ALL THE AMENITIES, ALL THE COVENIENCE, AND ALL OF THE FUN…
NOW AVAILABLE FOR BOOKINGS OF AS FEW AS 5 ROOMS!
Family reunions, friend getaways, intimate weddings, and other small FIT groups are now eligible for Travel Impressions’ generous group booking benefits at select brands with our GroupEase® program.
It pays to travel with GroupEase! For a limited time only, small groups of 5 or more receive every 9th seat free when traveling on Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flights! Book your group by 10/31/24 for travel 1/1/25 - 4/30/25 to save.
HOW TO BOOK A GROUP-EASE® GROUP
Click above link to view list of bonus hotel offers for the GroupEase program.
MINIMUM OF 5 ROOMS REQUIRED FOR DISCOUNT
| BONUS HOTEL DISCOUNTS | |
|---|---|
| BOOKING TOTAL | GROUPEASE® DISCOUNT |
| $500 - $999.99 | $25 per booking |
| $1000 - $2499.99 | $50 per booking |
| $2500 - $4999.99 | $100 per booking |
| $5000 - $5999.99 | $200 per booking |
| $6000+ | $225 per booking |
MINIMUM OF 5 ROOMS REQUIRED FOR DISCOUNT
| NON-BONUS HOTEL DISCOUNTS | |
|---|---|
| BOOKING TOTAL | GROUPEASE® DISCOUNT |
| $500 - $999.99 | $13 per booking |
| $1000 - $2499.99 | $25 per booking |
| $2500 - $4999.99 | $50 per booking |
| $5000 - $5999.99 | $100 per booking |
| $6000+ | $115 per booking |
GroupEase® Program: Accommodates clients traveling in groups of 5 rooms or more. These clients may be eligible to receive a dedicated promotional code discount for any property available in VAX, as well as applicable air credits and/or incentives for selected bonus properties. While we do not create a contract nor hold inventory, you may quote and book your group as individual reservations directly in VAX, subject to current market pricing and availability. A GroupEase code must be requested 35-70 days prior to travel, dependent upon hotel chain selected.
Contracted Group Program: Accommodates groups beginning with 20 passengers and a 10 room minimum for Mexico/Caribbean/Hawaii/Puerto Rico Destinations or 20 room minimum for Las Vegas; no other destination is currently offered for these groups. With this type of group, a block of air seats and hotel rooms will be held at a guaranteed rate, subject to attrition/cancellation penalties. These groups may also be eligible for complimentary rooms and airfare credits based on the number of pax/rooms/nights sold.
Bonus Hotel: a hotel that supports a higher promotional code discount structure and may offer a group the ability to earn additional comps/concessions. Bonus hotels are listed within the participating hotel offers link on the GroupEase® landing page. All hotels available in VAX but not listed within the participating offers are considered non-bonus hotels and offer half of the promotional code discount structure as a bonus hotel. No additional comps/concessions are available for non-bonus hotels.
Booking window (aka code application window): Each GroupEase® code is issued with a booking window. Reservations for the group can be made during or before this timeframe. The booking window simply refers to the dates in which your code must be applied to any new or existing bookings that you would like considered as part of this group for any applicable benefits. The last date of this window is considered your code’s high booking date (aka cutoff date) which corresponds with when the selected hotel requires us to report your group in full for any applicable discounts/comps/concessions. The booking window cannot be extended once is expired.
Departure date range (aka hotel arrival window): Each GroupEase® code is issued with a 10-day departure date range in which all bookings must depart for travel / arrive at the selected hotel. A booking’s return date and length of stay have no bearing on this window and may extend beyond it.
Comp: Complimentary value assigned to any free passenger, room, night, etc. earned through a bonus hotel.
Concessions: Additional group benefits offered to eligible groups by a bonus hotel. Examples can include, but are not limited to, a cocktail hour, room upgrade, private check-in, and/or spa discounts.
PL Code: A PL Code, or ‘Private Label’ code, is an arbitrary string of alphanumeric characters that associates an agent’s Go Funjet / Go United link to the agency’s ARC and agent’s direct email address, physical address, and phone number.
The policies enclosed are subject to change at any time, without prior notice.
1. Work with your client to decide which group program (GroupEase® or Contracted) they meet the criteria for and best fits their needs. If GroupEase®, see step 2.
2. Help them confirm their dates and a specific hotel. Utilize VAX to estimate the pricing and availability of their desired itinerary.
Tip: Although a bonus hotel choice is not required to utilize GroupEase® program, encourage your clients to book through a bonus hotel, if available, to maximize the group benefits they may be eligible to receive!
3. Request your GroupEase® promo code in VAX. Once you receive your code via email, be sure to review all its details thoroughly.
