Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Educate yourself about travel agents

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Educate yourself about travel agents

Use any search engine on the net and educate yourself about the ways travel agents earn money, the nature of the travel industry and the perils they are facing right now -- you'll find hundreds of articles and sources. Then, when you see someone here who is obviously an agent, you will understand exactly WHY they are here, on a FREE, independent travel site. Be aware. Be informed. Know who is offering the "advice" and WHY. Don't be fooled into thinking that all of these posts come from "real travelers" with honest opinions and no agendas -- they don't. This site wasn't created so travel agents could freely advertise and promote, so many post undercover instead. Fodor's is the ONLY travel board which prohibits agents from using their board to pitch, promote, steer and sell, so don't let them take over this one too. Tell them they are not welcome, and if they won't leave, complain to Fodor's.

Can we complain to Fodor's about the constant anonymous complainers, too? Where would we be and how could we get by without these self-appointed, self-rightous, condesending, no-lifers to assist us in looking for places to go and things to do? Hilary, is that you?

If you're so tired of it, then why click on the posts and read them, much less bother to post yourself? You participate in the very thing you complain about. There's a word for that -- starts with "H." This information is for those who may not be very experienced with the internet or with sites like these. There are plenty of people who are here to sell something rather than give honest advice, just be aware of it and let them know they are not welcome.

Couldn't even spell the "H" word, eh? Once again, thank you for looking out for those of us that are less intelligent, suave and sophisticated as your bad, anonymous self. Go back to selling your time shares in the Caribbean, Mon.

Yawn! Yawn! Yawn! Zzzzzzzz. . . .

Yes, agents are a dying breed. People are wary of their biased and profit-oriented so-called service and have made their travel choices loud and clear by booking travel themselves, especially via the internet. How sad that the agents have to trail along after their lost clients and use devious methods to continue raking in money.

I'll take a good travel book over a travel agent any day!

Just to let you know why some travel agents are on Fodor's. The same reason you are here, to learn more about a certain destination. I have used information from Fodor's to help me decide where to stay and to get feedback on where my clients want to stay. I personally love to travel and find this site interesting because I like to learn more things about these places - JUST LIKE YOU! How do you think travel agents learn about places? They either have been there or they listen to feedback from their clients or anyone else who may have been there. I do realize that there are some travel agents giving the rest of this a bad name and hopefully this is taken care of. But you are offending a lot of people who are on this site who are just trying to get help and be helpful to others. If you search this web for any subject that I have given info on I have never given out my office name, phone number, email, etc. I am a travel agent, but it is done as a hobby and not by means to make a living. This is usually the case in a lot of situations - because travel agents are not well paid. You have to do it because you like it because it is definatly not going to make you rich. Please do something else better to do with your time and if someone offers you advice, take it at just that ADVICE! If they start telling you to book your travel with them, don't listen to what they have to say. Obvoiusly they may not have your best intentions at heart.

I think there are more than one kind of travel agent -- some are the old-fashioned counselors; many more are promoters for various parts of the lucrative leisure industry. Unfortunately, the number of counselors is dwindling drastically. There are opportunists on this forum who direct our attention to activities where they may, indeed, get a commission based on a number of things -- individuals who say "I saw it on Fodor's Forum" or percentages of total participation or whatever. My skepticism kicks in every time I see ANY reference to package tours or similar deals. And those who protest they are not travel agents may very well be telling the truth -- they are promoters for a hotel chain or a chamber of commerce or a resort group, for example. Those of us smart enough to do our homework -- here and in travel guides -- and smart enough to know how to use the net to book are probably not going to get sucked in by professional promoters who post here -- but they DO waste our time and space. When a travel agent's first words are that it'll be $30/hr. for her time -- or when an agent backs off from helping me when I resist the package-tour brochures -- that's when I walk out. If you are expecting to find a travel counselor and you see words like "cruise specialist" on the window, figure the agent serves the industry and not you. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go to an agent -- just be COMPLETELY aware of who the agent is working for. It ain't you.

Well said, Tia. And Brooke, you are yet another agent who has been flushed out on this site, protesting your innocence all the way! Why don't you explain to us truthfully and exactly ALL the various ways that you as an agent are compensated and rewarded with freebies? Don't count on much honest or forthcoming info from her or any other agent though, folks. You know how I can spot an agent on this site? First of all, they post questions that no regular traveler here ever posts, then they follow up with answers to their own posts , detailing things like specific hotel amenities and comparisons -- things that no regular traveler has access to or cares about. What they don't get, and what exposes them as agents, is the fact that people who come here are looking for bargains on things. Rich travel spenders don't come here looking for tips -- they don't need to. Agents also tend to hover around the big tourist money-making areas of this site, like Hawaii. And last, they are johnny-on-the-spot with subtle pitches for hotels, restaurants, and anything else that will earn them money, yet they never post about museums, national parks, monuments, free things to do in U.S. cities, etc... Of course not, they make no money by spending time on those things. Go chase your customers on other sites.

