Little wonder then, that Saga Holidays emerged as a big fish in the trade pond, since it started selling through agents in October 2014 – a strategy, which Linfoot says has proven “fantastic”.

Agents have also proven useful in encouraging first-timers to the brand. “One of our biggest challenges is how we attract more first-time buyers, but actually they account for 65% of our bookings through the trade, which is amazing.”

But the operator is eyeing even more growth with chief executive Andrew Strong pledging in January last year to double the size of Saga’s travel business by 2020.

Fifteen months into the challenge and Linfoot calls the next phases of Saga’s expansion “critical”. Trade sales currently make up only 5% for Saga Holidays, but with Saga’s travel division experiencing 27% year-on-year growth in profit last year – making it Saga’s best-performing division – the numbers are significant.

“We want a bigger pie overall and within that I would see the proportion of trade being higher too,” she says enthusiastically. “I would anticipate the proportion of sales and the volume of agent sales to increase.”

A step in the right direction for Saga is plans to boost its audience in the north of England and Scotland while simultaneously giving the operator a chance to tackle what Manchester-born Linfoot labels historical “southern bias” through using its regional flying bases including Glasgow, Newcastle and Linfoot’s home city terminal to work with local agents. “We’re looking at where we can do targeted campaigns with the regional travel agents,” confirms Linfoot.

Fieldwork focus

^{Ethiopia is currently popular among the over-50s for Saga Holidays}

Like agents, Linfoot is still getting to know her new employer, after only five months in the job. Her priority she says, has been to “get under the skin” of both the business as well as its clientele.

True to her word Linfoot ditched the desk and got out on the road with Saga’s trade team, met with agents and spent time listening to call centre staff speak with clients. What Linfoot found from her time in the field was a client hungry for travel and ready to move with the times, she says. “Some of our customers travel four, five times a year with us, some even more. I was on the phone recently with a customer – she’d been to Sri Lanka twice with us, as well as Mauritius, South Africa, and she was booking a trip to India with us. And that’s not unusual.

“We really do open up the world and the possibility for travel, in particular to some of our older customers that maybe thought they wouldn’t be able to travel so extensively.”

Linfoot is quick to stress though that while Saga might cater for the over-50s, the operator is not there “to mollycoddle, hand-hold and patronise” its customers. Instead, she describes Saga’s style as “reassurance in the background”.

This same progressive attitude is reflected product-wise, with the operator keen to challenge its customers by offering a range of “edgy” destinations. “We’ve been seeing fantastic demand for Uzbekistan, Ethiopia and we’re the largest tour operator to Nepal, so we do some amazing stuff,” Linfoot says proudly. “I think it’s dangerous to put customers in boxes. The same customer does different travel experiences through the year.”

Clients might book with different brands within her portfolio at different life stages, she suggests, and she insists there are no plans to merge them.

“I don’t see that being the case,” says Linfoot, when probed on Saga combing its travel portfolio. “I see the individuality and driving the performances of those businesses being important.”

Linfoot points to the recent appointment of Malachy Barritt as managing director of Destinology and Andy Squirrell’s promotion to managing director of Titan, as evidence a merger is not envisaged. She is currently recruiting for the same role at Saga Holidays itself, which would report into her.

“I’m very focused on that we have three businesses and three P&Ls that absolutely need to stand on their own two feet,” Linfoot assures.

Away from the boardroom, Linfoot is also keen to stress Saga’s desire to innovate, with a host of digital investments looking to make life easier for customers and agents alike. “Our customers are very tech-savvy,” she says. “If you see anyone on holiday these days they are there with their iPad, often on Facebook. In terms of inspiration and research it’s very important that we’re making the decision to invest in that area.”

Improvements include the Saga Holidays app which was launched in December last year allowing guests the chance to check the weather in the destination they’re travelling to, as well as manage their booking payments. Linfoot says the operator will also be rewriting the booking engines for the Saga Holidays and Titan Travel websites to make them more customer-friendly.

Further afield, the company is in the process of equipping its overseas resort team members with iPads, which Linfoot believes will enhance the quality of service. “When it comes to being able to showcase what people can do in the destination, using an iPad makes the whole experience for the customer and for our staff much easier, cost-effective and a better experience overall.”

It’s not just technology that is getting a facelift. Linfoot believes Saga’s image is also in need of an upgrade – with the trade vital to making this happen. “I think sometimes the external perception of the brand is that it’s out of date with the reality of today,” she concedes. “The biggest opportunity is making people aware of just how contemporary the brand is and the trade is playing a really important role in that.”