can be an exciting piece of business for travel advisors. Working with a group means multiple reservations, which translates into increased commission. It also usually means meeting new clients to work with again in the future and lots of additional chances for referral business.
While there are many exciting aspects of working with groups, these reservations oftentimes come with a handful of questions. To help clear up any confusion, we reached out to Samantha Szapor, manager, group sales at ALG Vacations to answer some of the most pressing questions advisors have when it comes to groups.
Q: How many travelers do you need in order to book a group?
A: To book a Contracted Group (Room Block), most hotels require a minimum of 10 rooms. However, there are some select hotels that allow contracts starting at just 5 rooms. If the group is not confident they will meet the minimum number of rooms required, we offer another great booking solution (GroupEase). GroupEase is our “small group” booking solution for groups starting at just 5 rooms for all hotels. If the group is large enough for a Contracted Group, it allows the group to block off rooms (and lock in rates) under a group contract. This is the best option for larger groups, and for groups that wish to lock in the rates and availability for everyone. A Contracted Group is available for all group types as well (Weddings, Family/Friend, Corporate, etc.).
Q: What is the first step when a travel advisor’s group is ready to book?
A: The first step is qualifying the group and narrowing down resort options. Budget is often the biggest factor when deciding on a destination or hotel for groups, so VAX is a great resource to help eliminate options. Running a quick search in VAX can help narrow down different hotels by price point and amenities before even requesting a group quote from the Groups Department. When requesting a Contracted Group Quote, we often need to reach out to hotels for the pricing, so it helps to narrow down options beforehand so we can reach out to hotels that your clients are definitely interested in. This helps to speed up the booking process for the group and helps our hotel partners manage requests more quickly.
Q: When booking a destination wedding or social group, if advisors don’t know exactly how many rooms the group will need, what is your advice on the best way to do this without holding too many rooms or not enough?
A: This is a commonly asked question and one we are always happy to provide advice on, based on the specific group. Hotels understand that group sizes can change (especially when booking far in advance, which groups typically do), so they have reduction policies in place in which we can reduce a certain number of rooms without penalty up to a certain timeframe. The exact policies/dates vary by hotel, but our team will always provide the policies on the initial quote for the specific hotel. We typically recommend reserving the number of rooms that your client is confident that they will fill, but keeping in mind there is flexibility to release space if needed. We don’t want to “over block” rooms though, in order to help our hotel partners manage their inventory. Therefore, it’s important to know that we can add rooms onto group bookings at any time, just based on the hotel’s availability at the time of adding them.
Q: What are the pros/cons of why you don’t want to hold too many or not enough?
A: Holding too many:
- PROS: Do not have to worry about running out of inventory.
- CONS: Other groups might not be able to book the inventory they need. Also, penalties can be incurred if releasing space too late. Our team always sends out reminders prior to penalty dates though to help prevent this.
Holding not enough rooms:
- PROS: Helps hotels manage their inventory by not holding too much space that they potentially won’t be able to re-sell.
- CONS: Rooms can sell out, especially during popular travel times! Depending on hotel policies, adding on rooms could result in different room rates.
Ultimately, you can work with our team to find a good balance between securing a number of rooms that the group believes they will fill, but not underestimating and risking running out of space.
Q: What if advisors need to change details in the group reservation?
A: After contracting, changes happen all the time! Many changes can be done right in the group dashboard in VAX. Otherwise, our Service Team is on standby to assist with any changes needed. We’re here to support you!
Q: Can you tell us about the Agent Group Dashboard?
A: After a group contract is set up, our team builds the Group Dashboard in VAX. The dashboard is a “home base” for managing the group in VAX and is available 24/7. It’s where you can manage and view inventory, process payments, make each individual booking within the group, add on airfare and travel protection and more.
Q: How does airfare work for Contracted groups?
A: There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to booking airfare for groups. We can book airfare on a group basis (block off seats for everyone) or we can book airfare within the group on an individual basis. Booking it on the group on an individual basis is the more popular option, as it allows travelers to still have their reservation on the group, but still have the flexibility to choose exact dates, preferred airline, etc. When requesting a Contracted Group Quote, our team will help review the best option for the group. In addition, airfare can be added on to an existing group at any time, so groups can still contract before airfare schedules are released.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: Contracted Groups are the best solution for large groups, or any groups looking to lock in space. Sometimes clients get “anxious” about being locked into a contract, but rest assured that most of our hotel partners have flexible group policies, and our team is here to make the process as easy as possible!
To learn more about booking groups on VAX VacationAccess, click here.
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