Seen it You are extremely paranoid! First of all there is not a lot of "free" trips for agents and if and when there is one it is usually at a time when you are unable to travel, because it is last minute. Myself as a part time employee I have NO access to free trips since I became a part time employee. You have to have a card from IATAN which states you are a full time employee. When I was a full time travel agent in about 5 years I had about 2 or 3 reduced rate trips. I have no loyalty towards the companies who I had reduced rate trips with. One reputable company with tours to Europe "totally SUCKED". I never recommended this company again regardless of what kind of discount they gave me. If me clients are not happy they are not going to book with me, so I have no reason to sell them something they will hate. Most companies who offer these reduced rate trips are hoping that the travel agent will enjoy them and will recommend them to clients. You are out of your mind if you think that because I recommend a hotel that I have stayed in or a restaurant that I have ate in is going to come pay me money or send me a check. Maybe that is the way it works in Hawaii with an agent in Hawaii like Heidi who live in the area of these restaurants and hotels. But where I live in Michigan is not exactly a big tourist destination and I have no ties with the local hotels or restaurants even if you did come here. As far as not recommending free things to do. I'm all for recommending things that are free, in fact this forum is how I get info on fun free things for my clients to do. If they decide to eat at the most expensive restaurant or go for a picnic in a park is totally up to them and is of no benefit to me. Let's face it everyone on this forum has recommended their favorite hotel or restaurant from one time to another. You'd have to accuse everyone of being a "travel agent". Lastly, I will never be flushed off this site because I have never pitched, promoted, steered, or sold to anybody on this web site and am not looking for new clients. I will state it again, since you are obviously not getting the picture. All travel agents are not Heidi! To Tia - You are right, I too love to read guidebooks and surf the net for information. If an agent was charging me $30/hr I take off running. You are right most agencies do have booking fees. In our area most agencies have a fee of about $10 for an airline ticket but on tours, cruises, etc. we do not chare fees. Why most agencies charge the fee for tickets is because the airlines are only paying about 5 percent commisson on tickets. Which on your $200 ticket only amounts to about $8.00 commisson once you take the base fare excluding taxes. This is what the agency gets and therefore the agent only gets about $1.50 of that in their paycheck. If you called the airlines directly or maybe found the same fare on the net you could get the same fare minus the $10 that the travel agent charged. For the people who have time to do that this is great. The majority of my clients just don't have the time to search the net and that is why they don't mind paying the extra price. Plus many times agents can tell them alternate airports that some people aren't familiar with that can save them hundreds. On top of that we will get seat assignments for them when they are available, notify them of schedule changes, and order special meals. For many people it is worth the extra money so they do not have to deal with all of this, and their time is worth money. To be honest, I don't see the travel agency business being around another 10 years. But I am a full time elementary school teacher and am not worried. Like I mentioned in my earlier post this is travelling is something I love and it is one of my hobbies, that is why I am here. I am not out to earn a dime. Sorry I'm rambling - "Seen it" just really ticked me off acting like everyone on this forum is a "Heidi" Like I said he is paranoid!

Shouldn't this be a message board about travel and NOT about travel agents?? Get a life!!!

Okay I admit it I have been making up tons of fake author names and posting under fake email addresses. It seems I just have anything better to do since my ex left me. She was a travel agent. She used to take me on the 50 free trips she got a year. She supported me on all the millions she made on Fodor's forums. In fact her name was Lani/Heidi. I'll show her - I'll blast her and all the travel agents who are lurking on this site. And while I'm at it I'll accuse everyone who offers me advice of being a travel agent. That way I can make the world as misrable as I am since I can no longer travel with my ex. Gotta go take some more Prozac, I'm getting depressed again

you forgot to mention you live and work in the caribbean selling cardboard timeshares. thought i'd help you set the record straight since you fell off the prozac wagon lately. it's all sooo clear, now.

Here's something besides posts from travel agents touting resorts in Hawaii for a change!

I am a travel agent and I use this forum a lot to get information for my clients as well as for myself when traveling. I never give any info that could be construed as steering someone in a way that will help me. However, if I have been on two ships that someone asks about and I like one much better than the other for any number of reasons I will pass that info on just as anyone would. Why would my opinion not be as valuable as yours? Mostly I just read and get information......rarely give any here and when I do I don't give my address so I shouldn't be accused of advertising. As to the comment about never using an agent that has a specialty such as "cruise specialist" I totally disagree. I am a cruise specialist. I started because I love to cruise and decided to make this my specialty so I could become REALLY good at one area. If you want a cruise, I have a wealth of knowledge but if you are going to Hawaii for a week you would probably be better with someone else and I tell you that up front. I see nothing wrong with this. It's kind of like having my nails done by a nail tech and hair by a hair stylist. I much prefer to use an expert, not someone with just a bit of knowledge about lots of things. I often guide people to the internet for air tickets if I can't do any better for them.

Simmer down Sheri. I think most of the anti-travel agent posts were started by some troll who had an axe to grind or just didn't have anything better to do. I think you will find the majority of us here do not support that negative viewpoint.

Thank you for your post! Now that I think of it, you are exactly right. And from the replies your post received it's evident you have struck a soar chord with those practicing this type of deceit. Obviously, they haven't any viral marketing skills outside of posting messages -- the shoddiest of them all. Again, thank you for being a "good neighbor" by sharing your knowledge of this deceptive practice.