Note: The promo code can be applied to a reservation up to the code’s high booking date, so you are welcome to start booking prior to receiving the code. We recommend applying the promo code to any existing bookings as soon as you receive it.
4. Happy booking! Secure your FIT reservations and apply the GroupEase® promo code to each reservation within the code’s allotted booking window.
Need assistance?
Our Reservations team is happy to assist you with any reservation-specific modifications that you are unable to complete in VAX (i.e. new or existing bookings, PAX/hotel/date changes, inventory, deposit/payment/cancellation policies, transfers, travel credit/fund transfers, booking commission, etc.). These agents can be best reached at 866-ALG-DESK (866-254-3375).
Our GroupEase® Team oversees the promo code piece of your reservations (i.e. promo code errors, noting reservations with alternate codes or price-matches applied, modification to the promo code itself, activating additional brands, group comps/concessions, custom event pages, etc.). We can be reached at GroupEase@algvacations.com by replying to your original promo code email.
5. Bonus Hotels Only: After the booking window passes, the GroupEase® Team will report all reservations associated with the group promo code to the hotel. This allows the hotel to place the rooms near one another, if availability permits, and apply any applicable concessions that they qualified for. If the group is eligible for any comp(s), the hotel will align on this with the GroupEase® Team once all bookings have completed travel. The GroupEase® Team will then reach out to you 3-4 weeks after the group returns with the total value earned and your options for how you may request that it be processed.
The policies enclosed are subject to change at any time, without prior notice.
Why am I only able to quote/book 4 rooms at a time in VAX VacationAccess?
Four is the maximum number of rooms you can book per reservation. The promo code is per reservation, not per room, so we recommend booking each room on its own reservation for the best discount.
What should I do if hotel is available to book, but air is not?
Air is available for booking approximately 330 days prior to travel, so you may go ahead and book hotel only now and add air later. To add air later, please follow these instructions. If you need assistance, our Customer Care team will be happy to assist. After you add air, please make sure your GroupEase® promo code is still applied to the reservation.
What happens if rooms are no longer available in VAX VacationAccess when using a GroupEase® promo code?
Please contact the Customer Care or the 500 Club to inquire about requesting more rooms above our allotment. At times, ALG may be able to secure additional inventory subject to hotel approval.
The policies enclosed are subject to change at any time, without prior notice.
Do I need to have a GroupEase® promo code in advance to make a booking?
You may request a GroupEase® promo code up to the hotel’s required reporting cutoff, although, the sooner, the better!
Is there a maximum number of rooms you can book with the GroupEase® program?
For the most part, GroupEase® is intended for smaller group sizes as many hotels enforce a maximum number of rooms through this program. We strongly recommend reviewing your promo code details (or bonus hotel grid if you do not have a code yet) to identify any maximum restrictions for your group’s desired property. Groups exceeding the allocated maximums will be required to utilize the Contracted Group program.
Can I add multiple properties to my GroupEase® promo code?
Typically only one hotel can be activated under a promo code, however, select suppliers allow multiple properties to be combined on a promo code. Any combinable properties will be noted below their respective concessions on the bonus hotel grids.
Am I able to add other Vacation brands to my GroupEase® promo code?
Absolutely! As only one promo code should be requested per group, we are happy to activate any participating GroupEase® brands under your existing promo code: Apple Vacations, Blue Sky Tours, Funjet Vacations, Southwest Vacations®, Travel Impressions, United Vacations®. Only eligible reservations booked through a participating GroupEase® brands are considered towards the total room count for the discount and applicable concessions. Simply reply off your original promo code email with the additional brand(s) you would like to book with to initiate this request.
What happens if my group does not meet the 5 room minimum?
After your code’s booking window expires, the GroupEase® Team will review your group’s production. If the group falls short of the program’s 5 room minimum requirement, you will receive an email notifying you that the code will be removed from your 1-4 rooms the following week. After the code is removed, any balances on the reservation are the agent’s or client’s responsibility.
Why won’t my reservations pull under Retrieve Group?
Kindly note that the Retrieve Group feature is reserved for Contracted Groups only, however, you are able to retrieve a current list of reservations tied to your GroupEase® promo code here.
The policies enclosed are subject to change at any time, without prior notice.
Help! I am getting an error message when I try to apply the code.
We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing issues with your code. To duplicate the error you are receiving, please send an email to GroupEase@algvacations.com with the reservation # that you are trying to apply the code to or, if you do not have a reservation # yet, please send the following information that you are using to search in VAX so we can look into resolving this for you.
I have bookings made prior to the low book date outlined on the promo code email I received. Can they still count towards the group?
