Norwegian Cruise Lines has simplified the booking process for agents wanting to book UK regional customers onto its ships by partnering with Jet2.com and Thomas Cook.
The newly launched 2011 schedule of direct regional flights means agents can offer customers a smoother booking process when departing from Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle and London Gatwick for cruises to Venice or Barcelona departing from May 2011.
Jet2.com will carry Manchester and Edinburgh passengers to Venice to join Norwegian Jade’s Eastern Mediterranean itineraries while Thomas Cook will fly guests from Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle and London Gatwick to Barcelona’s Reus Airport for new ship Norwegian Epic’s seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings.
Agents need to make just one call to a contact centre reservation agent where they can get all flight information so they can tell their clients all the timings of the flight at the time of booking.
Director of passenger services Sally-Anne Beasley said: “We want to provide customers with comfort and convenience so their booking runs as smoothly as possible and they can get away easily. That’s why it’s important to offer flights from major regional airports. This is a strong selling point for agents and we are sure it will generate more leads.
”Listening to agent feedback is a priority for us and we know there is a need for more efficient flight booking processes. Agents shouldn’t have to wait to find out simple flight details, so we have invested in providing a smarter way to book fly-cruises. This will save time and ensure travel partners can provide customers with as much detail as possible at the time of booking.”
by Dinah Hatch
