how many travel agents are on this board?

[binny]

sorry if this is taboo, Im just curious how many of us hang out here? And what position you hold.

 

[Rajah]

Does Informal Travel Agent Who Does All The Planning For Family Trips count?

 

[scarlett873]

i'm still a travel agent at heart...

i was a travel agent for 4 years but quit shortly after 9/11 and was unable to find another position in an agency here in town when i was ready to go back.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I went to school for Travel & Tourism for one semester. Does that count?

 

[leahannpen]

FULL FLEDGED, FULL TIME AGENCY AGENT HERE.

Are you one as well? I didn't know. Why do we torture ourselves? LOL!

 

[binny]

LOL Lea I know what you mean.

m a home based agent and I love it but some days are pretty trying arent they?

 

[leahannpen]

Originally posted by binny
but some days are pretty trying arent they?

"SOME" days? Ugh! LOL!

How long have you done this? I've been doing the same thing, at the SAME place, with the same people, for 14 years! I think "burn out" is now setting in, honestly.

We are pretty slow right now. Summer is here, you can tell!

 

[binny]

yeah I had a huge rush back in March now its more of a trickle.
Thats ok Ill take what I can get.
I have been in travel ( working for HA for a couple of years and tourism in Spokane before) for several years but have just gotten into the retail business last year.
I really do enjoy it and have had wonderful clients 99% of the time so Im happy.
The fact that I can work from home is a huge plus in my book~!

LOL Rajah! Of course it counts

And Disney Addict, did you enjoy the schooling part of it?

 

[mickeyfan1]

I went to travel school in 1995 because there was a threat of layoff at my office. Graduated and no layoff! I would love to be either a home based agent or work in a brick and mortor store part time. Hello DU are you listening?

 

[shortbun]

Retired after 9/11 with 29 years as a leisure agent.
Think about doing some from home work but can't quite
get psyched about it. I guess the changes I've seen
in the industry are just too negative. Making the same
money in 9 months driving a school bus with great benefits-
just not the travel. I do miss the international travel.

 

[binny]

I love being a home based agent!

I dont have as much experience as some of you Im sure but I am learning and taking all the specialist courses I can .
Im also a member at OSSN and CLIA so I get a lot of information that way as well.

I hate it though when people think just because I work at home, Im not a serious agent. Thisis what Ive always wanted to do and I love it!

 

[scarlett873]

how did you get started as a home based agent binny? i've thought about that, but right now, i need something i can count on for income! lol

 

[RIDISNEYLOVERS]

I am an "unofficial" travel agent for my family - I book and plan everything for them. How would I go about being a home based one? I love planning trips for people and I get so excited for them.

Thanks for the info!!

Lisa

 

[cheeringmom]

I was a travel "escort" for the Officer's Wives club in Germany. I planned out itineraries, hired buses and tour guides, made ressies for hotels -everything you can imagine. I even sold the trips. I added just enough money to everyones ticket so I could travel for free-no extras-just the cost of the trip. Did Czech republic, Britian, Tunisia all over Germany, Switzerland France etc. But the dollar is so weak now no one would probably travel like they used to. Had a great time.

 

[binny]

actually I joined JudyfromBoise in her agency to begin with.

She helped me a lot in getting started.
The business has really taken off now.

I joined www.ossn.com for a lot of information in becoming a Home based agent. and Judy gae me " Home Based Travel agent and The Travel Agents complete desk reference" by Kelly Monaghan and those have helped tremendously.

It isnt always easy but it is so much fun!! I can do a lot of it in my own time in my jammies if I wish

 

[leahannpen]

Originally posted by shortbun
Retired after 9/11 with 29 years as a leisure agent.
Think about doing some from home work but can't quite
get psyched about it. I guess the changes I've seen
in the industry are just too negative. Making the same
money in 9 months driving a school bus with great benefits-
just not the travel. I do miss the international travel.

Wow, you lasted 29 years?!? I sure give you credit. LOL!! And you make the same now, driving a bus huh? Hmm....

The direction travel is taking right now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do... but I don't think I'm going to stay in this biz. I've been investigating...other avenues. This biz is not headed in any upward direction, that's for sure!

 

[Lezah]

I am a home based travel agent as well. I have a full time job and do the travel as a side business. I love it and am a Disney Specialist (surprise, surprise, right?!). It is a total departure from what I do at my full time job and is fun as well. Not much money to be had doing it of course, but enough to make it worth while. Nice to know there is more of us that we thought.

 

[binny]

HI Leezah!

Welcome to the thread

Im a Disney Specialist too wasnt that a fun course?

Are you a CLIA or OSSN member? or are you with a consortsiam?

 

[Lezah]

Hi Binny, my agency is a member of CLIA and I am just debating about whether to take the CLIA course (not sure about the Associate or actually doing the course) any suggestions? I live in Canada and the regulations for home based agents here are extremely strict. I am affiliated with a host agency who does all my ticketing. We are all contractors and we are supposed to be becoming NACTA members, but not up and running yet. I seem to be the only one of the lot of us that are bugging them about it! I haven't looked into OSSN yet, but one of my colleagues is a member. I can't afford to join it all, so I'm trying to be selective. I've been doing it 3 years in July. The DIsney course was sooooo much fun!! I didn't really have to do much studying or even reading because of my research on the DIS! Did you find that too?

 

[Dan Murphy]

I know many of the moderators, WM's here on the DIS are TA's with DU.