Ever since the first statue of a pilot was placed outside a Flight Centre store, the retailer has been breaking the mould of traditional travel sales.
For the last decade, the iconic red storefronts have been taking a backseat to FC’s growing army of independent agents.
According to Anita Emilio, newly appointed VP and General Manager Independent and Luxury, “the independent model is the way of the future”.
That sentiment was reflected throughout the five day North American Independent by Flight Centre conference which took place at the Majestic Colonial Resort in Punta Cana on 05MAY.
As the only invited media, Open Jaw had a front row seat for the 15-year anniversary of Flight Centre’s IC arm.
According to Emilio, one of the drivers of their success has been a global strategy of shifting the focus from bricks & mortar to home-based independent advisors.
Even prior to the pandemic, retail shop leases were not being renewed.
Emilio adds, “The pandemic accelerated the independent business and we project to outgrow Flight Centre retail in the next five years, so there is a silver lining.”
Currently there are 364 independent agents across Canada and the goal is to grow that number exponentially.
“We have been scaling the growth of our network to partner with experienced advisors and not focus on quantity, but on the quality and experience of advisors.” Emilio tells Open Jaw. “The role of an advisor has become even more integral for clients and people are now recognizing the value of tailor-made and luxury experiences and booking longer and more exotic vacations."
“I’m grateful for all the relationships that I’ve built with my clients and I don’t even have to advertise, it’s all referral business,” says Krista Clark-Lazarovich, an Independent Advisor in Toronto. “The opportunity to run my own business and do as I see fit.”
The Global Connection
Flight Centre Travel Group’s global muscle, with presence in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Canada, benefits independents with a foundation of strong relationships and leverage.
With that, the independent model is evolving. As business owners, advisors have access to a wide range of resources and interact with an international team around the globe.
“With global buying power, we have access to top tier commissions,” says Emilio. “We hold in-house land and air contracts which means our advisors don’t need to rely on external or third-party suppliers. Many of our agents are Sabre trained which is unique in the space.”
This fall, IFC is hosting their top advisors from each country on a Uniworld river cruise to recognize and celebrate their achievements and allow them to connect with their worldwide counterparts.
‘Indy’ Conference
No conference would be complete without a swag bag, and, underscoring the message, advisors received t-shirts with the theme ‘A New Independent Era’ and “When I’m not traveling, I’m living vicariously through my clients” on the reverse.
The itinerary included some site inspections, two of which were at the sister properties of the host resort, the Majestic Elegance and Majestic Mirage, all within a few minutes walking distance.
Advisors also had access to suppliers at a trade show featuring 40 vendors including ACV, WestJet Vacations, major cruise lines such as Carnival, HAL, Seabourn and Virgin Voyages, as well as tour operators Globus Family of Brands, G Adventures, and hoteliers World of Hyatt, Paradisus, and Lopesan.
“Independent conferences are completely different than retail conferences, because we are all business owners,” said Julie Smigadis, Independent Advisor from Toronto. “I’m hear to learn how to grow my business, meet suppliers and less about the party aspect of it.”
“This is where the industry is heading right now and there’s a lot of opportunities for networking and making connections,” Megan Ziegler, Senior Manager National Accounts at Holland America Line. “They’re taking the time to meet with vendors and make a connection so they feel comfortable reaching out with questions or advice on cruising and destinations”.
Each of the vendors were given ‘Indy Bucks’ in denominations of $25, $50, $100 and $500, to reward agents for answering product-related questions, trivia and engaging games with suppliers. Advisors could then use their stash to bid on sponsor-provided auction items including airfare, cruises and all-inclusive trips.
“I love working with the Independent agents, because they’re so excited to grow their business,” Jordana Botting, Director Business Development Viking tells Open Jaw. “You can feel the energy in here and when they come to me and say they’ve sold a Viking cruise, it’s my favourite part about being here.”
The grand finale was a Great Gatsby themed gala awards night held at the Dreams Macau, courtesy of Word of Hyatt Inclusive Collection.
Agents from the US and Canada were recognized for the 2022 fiscal year. Some of the awards went to agents and teams for top sales in a particular category like cruise, insurance or escorted tour sales. The agents also voted for their top supplier which went to Playa Resorts and GoGo Vacations in the US.
Here's a list of IFC award winners:
| AWARD NAME | COUNTRY | CRITERIA | WINNER |
| Top Independent Cruise Supplier | BOTH | Top 2022 cruise supplier for IFC & ILT | Royal Caribbean |
| Top Independent Sales | IFC | Highest TTV for 2022 Fiscal Year Individual | John Castell |
| Top Team Sales | IFC | Highest TTV for 2022 Fiscal Year Team | Travel Our World |
| Kristin Anderson Inspirational Award | IFC | Agent that acts as an inspiration amongst their peers. | Sabine Bani Sadr |
| Rising Star | IFC | Agent with high potential who started in 2021-2022 | Adam Taylor |
| Top Cruise Sales | IFC | Highest # of Departed Cruise PAX 2022 Fiscal Year | Up Up and Away Travel |
| Top Tour Sales | IFC | Highest # of Departed Escort Tour PAX 2022 Fiscal Year | Sarah Dayman |
| Top Insurance Sales | IFC | Highest Insurance TTV 2022 Fiscal Year | Stephen Brunetta |
| Top Ticket Sales | IFC | Highest Ticket Centre TTV 2022 Fiscal Year | John Castell |
| Myrtle Gordon Education Award | IFC | Agent who has shown a passion and commitment to education | Carol Hornsby |
| Most Improved Agent | IFC | Most improved agent 2022 over 2021 | Travel Our World |
| Outstanding Business Ownership | IFC | Agent who has significantly grown their TTV and team 2022 | Up Up and Away Travel |
| Top Supplier Agent's Choice Award | IFC | Supplier voted on by agents as their favorite supplier | Playa Resorts |
