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Agent Tricks Of The Travel Trade
’ll be forthright: I’m not family and friends—but how is it
a homemaker. I feel more at an escape if I’m worried about
ease constantly on the how much I’m spending the entire
move, city after city, trip?
mountaintop to seaside surf,
living out of my suitcase and I mention cost as something that
fumbling through a foreign would potentially worry me were
language phrase book, than I feel it not for the fact that, in
even comfy and cozy, napping on reality, it doesn’t worry me at
my couch on a Sunday afternoon. all. At least not since I wised
Perhaps I’m a little crazy, but I up, did the requisite research
find it thrilling sprinting to and taught myself the agent
make a connecting flight (even if tricks of the travel trade.
it’s the red eye); I believe it Travel agents’ tricks that is,
convenient when the airline because in addition to being a
informs me my luggage is a flight constant traveler and writer, I
behind, leaving unencumbered to am also a licensed travel agent.
begin sightseeing immediately; Not in the sense that I work for
and I think myself resourceful others, booking their hotels,
when I arrive at a booked hotel finding their flights, or landing
only to realize I forgot to make them a deal on an Alaskan cruise.
reservations but still haggle a Truth is, I only use my license
room. Of course, while I don’t for personal escapes (well, okay,
mind any of the perceived occasionally for family and
headaches of traveling, I do mind friends too, but only when their
the high costs often associated remarks regarding my debonair
with it. Traveling, for me, is good lucks are particularly
primarily about escaping—whether flattering).
it be work, commuting,
obligations, sometimes even If you’ve never heard of this
travel industry loophole before, they’re principal players,
this may sound somewhat (or obviously gets something in
completely) preposterous. In return for the services they
fact, however, it is quite common provide. In sports, agents
among everyday people, both those represent athletes, working off
who travel often or but once a the field to win their clients
year, both those whose work lucrative contracts and
relates to travel to those whose commercial cameos so the athlete
work relates only to that which can in turn, without financial
remains stationary. What I mean, distractions, concentrate and win
plain and simple, is anyone—you, on the field. For these services,
me, your second cousin Otto, or agents win themselves a
my next-door neighbor Irene—can percentage of every deal they
get their travel agent’s license broker. The same is true in
lickety-split, and immediately showbiz, modeling, or
begin reaping the benefits. corporations where headhunters
wheel and deal multi-million
First things first: when making dollar salaries and stock
travel arrangements for incentive plans for their CEO
themselves, every agent knows not clients. Likewise, then, in the
to book a single step of their travel industry, agents receive
journey through one of their own, discounts, courtesies and other
i.e. other travel agents. special benefits, not from the
Instead, they use travel customer for whom they book a
consolidators. hotel or flight, but from the
vendor providing that service
Think about the difference those (i.e. the hotel chain or airline)
terms: agent and consolidator. who profits from the customer. As
agents for airlines, etc., they
An agent, in any industry where drive customers toward vendors
whom offer them the most in included).
return.
You, as a licensed travel agent
A consolidator, on the other would obtain special contact with
hand, does virtually the these consolidators and the deals
opposite. Rather than inflate the vendors must offer to maximize
costs of travel by collecting their costs per person. But while
fees, they combine, for the sake it’s all well and good to make
of efficiency, the expensive and arrangements through a
unstable parts of travel into a consolidator as opposed to an
cheaper, more solid whole. They agent, just because you acquire a
work to maximize vendor’s license (available online in
numbers, ratios and the cost per under an hour) doesn’t mean the
head. Think about it in terms of consolidator will believe you’re
magazine publishing: the real as much a travel professional as
cost in printing an issue is not they are. To avoid common
the number of copies made, but mistakes that expose amateurs
merely arranging and setting the from pros, you must learn the
plates that will allow the print proper lingo and travel codes.
run in the first place. Once that For that there are volumes of
is set to go, the only added eBooks (with corresponding
costs are that of extra paper and printed versions) that provide
ink. The travel industry is the the requisite knowledge, which
same, the more spaces that fill, you can quickly study before
the cheaper tickets or rooms contacting a consolidator and
become per person. As in any easily flip through if put on the
industry, consumers (i.e. spot. Get these references. Some
travelers in this case) benefit of them are thick, but in reality
from the sheer volume of numbers you’ll spend less than a hundred
(i.e. all travelers, yourself dollars on everything you need to
in turn potentially save
thousands on the first trip you Finally, the travel industry is a
plan with your travel agent’s weird and wonderful creature, in
license in hand. this case, thankfully profit
driven as much as other
Furthermore, instead of turning industries we often loathe. To
to the discount fare finders like those who present themselves as
Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity or viable agents, promoting and thus
Priceline that lay-travelers earning money for the industry as
search, as a travel agent, you a whole, it means endless perks.
additionally gain access to the I get more special offers from
lesser known, but more lucrative airlines, cruise lines, and
sites travel consolidators packaged tour companies than I
utilize. know what to do with. For me,
casinos, theme parks, and luxury
Together, the benefits will resorts are not necessarily what
materialize almost immediately. I strive for, but if that is your
Buy plane tickets the day before cup of tea and your hocus pocus
the flight’s scheduled to depart, agenting appears legitimate,
but only pay what you would have you’ll suddenly find yourself
had you purchased tickets two choosing between the best of many
months in advance. Get a spacious worlds: free weekends in the Napa
cruise ship cabin beside the Valley, first class seats to
captain’s quarters for the price Tokyo, an all expense paid
of an ocean-level closet. Find safari, a cruise down the Nile...
yourself lodging in the seaside,
honeymoon suite for the price you
might have paid for the basement So what are you waiting for, get
hide-a-bed beside the ice started! Find a comprehensive
machine. eBook or alternate guide that
takes you through the process of catch…
becoming a travel agent,
step-by-step. Don’t sit on this Now, where did I put my passport?
opportunity, but rather start
traveling cheaply, today…
Copyright 2006, Robert K. Blanc.
As for me, I’ve got a flight to All Rights Reserved.
About the Author:
Robert Blanc is a frequent traveler and writer, covering current events, niche markets and subjects of personal interest for online and print publications. Enamored by the eBook phenomenon, he regularly turns to http://www.ebookreviews.net to search the latest information and eBooks on the market.
Source: www.isnare.com |
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