Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

Enjoying cocktails are (from left), Charmaine Haughton, Delta Airlines supervisor in Montego Bay; Denise Donaldson, supervisor in Kingston, and Davian Henderson, another supervisor from the Kingston offices. Delta launched its new travel package in Jamaica, at the Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, on Thursday, April 19. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Travel agents should be busily calling their clients as they have a new package to introduce from one of the newest airlines to try Jamaica.

Delta Airlines, which opened gateways to Jamaica last year, is now offering their Delta Vacations Jamaica package. Delta Vacations is the official tour operator of the airline and is made up of 41 representatives throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Marketing and Services (Caribbean) Ltd. will represent Delta Vacations in Jamaica.

As managing director of Caribbean Marketing, Karen Gauntlett, said, the basic package is to provide air fare, hotel accommodations and a minimum of two nights with a maximum of 30 nights. There are a myriad of packages that can be offered with some including rent-a-car service, guided tours for the duration of your stay and tickets to your favourite shows. And to top it off, all packages can be paid for in Jamaican currency (making it easier to do the mathematics).

Commission

Richard Pile (left), regional district sales manager for Delta Airlines, chats with David Shields of Air Jamaica.

Travel agents get 10 per cent commission on total packages they sell. To get the travel agents really upbeat was the guarantee that the agent who sells the most packages between now and the end of June would win a trip to Atlanta, staying at the Sheraton Hotel for three nights.

Guests were showed video presentations of the various destinations that are offered with the Delta Vacations package. Cities include Las Vegas, New York and Orlando in the United States; Vancouver, Toronto and Quebec in Canada, as well as European countries such as Spain, Germany and Russia.

Richard Pile, Delta's regional district sales manager, reiterated the airlines' pleasure in being part of the land of reggae. He also revealed that starting on June 9 of this year, the airline would commence its Montego Bay to New York non-stop route.

This news was greeted with loud applause, especially from the second city enthusiasts in the gathering.