TAM plans network of 182 stores and doubling size in tourist packages
Valor Econômico
The biggest Brazilian airline company now wants to consolidate itself as the second biggest tour operator of the country, only behind CVC. Within the next two years, TAM Viagens wants to more than double its size and earnings. The Commercial and Planning Vice President of TAM, Paulo Castello Branco, says the number of stores will increase from the current 70 to 182. The goal for the earnings, which was R$ 412 million (US$ 225 million) in 2008, is to get to R$ 1 billion (US$ 546 million) at the end of 2011. According to him, investments in the network of TAM Viagens stores have not yet been defined because the model of expansion, through franchising, is still being formatted. The conclusion of such work is expected for until the end of February.
Another goal of the TAM tour operator is to triple the participation of the Internet sales, currently at 3%, over the next two years. Today, nearly 80% of the tour packages sold by the company are for domestic tourism. The remaining 20% are foreign trips, estimates Castello Branco. TAM Viagens also wants to double the amount of chartered flights it has with TAM Linhas Aéreas, which operated 25 flights for the operator last year. Castello Branco says that, for 2010, the idea is to have at least 50 chartered flights because of the FIFA World Cup, in South Africa. TAM Linhas Aéreas, says the Executive, already has 39 chartered flights to South Africa this year, with six different tour operators.
As in TAM Linhas Aéreas, the tour operator wants to take advantage of the rise of the C class to consumption. TAM Viagens divides the payment for acquisition of tour packages in up to 10 installments. During the World Cup, the operator offers special conditions for payment in up to 24 installments. Castello Branco reveals there are negotiations with Caixa Econômica Federal - the Brazilian Federal Savings Bank - to divide the payment of the packages in 24 installments.
At the end of last year, TAM announced two partnerships aimed at the consumer of the C class. The first one was an agreement with Banco do Brasil that offers plane tickets in up to 36 installments for the holders of accounts at the institution. Shortly afterwards, the company announced another partnership with Itaú Unibanco that allows the payment in up to 48 installments.
Gol - another airline company - was the first one to offer multiple installments for the payment of tickets through the Voe Fácil facility, in the mid-2005. Webjet followed the model with a partnership with the company Vai Voando and soon after that TAM announced its agreements. Trip also adhered to the long term payments, with 60 installments. Yesterday was the time of Azul to announce the payment in up to 60 installments.