Travel + Leisure launches online bookings and subscription subscriptions

From private jet clubs to amusement park members, subscription services are increasingly the way to go when it comes to vacations and other leisure travel.

For example, Internet sites Tripadvisor and Scott’s Cheap Flights, both free for users in their basic versions, have this year launched premium subscription plans that offer those who are willing to pay an annual fee extra benefits and access to special prices.

Now, Travel + Leisure Co., owner of some 20 travel brands of resorts, travel clubs and lifestyles, is betting on the space with its new online Travel + Leisure Club, linked to editorial content published in his signature Travel + Leisure.

Although now all readers will be able to book trips to destinations listed in the publication through the new free Travel + Leisure GO platform, club members will get premium benefits such as exclusive itineraries and preferred prices and benefits, according to the Travel president + Leisure Group, Noah. Brodsky.

“When we acquired the Travel + Leisure brand in January, one of the things we heard a lot from publishers, subscribers and advertisers was that, with all this amazing content, it’s crazy that there’s no‘ book now ’button , so that’s what we “did,” he said in reference to the acquisition of the brand by the former Wyndham Destinations, now Travel + Leisure Co., of Meredith Corp. in a $ 100 million deal. dollars.

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“And we’ve launched a subscription travel club, which will give you access to amazing Travel + Leisure content, exclusive itineraries and publisher-inspired travel, along with some really good preferred prices and benefits,” Brodsky added.

Subscription services are a trend in all industries, thanks to the content and value the model offers consumers, he said.

“That’s why we bet here: that Travel + Leisure is a brand that can be the strongest player in the travel subscription space,” Brodsky said.

The subscription costs $ 9.95 per month at a special introductory price, after a free 30-day trial period. That rate will rise to $ 19.95, but at the time of the press there was no deadline for a price hike, according to a spokesman.

According to the company, subscribers receive an average 25% discount on retail rates at hotels and resorts and on prices only for members of car rental, activities and more. The inventory consists of more than 600,000 properties, more than 345,000 business options and products and services from major car rental companies and dozens of major airlines.

Members also receive a subscription to Travel + Leisure magazine and concierge services to help you with everything from home renovations inspired by the photo shoot of the publication to insurance for show tickets and restaurant reservations. The restaurant network includes more than 1,500 restaurants in 30 countries and 120 cities, where members can get benefits such as wine glasses or additional dishes.

Meanwhile, Travel + Leisure GO is “an open online travel site that connects inspiring travel stories, destination guides and curated itineraries with planning and booking tools, whether for daily adventures or a unique getaway,” according to the company. .

In recognition of Travel + Leisure magazine’s best 2021 world awards, club members and Travel + Leisure GO visitors can book selected itineraries with the best destinations, hotels and activities of this year’s winners. Customizable travel experiences start at $ 1,650 for a four-day stay with accommodation, activities and ground transportation for two travelers.

For example, an immersive getaway to Charleston, South Carolina, voted the No. 1 city in the United States this year, includes accommodations at the boutique hotel Vendue, a sail at the harbor, and a tour of the city’s hidden alleys and corridors. A stay at the Viceroy Chicago, named the best hotel in the continental United States, includes an “exclusive VIP” visit to the Chicago Art Institute and a “private early access experience” at the Field Museum of Natural History.

Further afield, Travel + Leisure also offers itineraries to the first Mexican resort, the Viceroy Riviera Maya, in Playa del Carmen, and in Florence, Italy, named one of the ten most important cities in the world. As we expect the pandemic to subside, more itineraries abroad will be added, Brodsky said.

“In the coming months, we’ll be adding more global destinations, but we’ve added more to the U.S. because we know consumers feel more comfortable traveling around the country,” he said.

“These new curated itineraries are a tangible way to live the ‘Best of the World’ experience, while connecting us to the world and nurturing our fundamental human desire to make authentic and exceptional travel experiences accessible to all.” , said Jacqui Gifford, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, in a statement.

Brodsky agreed.

“One of the things Travel + Leisure has done so well for 50 years is writing such amazing content and even taking a family trip can be inspiring,” he said. “With any type of trip and anywhere you want to go, there’s something amazing to do, and we all have them in one place, and club members will get incredible savings and extra concierge services.”

At the moment, both the club and GO are available online (at clubtravelandleisure.com and go.travelandleisure.com, respectively), but mobile apps are up and running, Brodsky said. Club members can also book itineraries by phone with the concierge service.

Linking to Travel + Leisure’s advisory board of “A-List” travel agents is also planned, Brodsky said, even when the company moves into its own travel planning and booking space. (The publication stands out for compiling an annual list of travel advisors specializing in various destinations and activities around the world.)

“I think it points to people making trips of all kinds,” he said, noting that vacation planning ranges from simple DIY web searches to getting the best price to making an expensive trip. of life, “wherever you want, need or can afford spectacular advice from one of the best travel advisors in the world.”

“And this is where List A comes in,” Brodsky added, noting that the club’s janitors will offer referrals to specialist agents. “We see it absolutely as a continuum that the Travel + Leisure brand will support.”

What you won’t get a preferred location is Travel + Leisure Co.’s own portfolio of Wyndham Destinations holiday properties. “Travel + Leisure Group acts completely independently of these and works with Travel + Leisure editorial content,” Brodsky said.

Although his team plans itinerary reservations according to the magazine’s editorial calendar, “we have no influence in choosing the places they write about or choosing any hotel, or cruises, or experiences,” Brodsky noted. “There is no cross on the site.

“We are already the leading player in the leisure travel industry we were already in,” he added. “It’s really about extending our mission to put the holiday world, with different customers in a different segment within leisure travel.”