Yes! The booking window is simply the range of dates you can apply the code to your bookings. You can apply the promo code to existing bookings by following the below steps:
1. Retrieve the reservation in VAX
2. Scroll down to the “modifications” tab
3. Click on “Apply Promotion”
4. Enter promo code into the box and click “Apply”
5. Be sure to “Checkout” and complete the itinerary change
Can I still add a GroupEase® promo code to a booking that is already paid in full?
As long as you are doing so before your code’s booking window expires, absolutely! You can apply a GroupEase® promo code to a booking that has no money applied, has the deposit applied, or even if full payment is applied. If it is applied to a booking with full payment, you can either request a refund for the difference or apply the difference back into your commission using the Set Your Commission tool.
What if I find a promo code that offers a better discount than my GroupEase® promo code?
Take advantage of the better savings! We always encourage you to use the most competitive code available for your clients. That said, because we track your group based on reservations that have the GroupEase® code applied, it is your responsibility to notify us within your code’s allotted booking window if you have any reservations that will be using an alternate promo code. We will note these booking(s) as part of the group internally so that, when it is time to report your group to the hotel, all bookings can be considered toward any other applicable group inclusions.
Can I add a GroupEase® promo code to a price matched booking?
If you are price matching a booking, the booking will not also be able to take advantage of the GroupEase® promotional code discount. However, as long as you notify the GroupEase® Team of any price-matched bookings within your code’s allotted booking window, we can internally note and track them as part of the group so they can be considered toward any other applicable group inclusions.
The policies enclosed are subject to change at any time, without prior notice.
How do I know which hotels are considered bonus hotels?
All bonus hotels are listed under our participating hotel offers on our VAX landing page. Any hotel available to book in VAX that is not listed on these offers is considered a non-bonus hotel.
What discount will I receive on each reservation?
Based on your selected property, you will receive either the bonus hotel discount tiers or the non-bonus hotel discount tiers. It is important to note that GroupEase® discounts are calculated based on each reservation’s total package price per reservation (not by room). We recommend booking each room separately to maximize the total discount value that the group may be eligible to receive. Please email groupease@algvacations.com if you feel that the proper discount is not being reflected on your reservation.
Do all package components count towards the total reservation package price corresponding to the discount amount?
All package components except for any commission increases using the Set Your Commission tool will count towards the gross total of the booking to calculate the discount amount.
How do I request rooms near each other?
If your group is staying at one of our bonus hotels, we always include a general request for the rooms to be near each other when we report your group to the hotel, if availability permits. Whether your group is staying at a bonus hotel or not, we strongly suggest also entering this request in each individual booking in VAX under the Special Service Requests area. Please note that this is subject to availability at check-in and cannot be guaranteed.
How and when do I set up the concessions my group is eligible for?
All concessions, with the exception of the comp, must be coordinated directly with the hotel. Please review the details received with your code for the hotel contact that can assist you. If no hotel contact is listed, we recommend reaching out to the hotel via a contact method listed on their website and request to connect with their group coordinator.
When will I know my group’s complimentary value?
All bookings must be paid in full pre-travel. It is only once all bookings have completed travel that the hotel and GroupEase® Team can align on your group’s eligibility to receive a comp. Please allow up to 4 weeks post-travel for the GroupEase® Team to reach out to you with the applicable earned value. Because comps must be aligned with the hotel post-travel, we unfortunately cannot provide complimentary value estimates pre-travel.
Who receives my group’s complimentary value?
If a comp value is announced to you post travel, you have the opportunity to advise which of the following you would prefer:
Do I receive Charter Flight or Value Flight complimentary seats when using a GroupEase® promo code?
Yes! We currently offer 1 free charter seat for every 20 paid (21st seat free). This comp value is also paid post-travel and is based on those seats used. The value of the free seat is $400.00 per seat. If the group is traveling to a non-bonus hotel and they are eligible for this credit, the travel agent is responsible for advising the GroupEase® team prior to travel.
Do you have a question that was not covered in this Guidebook?
Our team at groupease@algvacations.com will be happy to assist!
