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ICE International Currency Exchange Celebrates Exclusive Contract at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport
February 2, 2012
Just completing its third month as the exclusive currency exchange at the new Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, ICE International Currency Exchange is now offering an innovative new service to clients. The company launched its new, ultra-convenient “Click and Collect” service, whereby customers or affiliated travel agents can pre-order over 25 major and exotic currencies online from 24 hours in advance to a year beforehand at www.ice-canada.ca.
ICE International Currency Exchange operates three locations in Winnipeg’s new airport, including one in arrivals, one in domestic/international departures, and one in the US transborder area.
“We are so proud to have been chosen as the exclusive foreign exchange retailer in Winnipeg’s new airport,” says Shamir Desai, CEO of ICE International Currency Exchange, Canada. “As an integral part of Canada’s airport community for over two decades, we are thrilled to be able to serve the traveling public in Canada’s newest airport. Winnipeg Airports Authority has successfully created a distinctive experience for the public and we are committed to contributing to that world class experience.”
Richardson International Airport is among the eight largest in Canada with 3.4 million passengers passing through every year. Officially opened on October 30, 2011, Canada’s newest and greenest air terminal building offers the latest in technology, customer service and reflects the community it serves.
“We are pleased to have partnered with ICE International Currency Exchange to meet our traveling customer’s needs”, said Barry Rempel, President & CEO of Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc. “New and innovative services that improve the travel experience remains our focus and the new Click and Collect option is a most welcome addition.”
The most popular currencies requested by customers at ICE’s Winnipeg airport locations thus far are the US Dollar, Mexican Peso, Euro, UK Pound, and Jamaican Dollar. There is a menu of over 25 different currencies that can be pre-ordered through ICE’s Click and Collect service.
Customers can select from over 50 ICE locations across Canada to pick up their order. No advance online payments or credit cards are required, and customers pay only upon pick up. Through this free program, ICE offers customers their best preferred exchange rates and waives any applicable service charges. Program benefits also include free currency buy-back, express-pay counters, ICE’s Currency Concierge Team and Currency Reminder Service.
“This value-added service can be accessed directly by travelers, and is also a unique offering to round out the roster of services travel agents currently provide to their customers,” says Gabrielle Durning, Marketing and Product Manager for ICE.
This new service is being welcomed by the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), which is kicking off 2012 with the announcement of ICE as their exclusive foreign exchange partner. As part of the partnership, all ACTA members gain industry access to this new online Click and Collect service to pre-order foreign currencies for their clients.
“Although the use of debit and credit cards are often accepted worldwide, cash is still king – traveling with local currencies means travelers are prepared to pay for things like tips, taxis, and café items with ease,” says Durning. “Daily, we hear from frustrated customers who return home to discover their trip cost more than they planned for due to unexpected bank, credit card, ATM and exchange rate fees. We also get feedback regularly from thankful customers who were glad they had cash on hand when arriving late at night in a foreign country with no access to a bank or they were stuck somewhere with an ATM that wasn't working.”
Durning adds, “We make it easy for Click and Collect users to obtain major currencies such as the Euro, UK Pound, Japanese Yen and US Dollars to the more exotic, like the Brazilian Real, Indian Rupee, Thai Baht or Malaysian Ringgit. Our goal with Click and Collect was to create a service that is extremely simple to use, and an added value for customers. We are confident we have achieved just that.”
Once a customer or their travel agent places a Click and Collect order, either online or by phone, ICE’s Currency Concierge Team handles the rest. With ICE’s Currency Reminder Service, both customers and agents are notified of upcoming orders.
ICE is a global leader in foreign exchange with a history spanning over 35 years and currently boasts more than 300 locations worldwide in over 20 countries. In Canada, ICE has a reputation as a leader in innovation, industry standards, and outstanding customer service practices. ICE has been Canada’s trusted foreign exchange specialist for more than a quarter century and can be found in over 50 locations across Canada, including most major airports such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa, Victoria and Quebec City.
Learn more about ICE’s innovative Click & Collect service at www.ice-canada.ca
Media contacts:
Gabrielle Durning
Marketing & Product Manager
ICE International Currency Exchange
Email: gabrielle@ice-canada.ca
Tel: 604-780-5329
Christine Alongi
Director, Communications & Public Affairs
Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc.
24 Hour Media Line: 204.992.2791
Connect with us on Twitter @YWGairport
