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One hundred agents joined the fourth annual Brand USA MegaFam with American Airlines and British Airways. Three agents share their highlights with Yashi Banymadhub
Corinne Neilson, road trip expert, The American Road Trip Company
How was your MegaFam experience?
It was amazing. Brand USA pulled out all the stops and gave as much coverage of America as they could – we went from Florida up to South Carolina taking in some lesser-known destinations as well as Orlando. We visited a number of islands with beautiful new beaches that I hadn’t been selling before – Amelia Island, St Simon Island and the captivating Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island. There’s also lots of history in the area, wonderful oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and wildlife too… Cumberland Island is a strong advocate for the conservation of the loggerhead sea turtle.
Where did you stay?
We were so spoilt. We stayed in the freshly revamped Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I’ve since done a trip for a client going to Charleston and I have them staying at Hilton Head for a week. It was also useful to stay at the Francis Marion hotel in Charleston, a huge, historic hotel that we use regularly.
What was the food like?
Oh perfect! Those states really focus on southern food such as fried green tomatoes. We had collard greens, Mac ’n’ cheese, fried chicken, and lots fresh fish wherever we went. The fusion restaurant we visited at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk was an unusual one; it was called Cowfish, which served a mix of sushi and meat. We also went to a beautiful restaurant called Magnolia in Charleston, which specialised in quintessentially Southern cuisine.
Did anywhere take you by surprise?
Fernandina, the town in Amelia Island, is such a friendly place, there was a small-town feel where everyone just knew everybody. That local, downtown feel really surprised me after seeing some massive resorts and hotels in Florida.
What type of clients would you send now?
Certainly families for the resort destination in Orlando. All the beautiful beach towns would be great for couples (honeymooners or younger couples looking to explore). Some resorts had kayaking and dolphin tours for something more active. We went on a boat in Cumberland Island and saw plenty of wildlife including wild horses, turtles and giant crabs.
How will the trip help you to sell the US?
We do only the US and we just focus on the areas we know. Our clients come to us for first-hand knowledge and they are really reassured when you say you’ve visited these places. It was invaluable to experience staying at so many places and also going to breakfast in others we hadn’t stayed at for a quick tour. We weren’t limited to one hotel in one location but we were able to see many and acquired a range of options (for different budgets and with different facilities) for our clients.
Beth Judson, assistant manager, Flight Centre, Brighton Megastore
Where did you go?
We flew into Las Vegas and had two nights there. We had two nights in Utah and Zion National Park. Then we went to Arizona for two nights before the finale in Huntington Beach. It was amazing. Better than I could ever have imagined. We did sand boarding and ATV driving at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah, horse-riding in Zion and a Pink Jeep Tour along the famous Strip in Las Vegas.
What was the highlight of the trip?
Vegas was unbelievable and seeing Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles Love was an unforgettable experience. The quad biking – the first time I’ve ridden a quad in a desert – was all the more fun in the wilderness.
Have you made any discoveries?
Utah took me by surprise – it’s an odd place. We went to a tiny town called Kanab, which was great. It seems pretty still, with not much happening, but the people are interesting. Utah is a Mormon state and the alcohol can only be a maximum of 3% (unless you happen to know a cafe owner by the name of Victor!)
How will it help you to sell the US?
I can now add in the places we visited, the small restaurants such as the Chuckwagon Cookout in Little Hollywood, Kanab and the Rustler’s Rooste Steakhouse in Phoenix. I would push people going to Vegas to visit the Grand Canyon and especially Zion National Park, which had fewer tourists and was a more remote option for those looking for peace and tranquillity.
Emma Carr, business travel consultant, Trailfinders
What are your best memories?
On route to Alaska we had an overnight in Phoenix to break up the journey but we made the most of our time there with a sunrise hot air balloon followed by a champagne breakfast in the desert. When we arrived in Alaska we went straight to Rusty’s Seaplanes where we were treated to the most amazing seaplane flight over the Prince William Sound. We got to see the untouched beauty of Alaska from a birds-eye view, which put the vastness of the state in perspective! Wow! The Alaskan railroad from Seward to Anchorage was also a highlight and the upgrade to Gold Class with panoramic windows is worth it!
Did you see any wildlife?
Yes lots. We went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre on the way from Anchorage to Seward, which looks after many wild animals (bears, bison etc), including those injured and orphaned. This was the first place to reintroduce the endangered wood bison, which were once extinct in the US. In Seward we went on a full day cruise of the Kenai Fjords. We saw so many orcas and one even came right up to the side of our boat. Absolutely amazing and something that is going to stay with me forever. While we were kayaking we saw a wild bison wandering along the lakeshore as well.
What was the highlight for you? The orcas were certainly one of the highlights for me and I will never forget my first glimpse of Alaska when we were flying over the Prince William Sound Glacier. It was breathtaking.
What discoveries did you make?
Alaska has some great places to stay, eat and drink. Talkeetna Alaska Lodge in Denali was beautiful and a great location with panoramic views over Denali national park and Mount Denali in particular. It has many wilderness trails on its doorstep to explore by foot or bike. Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage had a high service level and incredible views of the Chugach Mountains and the vast Cook Inlet. I’d also recommend the Seward Brewery Company in downtown Seward where they have some fab beers and great food. Overall it was such an incredible experience it’s so hard to narrow it down to just a few highlights!
