5 Travel Agent Myths
1. Aren’t travel agencies going away?
Travel agencies still account for 51% of all travel sales in the US and preliminary indicators show that this number is actually starting to grow. Sure, the Internet caused a shakeout in the industry and many of the Agencies that were not able to adapt to the shift from being travel gatekeepers to trusted advisors on a complex industry have closed down. However, many agencies are not only surviving but thriving in the current world as Travel continues to become more complex every day.
2. Travel Agencies Charge all sorts of fees
In most cases the only difference between a Travel Agent and your favorite website or package dealer (ie: Costco, American Express, etc.) is that your neighborhood is upfront with you about their fees. The book yourself places still charge many of the same fees but they hide them in markups and fine print. It used to be customary for Travel Agents to get paid by the supplier in commission. That all changed several years ago when the major US airlines stopped paying commissions. Travel Agents still earn commissions on some things but not enough to stay in business without charging a fee for their service. Most people who use a travel agent will tell you that their's is worth his or her weight in gold but the true cost usually amounts to less than 10% of the cost of your trip. You tip your waiter more and your not trusting him with your precious vacation time.
3. Using the internet is just easier
It’s hard to argue that anything could be much easier than booking a trip at 11:00 PM on a Saturday in your underwear. Super simple, right? Unless you would like more information than what is provided in the 4 sentences and handful of strategically composed photos you are given. Or if you change your mind after you click “Book It” and want to make a change. Or if you arrive on your trip only to find that your flight/room/rental car has been oversold or a mistake has been made. Any of these things result in the dreaded travel purgatory of waiting on hold with some phone support person hoping that they will be generous enough to grant you a solution. Sure, you have to actually pick up a phone or send an email to get in touch with your travel agent and they’ll ask you lots of questions at the start to get to know you so they can make sure to find the right trip for you. After that however a short call, email, or text message and your agent is busy at work making sure everything is just right for your trip so you can worry about the important things like how many pairs of flip flops to pack.
4. This trip is too small to use an agent
It’s true you won’t get much benefit out of using an agent if all your doing is booking a quick flight to visit your sister for the weekend. It’s also true that your travel agent won’t make any money on a trip like that. Most travel agents however prefer to be your all purpose travel advisor and don’t mind booking trips like that for you on just an email. Your travel agent appreciates any opportunity to get to know you better as a traveller and the more trips they book for you the better they get to know you no matter if the trip is 11 days in the Mediterranean or 3 days in Bakersfield.
5. A Travel agent will pressure me into buying
It is true that some travel agents have been trained to be high pressure closers but these days those types of agents are going by the wayside. Successful travel agents depend on business and referrals stemming from the close personal relationships they painstakingly cultivate with their clients. No single trip is worth sacrificing the hours of effort it takes to get to know a client well enough to be their true trusted advisor. Even working on a trip that you don’t end up taking gives you agent ideas for trips to watch out for you in the future. So, have no fear of pressure sales and if you don’t feel comfortable calling or emailing your agent with even the smallest question you should find someone new.