Who pays travel agents?
in [Airline Travel]
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From: ant on 5 May 2007 07:37 Kiran wrote: > I haven't done this in a while, but yesterday I went to a travel > agency to buy a ticket. Its locations is convenient to my new office, > so I thought why not. I was surprised when they said they charge $25 > per ticket. > > This wasn't a consolidator deal, but regular published fare. Used to > be that travel agents got paid by airlines. Who pays them now? Airline > commissions or customer fees? Good question. All I know is, when I booked my own flights this time on travel.com.au, the deal was insanely good AND the entire trip was booked by Qantas, on the one itinerary. I cannot overstate how wonderful it was to have a trip all on one ticket. It smoothed over umpteen bumps. I had previously got a price from travelplan, who do ski workers fares to the US, and was underwhelmed. Especially after they screwed up my bookings the previous year in manifold ways. Their prices were high, and I am sorry to say that I am pretty sure it was to pay their commissions. The deal, and the after-purchase benefits, from buying on the 'net were so much better than using the expensive travel agent. ant -- Don't try to email me; I'm using the spammer du jour's email addy
From: nospam on 5 May 2007 16:20
Agents get paid very little, if anything when booking airline tickets. They now make their money off of commissions paid by tour operators, resorts, and most cruise. Unless it is part of a package deal, you probably would be better to book you own air domestically. Unless, you can find an agent that sells consolidator tickets like mine does. Still though, I book my own tickets (mostly through the airline website itself), especially if it is a domestic flight. TA's just don't get paid by the airlines anymore. "ant" <srisaakaya(a)yahoo.com.hk> wrote in message news:5a38jdF2nf803U1(a)mid.individual.net... > Kiran wrote: >> I haven't done this in a while, but yesterday I went to a travel >> agency to buy a ticket. Its locations is convenient to my new office, >> so I thought why not. I was surprised when they said they charge $25 >> per ticket. >> >> This wasn't a consolidator deal, but regular published fare. Used to >> be that travel agents got paid by airlines. Who pays them now? Airline >> commissions or customer fees? > > Good question. All I know is, when I booked my own flights this time on > travel.com.au, the deal was insanely good AND the entire trip was booked > by Qantas, on the one itinerary. I cannot overstate how wonderful it was > to have a trip all on one ticket. It smoothed over umpteen bumps. > > I had previously got a price from travelplan, who do ski workers fares to > the US, and was underwhelmed. Especially after they screwed up my bookings > the previous year in manifold ways. Their prices were high, and I am sorry > to say that I am pretty sure it was to pay their commissions. > > The deal, and the after-purchase benefits, from buying on the 'net were so > much better than using the expensive travel agent. > > ant > > > -- > Don't try to email me; > I'm using the spammer > du jour's email addy > |