By Les-Lee Roland

Welcome to the Flips and Flops column. We are able to do what we do here because of your input and information. If you want a supplier or a res agent or DSM to get special recognition, let us know. If there is something amiss with a company’s policies or actions, share them with us as well. Let us know which booking engines and Web pages are hits and which are misses! E-Mail your suggestions to packagedeals@comcast.net.
Suppliers must be on their best behavior, because this month we’re featuring all FLIPS — and no FLOPS. Stay tuned — our next column is guaranteed to include a gripe or two.

A FLIP to the Sundial hotel resort in southwest Florida. When the client changed rooms for a better view at a higher rate, the hotel sent the larger commission to the agent, who didn’t even know what the client had done. Hats off to a company that respects the agent. Most pay the minimum and ignore the extras. I wish some car companies would do this as well.
A FLIP to Oceania Cruises. The line pays a commission to agents who pre-sell their shore excursions. And, with the combos and tours they offer, it is a very easy sell. Let’s hope more lines follow suit. Those European or South American tours add up, and it’s money in our pockets.
A FLIP to Costa Cruises. This line, one of the most popular in Europe, is now catering more to the U.S./Canadian/Aussie/Brit market. Their tour buses are separated into English-speaking only, German, Italian, etc. So your clients will now hear the commentary in only one language. And, with their Caribbean cruises, they are encouraging the U.S. market to book one ship and the South American market to book another.
A FLIP to Steve Wynn and his trust in travel agents. He, presently, is not offering accommodations for Wynn’s through the Expedia/Travelocity type sites. He is betting that travel agents and wholesalers will fill his rooms. So let’s show him — and others — that we can produce,
A FLIP to airlines that are creating frequent flier program for pets. With over 3,000 roundtrip tickets sold to consumers traveling with pets last year, this makes those $35 – $85 fees a little easier to pay. First Midwest Air and now United has stepped out of the doghouse. Hopefully, others will follow the lead.
A FLIP to all the companies that have sent out 2006 brochures already. In the past, we were lucky to get them in October. I think more sales for 2006 have been generated by this change.
Keep those flips and flops coming. If you want to share an experience, good or bad, or give mention to someone who went far and above the expected, E-mail Les-Lee Roland at packagedeals@comcast.net