Travel Advisors Celebrate as Sunwing Announces Commissions Will be Protected

Advisors across the country are breathing a sigh of relief this morning as news was announced yesterday that Sunwing will not be recalling commissions for cancelled flights scheduled to depart between February 17 and February 21 from Toronto Pearson International.

The announcement comes after the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors (ACITA) put pressure on the airline in social media, with a callout on their public page asking the question if advisors would be keeping their commissions.

“Can you please advise how this will affect Advisors? Any commissions on those files that were booked via a travel agent are in limbo. Will you be protecting the commissions earned by managing these files on your behalf?,” the Facebook post read.

The post also asked advisors to “please follow closely, this cannot be allowed to happen (again),” in reference to what happened with commission recalls during the pandemic.

Shortly thereafter, in a Sunwing Vacations travel group for advisors, the company announced the commission protection and said “the travel advisor community is essential to our success in making vacation dreams come true for our customers.  At Sunwing Vacations, we know how important our customers’ vacations are to them and the invaluable role their travel advisors play.  We want to express our deepest apologies for the inconvenience these cancellations have caused and sincerely thank our valued travel advisors for the graciousness and support they’ve shown during this challenging time.”

“It’s wonderful that Sunwing is showing that they respect and value us as travel advisors by protecting our commissions,” Jennifer Hinkley Stevens, an advisor based in Hamilton, ON told Travel Market Report Canada.

“There was a collective sigh of release when this news came out yesterday as I’m sure many of us immediately had flashbacks to the pandemic and all that lost time and money when they started canceling flights. It’s nice to feel appreciated!”

Michelle Gaudet, ACITA Board Member told Travel Market Report Canada, the group commends Sunwing Vacations for their decision.

“This action acknowledges the vital role that travel advisors play in the industry and ensures they are compensated for their dedicated efforts. We are proud of our independent travel advisor members for standing up and making their voices heard. Their unwavering commitment to their clients exemplifies the indispensable value of travel advisors in today’s travel landscape.”

ACTA also responded in a post on Linkedin, saying “We acknowledge the company’s commitment to protecting travel advisor commissions. This decision reflects a strong dedication to industry integrity and recognizes the exceptional contributions made by travel advisors. Travel advisors are integral to the travel ecosystem, expertly coordinating complex itineraries and consistently delivering exceptional client service. Protecting their commission structure recognizes their diligent contributions and underscores the essential role they play in driving our sector’s success.

We appreciate Sunwing’s proactive approach and look forward to continued collaboration as we navigate the evolving travel landscape together.”

Sunwing Airlines had cancelled more than 40 southbound flights earlier this week before announcing more cancellations, to prioritize bringing home stranded passengers. Some of those passengers had been delayed for days in destination following two major snowstorms and Monday’s Delta Air Lines plane crash.