BackHave you ever wondered how your competitors unlock below-market rates on travel benefits or why your customers prefer an alternative loyalty program to the loyalty travel solutions you offer? The answer may lie in a white label travel club, one of the travel industry’s best-kept secrets to drive customer engagement and retention and scale and maintain business profitability.
As the largest travel market in the world, the U.S. travel industry generates upwards of $93 billion in revenue per month — and with travel spending projected to increase at a rapid pace of nearly 15% per year, now is the time to take advantage of the growth potential. Learn how a white label travel club can help your organization remain competitive with branded travel rewards.
What is a White Label Travel Club?
In order to understand the purpose of a white label travel club, it’s better to begin with, a basic definition. A travel club is a membership-based organization that often consists of employees, association members, or customers of a particular business. A travel club intends to provide members exclusive access to travel-related benefits and services.
A travel club offers a range of benefits, including discounted rates on flight bookings, hotel reservations, car rentals, and unique, members-only travel experiences and activities. Some travel clubs specialize in a specific type of travel, such as luxury or adventure. In contrast, others cater to below-market rates, exclusive cruises, and vacation package upgrades.
In comparison, a white label travel club provides an organization with travel benefits under a brand name that is different from the company that fulfills the travel services. To launch a white label travel club, an organization typically partners with a travel provider (or aggregator) to offer its members an array of travel perks under its brand name.
How Does a White Label Travel Club Work?
A white label travel club operates much like a primary travel club in that it will require a membership fee or annual subscription for members to access the savings and perks of the program. However, more often than not, members’ protection and extras can make up for the cost, especially when the club’s discounted rates are compared to the general public’s.
The organization that launches the white label travel club is responsible for acquiring and retaining members, collecting membership or subscription fees, and maintaining proper marketing and branding for services. The travel provider, on the other hand, is responsible for the back-end operations of the travel club, including booking, payment processing, and customer support.
First, the provider will create a white label travel club — like a flight reservation system or hotel booking platform — without any logo or branding. Then, the product is sold to the organization, which will adjust the branding to match its specifications. Finally, the organization’s members can engage with and access complete travel solutions through the fully branded white label travel club.
Look at famous brands like JetBlue and American Airlines or powerhouse cruise lines like Carnival, Celebrity, and Avalon Waterways. While these companies maintain a travel loyalty rewards program central to their product offerings, they all leverage white label rewards to offer complimentary travel services, like discounts or upgrades on car rentals and hotel stays.
Benefits of Using a White Label Travel Club
Why partner with a white label travel club provider instead of building custom travel solutions from scratch? The answer is simple — a white label program incurs instant cost savings across multiple verticals, including developing proprietary software and creating relationships with travel brands. In addition, with a white label travel club, an organization only incurs the cost of the white label solution itself.
With a travel provider doing the heavy lifting of securing below-market pricing on exclusive travel perks, a white label travel club grants organizations a much more comprehensive range of travel products and services. Since total travel spending in February 2023 was 5% above 2019 and 9% above 2022 levels, there’s significant money to be made through robust travel solutions.
Likewise, creating a custom travel club with recognizable branding is the key to improving member engagement in a rewards program. With the look and feel of the organization members have already come to know and love, a white label travel club can drive increased customer loyalty and retention and provide a valuable marketing opportunity for the organization.
Key Considerations for Choosing a White Label Travel Club
Like any white label solution, it should never be evident that a white label travel club is built and fulfilled by one company but represented by another. So, it’s imperative to select a white label travel provider offering substantial customization and branding. In addition, your white label travel club should completely represent your brand to the members of your organization.
To make your white label travel club instantly recognizable, choose an online travel platform that can be embedded on your website as a travel portal. Aside from branding capabilities, seek a white label solution with a range of high-quality travel products and services. At a time when the average consumer is part of 16 loyalty programs, your travel offerings must be top-tier to engage members.
However, remember that part of your travel offerings will be the level of customer service you can provide. Therefore, always select a white label travel club provider with premier technical and customer support to alleviate your organization of these time-consuming but essential tasks. Lastly, be sure all the above considerations are detailed in contract terms with a fair pricing structure.
Start Building Your Travel Club Today with arrivia
A white label travel club offers organizations a convenient, cost-effective channel to provide members access to various exclusive travel perks while also serving as a valuable marketing and branding opportunity. As customers benefit from reduced costs on coveted travel opportunities, organizations create a secondary income stream that drives consistent engagement.
If you’re ready to embark on private-label travel, look no further than arrivia. As a trusted white label travel technology provider for some of the world’s most respected brands, including American Express® and Marriott Vacation Club®, arrivia boasts a fully customizable travel solution with a dedicated support team that offers around-the-clock service on unrivaled travel rewards benefits.
Don’t just take our word for it — request your arrivia demo today.
