Ken Pomerantz has traveled to Oahu six times, but it’s far from old
hat for him. On his most recent visit, for instance, the MLT
Vacations vice president of marketing and sales dined for the first
time at Michel’s at the Colony Surf in Waikiki.
“It’s an open-air, formal, French restaurant with a view of the
beach and sunset,” Pomerantz said. “The food was excellent, the
wine list extensive and the service wonderful. It’s the perfect
place for a special occasion. I’ll definitely recommend it to
agents for their clients who are on their honeymoon or celebrating
an anniversary.”
Pomerantz and the MLT team have been striving to keep Oahu
equally fresh and interesting for clients, no matter how many times
they have visited the island. A subsidiary of Northwest Airlines
Corp., MLT keeps expanding its Oahu activity offerings, like the
recently added golf option at Luana Hills Country Club on the
island’s Windward side and the Magic of Polynesia and Society of
Seven shows, both in Waikiki.
According to Pomerantz, agents can pick up handy sales
information about Oahu during MLT University, the wholesaler’s
annual agent-education event. Some 1,700 attendees from around the
mainland gather in St. Paul, Minn., for classes on topics like new
air service, recent hotel improvements, restaurants, resorts and
little-known facts to help agents seal the deal. Participants find
out about MLT’s optional add-ons as well as more obscure activities
that the presenter has tried and recommends.
Scheduled Oct. 10-12, MLT University provides agents with
continuing education credits to apply to their CTC accreditation.
For $35 a day, attendees go to one, two or three days of classes,
mingle at a trade show, receive exclusive offers and a set of
travel agent manuals.
“Agents who take part in the Oahu seminar can learn about things
like the best place to view the North Shore surfing competitions
each November and December, or the best whale watches to book their
clients on during the winter,” Pomerantz said. “They might come
away with a plan to boost sales by combining a client’s stay on
Oahu with a trip to a neighbor island.”
Meanwhile, MLT has made another move with potential impact on
travel agent bookings to Oahu. In April, it launched a new
partnership with Alaska Airlines, providing the carrier with a
product called Alaska Airlines Hawaii Vacations. Flights operated
by Northwest Airlines from Pacific Northwest cities to Hawaii have
been paired with MLT Vacations hotels and optional activities,
creating packages on six Hawaiian islands.
The partnership enhances MLT’s WorldVacations brand, Pomerantz
said: “This is a great opportunity to expand the brand, grow our
volume and create value for our business partner.”
| CONTACTS
MLT Vacations
800-727-1111
www.worldagentdirect.com
Alaska Airlines Hawaii Vacations
877-777-3710
www.alaskaair.com |