The policies enclosed are subject to change at any time, without prior notice.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Tours operated by Travel Impressions. A minimum of 5 rooms must be booked with the promotional code in order to receive the GroupEase® promotional code discount and hotel inclusions (unless otherwise noted by the hotel above). If the minimum number of rooms are not booked with the promotional code within the booking window, the discount will be removed for all reservations and collecting any remaining reservation balance(s) will be the responsibility of the travel agent. The GroupEase program is intended for friends and family who know one another and have 3+ nights in common with the remainder of the group. The hotel reserves the right to audit groups before or during travel in order to verify the passengers are travelling together. The GroupEase program is available for groups with the intent to travel for social/leisure or wedding purposes only. Groups of any meeting, incentive, corporate, or event nature must be reserved through the Contracted Groups program. Only paid and travelled bookings may count towards your group for discount, comp, and concession-purposes. No shows and cancelled bookings do not count, even if paid in full.Use of the promotional code does not guarantee rate parity or lock in inventory for the group. All new reservations are subject to current rates and availability. The GroupEase® program does not have blackout dates on promotional code discounts, however, hotels reserve the right to have blackout dates for their group inclusions. Promotional codes can only be used for the requested group. Any other use of the promotional code is prohibited and may cause the promotional code to be null and void on all reservations. All discounted amounts would then be collected on reservations made using the promotional code. Group inclusions such as complimentary passengers and/or rooms and other group amenities are only available through GroupEase® Bonus Hotels. GroupEase® inclusions and discounts can change at any time. A promotional code is not a contract in the traditional sense. Promotional codes are limited to one hotel preference, unless combinability with other hotels is otherwise noted within the Bonus Hotel Offers grid. All group inclusions will be based on where the majority of reservations are made. All complimentary credits are assessed approximately 3-4 weeks post travel and paid via refund. The booking agent will be responsible for identifying the reservation(s) and the last 4-digits of the original card(s) used in order to complete the refund process. Complimentary credits will be subject to a 10% SYOC fee if refunded as agency commission. Checks may also have an additional processing fee. Any applicable group inclusions must adhere to the conditions set by the hotel such as minimum passenger requirements, valid booking/travel dates, etc. and are subject to the hotel’s discretion. The hotel reserves the right to modify or cancel group inclusions at any time. Hotel complimentary credits are based on the lowest valued room unless otherwise noted in the group inclusions. Hotel complimentary credits are determined by the hotel and Travel Impressions does not have control over the hotel complimentary value. Only reservations booked through eligible ALG Vacation brands will count toward eligibility. Earn one (1) complimentary Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flight seat credit for every twenty (20) passengers booked. Each Air Credit equals a value of $400.00 and will be added to the total group complimentary credit earned with the hotel. Valid on all Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flight origins and can combine multiple origins to reach total. Travel Agent is responsible for advising if group will be eligible for this credit prior to group departing for travel. Any "Impress Me Deal" hotel or hotel selections where the hotel choice is made for the client a week prior to departure are not eligible for GroupEase® promotional codes. Only one (1) promotional code can be used for a reservation. Clients are encouraged to use the greater discount at time of booking. A reservation may still be eligible for the GroupEase® inclusions at Bonus Hotels (if applicable), however, the booking agent assumes responsibility to contact the GroupEase® team with the promotional code as well as all reservations made without the code applied no later than the last day of the code's booking window to ensure all of the group's bookings are reported to the hotel. All reservations may participate in our Price Match Program; however, any booking that is price matched will not be eligible for an additional GroupEase® promotional code discount. Price Matched reservations can still be eligible for group inclusions at Bonus Hotels (if applicable), however, the booking agent assumes responsibility to contact the GroupEase® team with the promotional code as well as all reservations made no later than the last day of the code’s booking window to ensure all of the group’s bookings are reported to the hotel. All clients booked under the GroupEase® program are still eligible to purchase Travel Protection Plus Any special group requests and wedding packages need to be coordinated directly with the hotel and are not automatically included with groups booked via GroupEase®. Any group exceeding the hotel's outlined comp offering and/or size maximum may be disqualified from the GroupEase® program and required to transition to a Contracted group. In this event, all existing and new bookings will be subject to contracted rates, policies, terms & conditions. It is the travel agent's responsibility to notify us prior to any group exceeding the allotted offerings/size. Contracted and GroupEase® programs cannot be combined within a group of clients traveling for the same purpose. If both programs are present within the same group, it will be at the discretion of the hotel which program is honored. All reservations must be made through the same travel agency and a participating ALG Vacations brand(s). Client-direct reservations and/or reservations from another agency cannot be combined within the FIT group.Use of the GroupEase® promotional code constitutes agreement with all the terms and restrictions stated above as well as all standard payment, cancel fees, and change fees made at the time of the reservation. Travel Impressions reserves the right to cancel the GroupEase® promotion without prior notice. All Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flights purchased through Travel Impressions are operated by ALG Vacations Corp.
Current GroupEase® Cutoff Dates/Reporting Deadlines (subject to change at any time)
For Inclusive Collection properties:
Codes for groups of 10+ rooms are cut off 65 days prior to the group's low departure date (70 days prior to group's departure date)
Codes for groups of 5-9 rooms are cut off 50 days prior to the group's low departure date (55 days prior to the group's departure date)
For AIC/Hard Rock properties, codes are closed 50 days prior to the group's low departure date (55 days prior to the group's departure date)
For all other properties, codes are closed 30 days prior to the group's low departure date (35 days prior to the group's departure date)
