Flight Centre

David Fraser at the helm of Flight Centre.

It is this “blended” service, spanning in-store, as well as online and 24-7 phone support, for advice, planning and, finally, bookings, that keeps the company accessible on whichever platform their customers are comfortable. 

A 12-year veteran of Hong Kong, Flight Centre was initially introduced to the SAR to expand the corporate travel portfolio of FCM travel solutions. Today the company mixes corporate and leisure travel products with a wide range of customers and clients. 

Check out www.flightcentre.com.hk, the first impression of the company for many customers, and loud and clear are the reasons why Flight Centre’s Business Travel Managers are most appreciated; savings in money and time, various choices of travel priorities, 24/7 support and no contracts required. 

Spanning across all these advantages, managing director, Greater China David Fraser says that the company “set out to provide a superior service that would appeal to our key regional and global corporate customers.” While it may be a best practice that is as old as the hills, high quality service is still vital to the exponential growth of the business. 

At the same time he points out the younger explosion in the use of the Internet and social media has had a huge impact on the industry. However, while self-research online has grown hugely, it doesn’t always result in clients travelling independent of an agency. “Customers often research deals online, but with extensive information available on the Internet it can be hard to sift through the reams of advice. Due to this, when it comes to booking a trip, after initial research online, customers enjoy the personal expertise in-store, which also offers peace of mind and a well crafted travel itinerary.” 

So although it may seem counter intuitive to invest in additional shop space when the digital travel marketplace is so available, the demand for in-store expertise is prompting the company to expand its high street real estate. “In the last 12 months we have grown from 25 to 34 consultants with two new store openings planned, one in Wanchai mid October and a mini retail store in our headquarters by the end of the year,” says Fraser. “As business has grown and customers continue to look for that expert personalised experience, we realised the demand for our in-store services was increasing and therefore our business model has been adapted to fit in with this.” 

It is this “blended” service, spanning in-store, as well as online and 24-7 phone support, for advice, planning and, finally, bookings, that keeps the company accessible on whichever platform their customers are comfortable. 

From hardware to software, Fraser says it is absolutely key that he recruits his staff for their travel expertise. 

“All our employees are specialists not generalists, and their passion for travelling and uncovering hidden gems in remote locations, having lived and breathed many of the adventures that our customers are looking to embark on, means they can help to create the ultimate holiday experience for any itinerary.” 

This works particularly well with the company’s recent emphasis on more specialised and diversified products, “with a focus on bespoke holidays across both corporate and leisure travel,” says Fraser. “We have noticed that customers are looking for more niche experiences and this insight prompted us to open our active travel, health and wellness, and first and business offerings.” 

And yet, whatever the trends the company is adapting to, he adds that it is still essential to offer security and great value. “Not only can we guarantee the lowest airfare on top name airlines, we also offer a range of protection schemes, which means if anything goes wrong with the flight, Flight Centre will take care of it.”