NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
The Sky High Club group on board their Virgin Atlantic flight from Malé to Heathrow
Agents feel Sky High V
Virgin Atlantic heralds Necker trip after hosting Maldives fam. By Andrew McQuarrie in Malé He added: “Currently we have an
irgin Atlantic has urged agents to ensure they are in the running to be one of four
partners taken to Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island for a trip worth £30,000 per person. The reward trip, part of the
airline’s Sky High Club incentive scheme, is being lined up for October 2024 and was unveiled during Virgin’s headline sponsorship of the Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards in July. It will feature two nights
in Antigua as well as five on the 74-acre Caribbean island purchased by Branson in 1979. Nick Johnson, Virgin Atlantic’s
senior account manager for agency sales, described the opportunity as a “once-in-a-lifetime trip”, adding: “If you’re not a member of Sky High Club yet, then sign up.” Johnson spoke to Travel Weekly in
the Maldives during the second Sky High Club trip, which hosted five agents across SAii Lagoon Resort, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa. The agents flew back direct
to Heathrow in Upper Class on the first Virgin Atlantic service from Malé on October 23.
10 2 NOVEMBER 2023 Johnson said sales for the route
had been “good”, adding that the flights provide trade partners and customers with a greater choice of direct services to the Maldives. Previously, British Airways was the only airline offering a direct route. Virgin Atlantic’s flights from
Heathrow will operate until March every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, with return flights from Malé running on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Johnson said Virgin Atlantic’s
overall trade sales had performed well in recent weeks, adding: “We had a strong September campaign, so thank you to our trade partners for their support, and we’re now ramping up for peaks.” Among the new destinations
being promoted are the Turks and Caicos Islands, with departures from November, as well as Bangalore and São Paulo from May, with the latter offering connections across South America through Latam. The first Sky High Club trip
took 14 trade partners on a Virgin Voyages cruise from Miami to Key West and the Bahamas in June. Johnson said: “We’ve got more
than 4,000 agents signed up to Sky High Club. It’s a simple scheme to register bookings, earn points
and then points can be spent on more than 150 high street stores and restaurants, as well as Virgin Atlantic products. There’s also a chance to go on VIP experiential trips and have one-off experiences.”
incentive to win a trip to Sir Richard Branson’s vineyard, Mont Rochelle, in Cape Town in December and next year will be the once-in-a-lifetime trip to Necker Island for four agents.”
AGENTS’ VIEWS
Reshmee Rehal, Kenwood Travel “I’ve been to 14 islands in the Maldives, but my
Sunrise Water Villa with pool at the Four Seasons was the best room I’ve ever stayed in. I’m not a morning person, but the sunrise was worth waking up for. I had the most fun at the Hard Rock/ SAii hotels, where the entertainment was brilliant – especially in the Hard Rock Café where we spent both nights eating, drinking and dancing.”
Simon O’Neill, Oasis Travel, Holywood, County Down “I’ve had the most
amazing experience. I experienced the Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow
and Premium on the outward journey and flew Upper Class on the way home. The staff and the crew were just amazing and I would always sell Virgin Atlantic to Malé. I stayed at Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa – both were exceptional.”
Charlotte Helstrom, Travel Counsellors “Having the opportunity to fly in both Premium and
Upper Class has been an invaluable experience that I can use for future sales. We were extremely fortunate to stay in two beautiful and very different properties. I now feel I have a much better understanding to sell what is becoming an increasingly popular destination within my business.”
travelweekly.co.uk
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