Flight Shop, the signature retail travel brand of the Flight Centre Travel Group has launched their new interactive travel store in Mumbai. Having raised 100 Crores in fresh capital from existing stakeholders, the brand– headquartered in Australia- plans to leverage the expertise and learning from its 2500- store strong global network, to train a team of specialised travel experts and build quality infrastructure aimed at providing a unique interface for diverse travel needs. The retail expansion will be concurrent with scaling up of the FCm corporate travel and other Indian operations. In tune with Flight Shop’s aggressive expansion plans for a 36-store presence in India, the store offers a more conversation- focused retail experience than a process-oriented one.
Vicki Parris, national brand leader, India, Flight Shop said, “With our new Flight Shop store, conveniently located in Mumbai’s corporate hub at Flora Fountain, and our existing three other stores at Kurla, Prabhadevi and Ghatkopar, we have mapped key ends of Mumbai, thereby increasing ease of accessibility for our customers. The stores offer a relaxing experience in a premium lounge space where clients can browse new and innovative itineraries on large format screens, and discover unique holiday experiences with a dedicated personal travel expert. We have a dedicated investment in customer relationship management, end-to-end training in designing a personalised travel itinerary and handling any hassles consumers might face during their travel; and a work-ethos encompassing prompt hospitality and global standards of service delivery. With an exhaustive web of over 1000 airline and hospitality partners, as well as travel-facilitators at every-step, Flight Shop offers end-to-end travel assistance mapped to varied budgets and aspirations.”
The leisure travel sector in India is growing at a rate of over 15 per cent every year, with corporate travel recording similar double-digit growth. In an evolving travel space, the globe-trotting Indian has access to multiple sources of information and is on the look-out for enhanced travel experiences. Swamped by a multitude of choices, travellers are beginning to understand and appreciate the value of expert guidance and nuanced planning. In the business travel segment as well, corporates are adjusting to tech-savvy employees, with similar procedures and expectations from their business and leisure travel-plans. A dedicated travel management player can streamline itineraries and costs for organisations, thereby, maximising benefit for employees.
Commenting on the informed new-age traveller, Rakshit Desai, managing director India, FCm Travel Solutions and Flight Shop said, “Customers recognise that travel is a high value and high engagement purchase often similar in magnitude to buying a car; the difference being if you’re not happy with your car you can still take it back to the dealership. Our research indicates that planning and booking a family holiday by yourself usually takes 40 man hours, which means you need to take a week off to take a ‘week-off’.”
Flight Centre Travel Group had ear-marked Middle East and Asian markets for investment, with focused efforts to cater to local markets. Over the years, and through an 11 store-presence across the country, the brand has observed a strong potential for growth in the Indian leisure and business travel sector. With India- focused investments, Flight Shop is geared to strengthen their existing pipeline and creating a footprint of 36-stores across the country.