Local Firm, Eddie Bauer Plan Venture

Fans of Eddie Bauer clothing and gear will soon be able to show off purchases from the famed Seattle outfitter at locales from the Galapagos Islands to the Alps, thanks to a new pact with Spokane-based Ambassador Programs.

Eddie Bauer Travel will be launched next month with catalog inserts and direct mailings to the retailer’s Vibram-heeled clientele, said Ambassador President Jeff Thomas.

The first trip will depart in late February, with others scheduled in the spring and fall. Other destinations include Australia, India and Nepal, the Pacific Northwest, and the American Southwest.

Thomas said Eddie Bauer customers calling the toll-free number listed in the mailings will book their travel through an Ambassador representative.

But unlike other tours that have been arranged by Ambassador since its founding in 1967, the objective will be purely recreational, he said.

The company has specialized in educational and business travel, much of it under the People to People program established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956.

Eddie Bauer spokeswoman Karen Peck said some vacationers will be whitewater rafting, others riding elephants.

“There’s a lot of really unique experiences that make this different from just walking around and seeing the sights,” she said.

Costs will range from $1,975 for the American Southwest tour to $4,995 - including air fare - for India/Nepal. The trips will last from one week to 17 days.

Although Eddie Bauer has not offered travel services in the past, the company sponsored expeditions to places like Antarctica and the Himalayas for many years, Peck said.

The Eddie Bauer name has proven marketing appeal, Thomas said, noting the success of customized Explorers sold by Ford.

“It seems to be a strong brand,” he said. “I think the potential is pretty great.”

Ambassador is a subsidiary of Ambassadors International Inc., a publicly traded company managed by John and Peter Ueberroth, the former commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Ambassadors International President John Ueberroth said the company is excited by the prospect of developing unique travel packages for a company with Eddie Bauer’s reputation.

Eddie Bauer is a subsidiary of Spiegel Inc., the Chicago catalog merchandiser.

, DataTimes