Flight Centre Canada

Flight Centre Canada
Industry Travel
Founded 1995
Headquarters Vancouver, Toronto, Canada
Area served
 Canada
Key people
 John Beauvais, Gavin Miller, Chris Lynes, Allison Wallace
Parent Flight Centre Ltd.
Subsidiaries Flight Centre Independent, Corporate Traveller, Stage and Screen
Website www.flightcentre.ca

Flight Centre Canada is headquartered in Vancouver and Toronto. Flight Centre launched in Canada in 1995, 13 years after the first Flight Centre travel agency opened its doors in Sydney, Australia, in 1982. With 150 retail stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Flight Centre is Canada’s largest brick and mortar travel retailer. Its multi-channel distribution strategy includes retail stores, an online booking engine and 24/7 phone lines. Its travel agents are available over all mediums. "Clicks and mortar" is Flight Centre’s business model as the company offers a multi-channel distribution strategy. Its customers may choose to work with a travel agent in person, on the phone, or online, using the www.flightcentre.ca booking engine.

Branding

All Flight Centre stores and marketing materials feature the company’s trademark fire-engine red. Company founder Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner based his colour choice on wanting his stores to stand out "like dog’s balls," as he phrased it. Since his inception in 1988, The Flight Centre Captain was portrayed by an actor, until 2004, when a real-life pilot who worked for Taiwanese airline, Eva Air, played the Captain. The current Captain is portrayed by an Australian actor.[1] The company’s tagline "The Airfare Experts" replaced "Unbeatable" in 2013. Flight Centre Canada uses it, as do Flight Centre shops worldwide.

Flight Centre Stores in Canada

Flight Centre store at Markville Shopping Centre in Markham, Ontario.

Flight Centre operates 150 retail shops in Western Canada and Eastern Canada. The stores are branded in Flight Centre’s trademark red. They are made up of a team of travel consultants, who offer a travel specialty. Expertise ranges from weddings & honeymoons, cruises, business travel and specific destinations.

Flight Centre Hyperstores

There are currently five flagship Flight Centre Hyperstores. A Hyperstore is a "hub" travel agency, where there are no desks and travel agents walk the store presenting travel opportunities via mobile device. The concept was established to make Flight Centre stores into destinations themselves.[2] They are located in Toronto at 614 Queen Street West, in Erin Mills Town Centre and Dufferin Mall. In Vancouver, they are located at 625 Howe Street and 2127 West 4th Avenue. More are opening. The premise of these shops is to be more interactive for an enhanced customer experience. They feature four teams instead of one, including a specialized business travel team.[2]

Corporate Responsibility

A key component to the company’s philosophy is social responsibility. Flight Centre Canada’s charity of choice since 2003 has been Make-A-Wish Foundation. This organization grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Flight Centre Canada works with suppliers and tour operators that promote sustainable tourism options. It seeks to develop responsible vacations so future generations may experience the world’s natural and cultural landmarks. Flight Centre Canada is dedicated to a range of tours built around social and environmental causes, including volunteering ("volun-touring").

Flight Centre Travel Group

Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia and is the parent company of Flight Centre, its largest brand, and 40 corporate and wholesale brands worldwide. It was first incorporated in 1982. It is now one of the world’s largest suppliers of travel services and products. Flight Centre Travel Group consists of 40 corporate and wholesale brands, located in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, China, United States and Canada. FCTG’s mission is ‘to open up the world for those who want to see’.

History

1995 - Flight Centre opens its first store in the UK, followed by Canada and South Africa.[3]

1995 - Flight Centre Limited is publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange (FLT: ASX).[4]

1999- Corporate Traveller opens in Canada.[5]

2001 - Flight Centre Canada ranks #1 on list of Top Employers in Canada by the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business Magazine.[6]

2003 - Flight Centre places 3rd on list of Top Employers in Canada by the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business Magazine.[7]

2003 - Flight Centre merges its Canada East, Canada West & USA operations into one North American wide travel agency operation: Flight Centre North America.[8]

2004 - Flight Centre places 4th on list of Top Employers in Canada by the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business Magazine.[9]

2009 - Canada & USA split businesses into Flight Centre Canada and Liberty Travel USA.[10]

2012- Flight Centre opens in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.[1]

2013 - Corporate Traveller opens in Montreal, Quebec.[1]

2013 - Flight Centre opens in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[11]

2013 - Flight Centre’s presence in Canada includes more than 220 shops and staff of over 1500.[1]

2014 - 1st Flight Centre shop opens in St. John’s, Newfoundland.[1]

2015 - John Beauvais appointed President, Flight Centre Canada.[12]

2015 - Gavin Miller appointed Vice-President Flight Centre Canada, Leisure.[13]

2015 - Flight Centre celebrates 20 years in Canada [14]

2015 - Flight Centre acquires US-based Student Universe.[15]

2016 – Flight Centre opens 1st Hyperstore in downtown Toronto.[2]

2017 - Flight Centre Canada is 150 shops strong, with almost 170 teams nationwide.

2017 - The Toronto Travel Centre opens in Toronto on King Street at Spadina. This flagship Flight Centre store also houses over 2,000 square feet of event and work spaces.[16]

2017 - Flight Centre Canada voted best local travel agency in Vancouver according to Straight.com Best of Vancouver 2017 list [17]

2017- Flight Centre Canada wins Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures of 2017 in the Growth Category by Waterstone Human Capital

2017 - Flight Centre acquires Laurier de Vallon, the largest independent travel agency in Quebec.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Flight Centre Canada Story" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 Group, Travelweek (2016-04-15). "Flight Centre hyperstore opens in downtown Toronto; more coming - Travelweek". Travelweek. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  3. ↑ "Canada". Flight Centre Travel Group Limited. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  4. ↑ Asia, Forbes. "Flight Centre's Graham Turner and Cofounders Are Flying High". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  5. ↑ "Corporate Traveller".
  6. ↑ "Flight Centre ranked best employer". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  7. ↑ "50 best employers in Canada". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  8. ↑ "Flight Centre North America: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  9. ↑ "FIFTY BEST EMPLOYERS IN CANADA". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  10. ↑ "Flight Centre Canada Story" (PDF).
  11. ↑ Group, Travelweek (2013-12-03). "Flight Centre opens first two shops in Winnipeg - Travelweek". Travelweek. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  12. ↑ Group, Travelweek (2015-03-23). "Flight Centre Canada names John Beauvais new President". Travelweek. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  13. ↑ Media, Logimonde. "Flight Centre appoints Gavin Miller VP leisure". Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  14. ↑ "Flight Centre Celebrates 20 years in Canada". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  15. ↑ "StudentUniverse Acquired by Flight Centre Travel Group". Corporate Blog. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  16. ↑ "First look at Flight Centre's Toronto flagship Travel Centre".
  17. ↑ "2017 Best of Vancouver Winners".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.