British Airways Holidays
Our colleagues and customers are at the heart of everything we do.
We’re one of the UK’s leading and most trusted tour operators. We provide holiday packages, hotels, car hire and experiences via ba.com and the British Airways contact centres. From carefully selected hotels to our 24-hour support helpline, we take every element of our customers’ holidays seriously.
As part of the British Airways brand, we offer the advantages of being part of the UK’s largest airline coupled with all the benefits of being in a smaller company. Our company’s passion, diversity, excellence, creativity, and warmth are the same special qualities that make all 340 of us at British Airways Holidays who we are.
It’s a great place to work, but dont just take our word for it. In a recent colleague survey, 91 of our colleagues agreed that people want to work here because of our culture and 94 said we have a vision for the future thats easy to understand and meaningful.
Our business is growing and has ambitious plans, so it’s an exciting time to join our team.
About the Role
Our dynamic and experienced Destination Team is responsible for the selection, sourcing, negotiation, and development of BA Holidays diverse product portfolio. By driving profitability and optimising commercial outcomes, we ensure the continued success of BA Holidays, a globally recognised brand.
We are seeking a dedicated and proactive Destination Executive to join our team on a permanent basis. In this role, you will have the autonomy to develop key destinations and foster hotel relationships while receiving the support and trust to succeed. The extensive BA flight route network provides a wealth of opportunities, offering a variety of hotels and locations to manage. You will present your insights to the Destination team leadership and play a critical role in contributing to the region’s overall success.
This is a fast-paced, multi-faceted position, requiring exceptional organisational skills to juggle multiple tasks and manage key stakeholders effectively. It’s a fantastic opportunity for a professional who excels in negotiation and influencing skills and relationship management and brings a proactive, analytical approach. If you have a proven track record in product, purchasing, or commercial roles within the travel industry and can deliver exceptional account management you should apply.
What you will be doing
- Develop and execute the product supply strategy for your designated destinations.
- Negotiate and finalise contract terms with hotel partners, ensuring mutually beneficial agreements.
- Ensure all products align with British Airways Holidays brand standards, including quality control and health and safety compliance.
- Manage supplier relationships to capitalise on commercial opportunities.
- Oversee the commercial performance of assigned destinations, including data analysis, competitor benchspaning, and inventory management.
- Work collaboratively with our yield, quality, spaneting, PR, and other internal teams to maximise all commercial opportunities.
What you will bring
- Demonstrable experience in the travel industry, ideally in a buying or commercial role.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain robust relationships with external suppliers.
- A keen eye for detail, with excellent organisational capabilities.
- Analytical proficiency, including strong Excel skills, to interpret data and make informed decisions.
- Proven expertise in stakeholder management, combined with effective negotiation and problem-solving abilities.
- Proven ability to establish credibility and trust, both internally and externally.
- Strong commercial acumen with solid planning and multitasking capabilities.
- Flexibility and willingness to travel and represent the company at product and trade functions.
- A full UK driving license and confidence in driving abroad.
- Ability to commute to our Crawley office at least twice a week
Beneficial Qualifications
- Professional procurement qualification ideal (CIPS)
What we can offer you
To give you an indication on salary this role is circa £35,000 per annum (this may vary depending on your relevant skills and experience)
Our offices are based in central Crawley, and we offer hybrid working (within the UK only). Generally, this role works from our offices twice a week, with additional days as needed depending on meetings etc. Office days are co-ordinated so that colleagues in the same team are in the office together to collaborate in person. We usually support new colleagues in the office full time for the first few weeks.
Key benefits include
- 25 days holiday per calendar year, increasing by one day for every two complete years’, to a maximum of 30 days, plus normal bank holidays.
- Unlimited standby and premium standby fares for you and your nominees on the BA network and partner airlines, from day one
- Discounts on BA flights and holidays from day one for you, your friends and family
- Flexible start & finish times
- Annual incentive scheme and salary review (dependant on company & individual performance)
- Company contributory pension scheme up to a maximum of 5 colleague and 11 company contributions.
- Flexible benefits package including generous life assurance cover, plus options such as dental /medical cover, and cycle to work, technology and electric car schemes.
- Range of colleague wellbeing and recognition programmes
- Diversity, equality & inclusion are all important to us. We believe a diverse and inclusive workplace contributes to our sense of wellbeing and belonging, enabling us all to thrive professionally and personally. Equality and equity are important in ensuring that everyone is treated fairly. Our focus is on creating a positive and inclusive working environment for all.
- We aim to be inclusive – everyone feels valued and respected as an individual.
- We aim to ensure equality, and equity-everyone treated fairly as individuals with recognition of unique differences.
- We aim to be diverse – with a mix of colleagues representing our community.
We are advertising this role as a permanent full-time role, however if you would like to apply on a part time basis, you are welcome to open a discussion about this at the stage of the application process that suits you.
Closing date for applications is Sunday 17th November
Please note - we may close this vacancy early if we receive lots of applications or business priorities change.
Have a look at our LinkedIn account. Katie, one of our Destination Executives shares more about what she enjoys in her role there.