Travel Agent

What is a Travel Agent?

A travel agent is a service provider who books travel. This can be airline reservations, hotel stays, cruise and tour arrangements or specialized tours with individual itineraries, sightseeing, and other extras. A good travel agent can steer you towards the best prices and packages as well as the best tour operators and hotels.

Services

Travel agent services vary from agency to agency. Some agencies specialize in business travel, others in vacation or cruise travel. In addition to making basic travel arrangements, some travel companies have branched out and offer such things as passport photos and processing, travel accessories and luggage, and even limousine rentals.

In general, travel agents are paid by the travel suppliers (airlines, cruise lines, hotels, etc.) and do not charge a fee for most services. Low cost transactions, such as discounted airline tickets without a tour or other travel services, and specialized work, such as designing a customized day-by-day itinerary usually do carry a fee.

Specialized Agents

Some travel agents are generalists. They book airfare, cruises, group tours, everything. Others specialize in one segment of the travel market. Some of the more common specialties are:

• Cruise Travel Agent – These agents are experts on cruising. Many have sailed numerous times and toured a good number of ships. Because they often book a large number of passengers on a handful of cruise lines, they frequently are able to offer better pricing than a general travel agent.

• Group Agents – Group travel is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry. Almost everyone can consider themselves part of some group, whether it's a church group, neighborhood association, bridge club, or business fraternity. Groups often qualify for discounts and other special amenities. Plus, it's fun to travel with people you know. Group agents are skilled at making these arrangements and often escort such tours.

• Corporate Travel Agent – Although this segment of the travel industry is in flux, there are still a large number of travel companies who specialize in business travel. They sell airline tickets, make hotel reservations, negotiate special corporate hotel and car rental pricing, and create reports on company travel expenditures.

Finding a Good Agent

As with any service provider, finding a reliable person with whom you can work well is essential. Consider some of the following when choosing a travel agent:

• Experience – Sure, everyone's got to start somewhere, but for your vacation, choose an agent with five or more years experience, ideally one who specializes in the sort of trip you are planning.

• Word of Mouth – Personal referrals are the backbone of any service industry. Ask your co-workers, family, or church members who they use and why they like to work with that person.

• Industry Training – Although most states do not require travel agents to be licensed, a variety of industry associations offer travel agent training programs. Among them are the CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) certified travel counselor program and the ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) travel specialist courses. Ask a prospective agent what training she has taken advantage of.

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