Classic Collection inks deal to start packaging Ryanair flights
Ilaria Grasso MacolaClassic Collection has agreed a deal with Ryanair to start packaging up holidays using the budget carrier’s flights.
Over the coming weeks, the operator – which is owned by On the Beach Group – will give its network of more than 3,000 agent partners the option to package Ryanair flights, should their clients want them.
It is also setting up a dedicated contact centre team to service all bookings with Ryanair flights to ensure agents and their clients get the information they need in real time.
The arrangement is the latest in a series of deals struck by Ryanair which has seen it inch closer to the trade this year, including a dynamic packaging agreement with Tui, which will see the operator giant package Ryanair flights.
Ryanair has also made peace with many of Europe’s major OTA brands, including On the Beach, with whom it struck what was expected to be a significantly beneficial deal earlier this year.
“This development comes as a direct result of Classic Collection being able to leverage part of the Ryanair agreement with our parent company On the Beach,” said Classic’s B2B director Si Morris-Green, who stepped up to the top role with the operator in March and also oversaw Classic’s transition back to a single-brand proposition.
“Now that our parent company has an authorised arrangement in place, we will be able to reward our trade partners with more competitively priced product and travel options from Classic Collection than ever before.”
A succession of OTA and trade partnership agreements reflect a change in strategy at the carrier, ostensibly to boost its distribution while taking control of the arrangements it has with third-parties.
The carrier has even hinted at re-entering the package holiday market itself, subject to delivery of its full order of new aircraft, which would allow it to maximise yields from its flights.
The idea drew a mixed response from agents earlier this week, with around half of the respondents to a snap TTG poll saying they would be open to working with the budget carrier.
Speaking to TTG, several commentators said they would not be surprised if Ryanair’s decision to return to the trade – on its terms – had long been part of its strategy internally.
"Their litigation and PR strategy with UK OTAs has resulted in a set of agreements that, according to most industry experts, are preferential to Ryanair,” Travlaw senior partner Matt Gatenby told TTG earlier this week.
Meanwhile OAG chief analyst John Grant added: “Any airline, even one as large as Ryanair, needs to maximise their distribution, especially when there is either a softening of demand – which appears to the case now – or too much capacity, while at the same time ensuring their own direct sales represent the most effective channel of distribution.
“Ryanair is going through that process, legitimising the sale of seats through agents and distributors they want to work with. It is a change of heart in their thinking but as much an evolution of the relationship between the airline, distributors and travellers.”
Morris-Green added: "Ryanair flights represent a sizeable, value-focused addition to our extensive range of existing airline partners."
Ryanair flight options will go live on Classic Collection’s agent-only booking portal "in the next few weeks".
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Ilaria Grasso Macola
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