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Who pays travel agents?



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 2nd, 2007, 06:54 PM posted to rec.travel.air
Kiran
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Posts: 116
Default Who pays travel agents?

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?
  #2  
Old May 2nd, 2007, 08:40 PM posted to rec.travel.air
Kiran
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Posts: 116
Default Who pays travel agents?

Hilary wrote:

: Most US travel agents get no commission for published fares, so the only
: way for them to not lose money is to charge a booking fee.

How have things changed while I was either not traveling or buying
online! I certainly don't begrudge them a fair fee.
  #3  
Old May 2nd, 2007, 09:18 PM posted to rec.travel.air
Jeff Hacker
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Posts: 241
Default Who pays travel agents?


"Kiran" wrote in message
...
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?


For several years it has been the customer. The airlines don't pay
commissions anymore.


  #4  
Old May 3rd, 2007, 03:54 AM posted to rec.travel.air
Geoff Glave
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Posts: 24
Default Who pays travel agents?

Who pays them now? Airline
commissions or customer fees?


The *customer* always paid them. Back in the day, ticket prices were high,
so the airline paid the TA a fee. Now, ticket prices are low so the fee is
added to the cost of the ticket.

Either way, the customer paid - Either the fee was rolled into the
(higher-priced) ticket, or the fee's outside the (now much cheaper) ticket.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada


  #5  
Old May 3rd, 2007, 04:16 PM posted to rec.travel.air
Binyamin Dissen
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Posts: 409
Default Who pays travel agents?

On Wed, 2 May 2007 15:18:53 -0500 "Jeff Hacker" wrote:

:"Kiran" wrote in message
...
: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?

:For several years it has been the customer. The airlines don't pay
:commissions anymore.

If the TA has enough volume and is thus able to "steer" the clients to other
airlines, they do get something. But there is very little commission on
domestic US flights.

--
Binyamin Dissen
http://www.dissensoftware.com

Should you use the mailblocks package and expect a response from me,
you should preauthorize the dissensoftware.com domain.

I very rarely bother responding to challenge/response systems,
especially those from irresponsible companies.
  #6  
Old May 5th, 2007, 12:37 PM posted to rec.travel.air
ant[_20_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Who pays travel agents?

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


  #7  
Old May 5th, 2007, 09:20 PM posted to rec.travel.air
nospam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 35
Default Who pays travel agents?

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" wrote in message
...
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



 




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