OUT OF COMMISSIONS
Travel agents expanding beyond airline tickets
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/03/23/BU98275.DTL
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Travel agents are scrambling to find new sources of revenue after several major airlines announced this week they will no longer pay commissions on tickets.
Instead, the agents are quickly developing niche markets, such as ocean cruises, food and wine tours and adventure travel to offset the revenue loss.</font>
ScottC
Mar 24, 02, 2:57 pm
Sorry to say, too little too late...
Worldtraveler36
Mar 28, 02, 12:18 am
Regular travel agents, apart from the big,corporate entities, are really a thing of the past, and very sad.
I am angry at the airlines for what they did. It will come back and haunt them.
Before the cuts, travel agents made very little money, unless you were the owner of a big agency. It requires many long hours of research, trying to do things for clients, and at the slightest drop of a hat, they will ditch you and go somewhere else to save a buck, pathetic. People aren't aware of the tiresome work and sacrifice that this job requires. They will also go and cash in a ticket, cruise, whatever, after you put hours in, and the commission gets taken out of your pay. nice... That is understandable, but you can work hours on something and then get nothing to show for it, though insurance works this way as well, I know, as well as Real Estate... it is thankless.
With the end of the commissions, I am afraid, in my opinion, it is truly the end of the travel agency industry. There aren't enough cruises and specialized trips to go around. Yes, those things are arranged, but it is arranging the flights with hotel that kept everyone going. With that gone, no one will enter the industry, those who are there will slowly "dissapear", and given about 5 years, it will be pretty much over, save the large, conglomerates that have under the table sweetheart deals...
On this issue, sorry, the airlines suck!
thanks... This will come back and haunt the public someday, and I am sorry for that...
clacko
Mar 28, 02, 1:31 am
i remember , a while ago (30 yrs), ta's wouldn't book ground without the air. in my limited experience.
Worldtraveler36
Mar 28, 02, 2:12 am
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by clacko:
i remember , a while ago (30 yrs), ta's wouldn't book ground without the air. in my limited experience. </font>
>>> depended on the agent or agency...
those (people http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ) were unprofessional and I always chastized them http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif