Travel Agent Question

[Rigby]

Hi! I wasn't sure where to post this but I have a question about Travel Agents. Like many of you I'd imagine, I have been told from friends and loved ones that I should plan Disney World vacations for a living. The few times I've used Travel Agents I always checked the official price against our agents quote and it's always the same. My question is how do Travel Agents make money? I'm seriously considering pursuing this down the road and any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Metz172]

The fees that travel agents make are built into the rates you pay regardless of if you used an agent or not.

 

[nkereina]

Travel agents make commission off their bookings. Typically, the company (i.e. Disney, Marriott, etc) will send the agent a commission check shortly after the customer pays or travels, usually sent once a month with the total commission amount. Commission rates vary but they are often set at industry standards with no room for negotiation. Unfortunately, Disney has a pretty low commission IMO. Airlines don't pay commission at all, so unless its part of a vacation package, a travel agent will usually charge the customer a service fee for booking airfare only because they don't make any money on the booking otherwise. For vacation packages, the agent will make commission on the package amount minus the cost of the airfare.

Its difficult to become a travel agent on your own because you need to obtain an IATA number to book on commissions, which requires a certain amount of volume and experience. Many Disney Travel Planners work as independent contractors for a parent agency and make a percentage of the commission from their booking (usually split 50/50 or 60/40 with the parent company), so until you establish a good base of business, its really only incremental income. And from my own experience, its hard to establish a customer base in this day and age. Another option is to work for a major company like Liberty Travel or AAA. These agents usually make a base salary plus partial commission, and its a sales environment. They eventually establish a customer base, but have the benefit of walk-in business and members as well. They aren't making $$$, but its reasonably enough to live with the benefits of set hours, vacation, health care, etc.

 

[writerguyfl]

Travel Agents are paid a commission by Disney. Once booked, the Travel Agent (TA) is responsible for that booking. Other than answering informational questions, Cast Members aren't able to modify or cancel the reservation. As such, all the questions you might find on DisBoards will get asked of the TA.

Whether you make money will depend upon your clientele. You may get lucky and have people who book Deluxe Resorts at full price to get free dining and never make changes or ask many questions. Or, you may get people that want the cheapest possible accommodations and tickets, change resorts four times, and ask tons of questions. With those second type of guests, you'll probably end up losing money based on the time it takes to manage the booking.

As I was typing, nkereina posted. I pretty much agree with everything she or he wrote.

 

[Rigby]

Thanks for the responses

 

[Wild4Walt]

As an old travel agent I can tell you that when last I was in this profession, commissions ran from 8-15% of the base rate of the package booked ( minus taxes and any misc. fees ). Money can be made, but like most things, the harder/smarter you work, the more you will make.

If you are interested, do your homework. Look for an agency that provides leads ( vs. you already having to have a profile full of clients ) and if you only want to work Disney - make sure you find an agency that has the majority of their business in that area. ( Most agencies have a vast array of specialty locations ).

Good luck with your searches, if you truly love Disney it can be a wonderful career.

 

[Shanti]

Hi! I wasn't sure where to post this but I have a question about Travel Agents. Like many of you I'd imagine, I have been told from friends and loved ones that I should plan Disney World vacations for a living. The few times I've used Travel Agents I always checked the official price against our agents quote and it's always the same. My question is how do Travel Agents make money? I'm seriously considering pursuing this down the road and any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Travel agents are paid a commission by the resort or cruise line you use. Their services are free to you. Think of them like advertising agents for the resort or cruise line. They help them move product, and are rewarded with a commission.

Some agents are even able to get discounts for their clients. That's why I use ours.

 

[Rigby]

Thanks so much everyone! Are there courses or programs one could take to learn about the industry? Anything you guys recommend? I'm a stay at home parent with a lot of free time. Been thinking about this for years but never thought about getting serious with it until just recently. We're DVC members and planning our Disney vacations has become one of my favorite things ever. To get paid to do it seems too good to be true.

 

[nkereina]

Thanks so much everyone! Are there courses or programs one could take to learn about the industry? Anything you guys recommend? I'm a stay at home parent with a lot of free time. Been thinking about this for years but never thought about getting serious with it until just recently. We're DVC members and planning our Disney vacations has become one of my favorite things ever. To get paid to do it seems too good to be true.

A lot of the Disney planning agencies out there, that only specialize in Disney, will hire independent contractors with little to no experience. They have nothing to lose because the agent doesn't get paid until travel is completed on the booking, so that's why there is little risk. Once you sign on with them, they put you through the Disney College of Knowledge which is a comprehensive training program that tells you everything you need to know about booking Disney travel - WDW, Disneyland, Cruise Line, Aulani, Adventures by Disney, the international Disney parks, etc. You'll be trained and expected to book anything Disney offers. Any major agency like AAA and Liberty Travel will put you through the same course, if they assign you to booking Disney travel. When I worked for AAA, I did Disney, Universal, and domestic travel while the more experienced agents did cruises and international travel. The latter also made more money by nature of the packages they booked.

I don't know of any programs or training courses, but check CLIA or IATA. They may have more information on it. The industry is not as thriving as it used to be due to the internet, but local Community Ed courses may provide something. There may even be videos on YouTube about the industry as well.

I don't mean to sound like a negative nelly, but for as much as I love planning my own trips, I didn't have the same love while planning someone else's trip. It was hard to know what they might like or not, it was challenging when they were picky, and it was difficult to switch on the fly when booking 6am ADRs and something wasn't available. I also didn't have the same investment in their trip as I did in my own, and often, the commission wasn't worthwhile, especially after the parent agency took their cut. AAA was more enjoyable for me than being an independent contractor, but the latter provides you more flexibility and the leeway to focus solely on Disney planning.

Good luck!!

 

[Rigby]

Thank you!!!