Wow! What a great thread. Is it ok if I throw my 2 cents in here? First let me explain that I'm a
travel agent....have been for 10 yrs this December. I work from my home b/c I refuse to drive the 30-45 min drive into the nearest store front
travel agency for the $10 - $12 per hr pay that most travel agents around here make. I LOVE LOVE LOVE selling travel.
I specialize in Honeymoons, cruises and family vacations. I have attended many training seminars and classes at my own expense and on my own time w/o pay from my agency. I do this b/c I love it so much! MANY years ago I attended Disney's College of Knowledge to become a Disney Specialist. I still have my ears and very proud of them
With that being said I hope I can shed a little light on some of the situations I've read about on this thread. I am not out to bash AAA or any other travel agency so if I come across that way here, I apologize.
Someone earlier stated that not all AAA agencies are the same. HOW VERY TRUE!! I have had MANY customers call me after they've talked to our nearest AAA and complain about the poor service, bad attitude and high prices. In the last year I have probably sold 5-6 nice packages to clients that had originally contacted AAA and then booked w/me b/c they said they liked my attitude and helpfulness more. Basically, we all get our prices from the same source...Disney. If I can't give someone a few extra mins and take that extra step for them, then I am not offering good customer service and that is what will outshine one agent/agency over another. All of us call Carnival,
Royal Caribbean, Disney etc to get our rates. It is my job as your travel agent to shop for the best deal out there, explain it to you properly and help you have the best vacation you can have. Just earlier this month I had a client contact me and asked for a package to Cancun. She said she had been to AAA the day before, told them what she wanted and was handed a brochure, told to look through it decide what she wanted and then call back or come in when she was ready to book!!!
That, my friends, is very poor Customer Service. Needless to say I made an appt w/her that was convenient for HER, met her AT HER HOUSE, sat down w/her and her husband and talked about the different resorts. She booked the package w/me and has given me 3 referrals since then. My prices were no better than AAA down the road but apparently my service was.
Some agencies in the Nashville area don't like to book Disney b/c Disney only gives us 10% commission but cruise lines and other tour companies will give us more based on our volume. Someone mentioned they were confused about their credit card statement not being what they were quoted and their TA told them they booked w/Travel Impressions. They may be a high volume agency w/Travel Impressions so therefore gets more commission. I don't know; I get 10% across the board regardless of who I book it with so 9 times out of 10 I'll book it w/Disney Travel.
About cancellation fees....I do charge a cancellation fee occasionally but alot of it depends on the reason. If someone has a death or illness in the family I do not charge a cancellation fee. The majority of the time I will not charge a cancellation fee if they cancel before the final is due. However, if they have called or emailed me 20 + times w/20 + changes, I've had to make long distance phone calls, and other unusual situations I will charge a $25 per person cancellation fee. I explain this to my client before they give me their deposit and make them sign a form that states I've explained all of this to them so they understand and there are no hurt feelings. I know a year or so ago I charged a client a cancellation fee b/c they had to cancel their trip. They just didnt' have the money for the final and refused to put it on their credit card-- which is their business but it was killing me. I had spent MANY hours calling Disney, changing properties, number of nights, repricing it and so forth. My time is valuable and the $50 I charged them was NOTHING compared to what they would ahve been charged by a larger agency and for the work I did. I do not charge a consultation fee but some of the larger agencies do. I understand that but I just can't make myself do it. I am a professional, I have been to travel school that cost me alot of money and my time is just as important as the next guy. You would never think of talking w/a lawyer, plumber or electrician w/o paying a consulting fee. Granted an attorny's expertise is broader than mine but it's the same concept.
So, I hope you don't give up on your trip and have a great time regardless. Next time you think about a Disney trip and not happy w/your AAA agency, contact a smaller local agency and see what happens. I don't mind pricing packages for people that I feel are sincere in their request but please do one thing, if you find a better pkg/price somewhere else, let the agent know. Don't leave her/him hanging and wondering what to do. Tell them you got a price that was $100 under their quote or whatever the case may be.
Thanks for letting me share my thoughts. Hope everyone has a MAGICAL DAY!!!
Karen
We prefer to go directly through Disney. We stopped using Travel Agents once we realized that we knew more about the vacations and such than they did, LoL! 
