Ponant partners with flight consolidator Aviate in ‘key milestone’ for UK trade

Ponant Explorations has partnered with flight consolidation platform Aviate to begin a “major new chapter” for UK agents.

The news was announced during a media briefing on board Ponant vessel Le Bellot today (May 7), with the group’s UK and Ireland general manager Anthony Daniels describing the move as “a gamechanger for the UK market”.

The collaboration will allow the UK trade access to “a fully packaged Ponant Explorations product”, combining sailings with flights, transfers and accommodation, for the first time. 

Launching this autumn, the deal will remove “a longstanding barrier” for agents who struggle to package the Ponant Explorations product independently. 

Through its partnership with Aviate, the brand hopes to expand its reach across the UK, connecting with more than 1,200 operators and agents.

However, Daniels emphasised that, though the group’s trade network will expand, its existing agent partners will remain “key to growth”.

Speaking to Aspire, he said: “We need to make sure that we continue giving [our existing agents] the tools and the support, because they’ve been the heartbeat of our growth in the UK.

“It’s been phenomenal, but the risk is that’s only a small select group of agents, and we can’t rely on just one distribution channel.”

He hopes the deal with Aviate will make the Ponant Explorations product “available for every UK travel agent and tour operator”.

Daniels said 85% of the brand’s business currently comes from the trade, with “a very limited” number of consumers booking directly.

He predicts this may change in the future as brand awareness grows, but the trade will remain “the top priority”.

“There will be a natural knock-on effect with people coming to us to book direct, but we’re not going to do that marketing just yet,” he said. “We need to get the trade up and running first. The trade is 100% the top priority.”