Travel AgentS?

[eyespy]

Well I'm at that point in my life where I gotta figure out what I'm going to do for the rest of it! And I can't decide. Recently I have thought about the idea of being a travel agent. But I don't know much about it.

Is anyone here a travel agent? Or know much about them? Such as how to become one (schooling), range of pay, and the chances of finding a job in an average Canadian big city?

Thanks

[Kim]

mkanters - I think this one belongs to you!

I'll flag her down for you.

Kim

[BigRay]

My mother was a travel agent for 20+ years so I know a little about it. Here's what i can tell you based on my experience of living with my mom:

1) It's not hard to become a travel agent. I think you can even do this over the web for aroung US$500. This entails some training, possibly some software, and getting your IATA number, which is basically a license to be a travel agent.

2) Pay varies tremendously. You can work for a larger agency, but this would entail getting hired by them. If you are fortunate, you can get a base salary plus a commission on every flight/trip you book. If you work for a large agency and get people off the street to come in and buy packages from you, this can be good. If you have to find your own clients and/or live solely off commissions, this can make things very tough, particularly in the beginning.

My mom started out in an agency, but left after a while to start her own thing. She was a single mother, so she didn't have time to be away at work all the time, so she opened her own business from a room in our house. For a long time, she did really well with this. She had a large group of repeat business and this group would refer her to their friends and so on. It was a good living, and it seemed the perks of free tickets were much easier to come by.

But in the past 6-7 years, things for travel agents got really tough. Airlines discovered the web and now can book many things direct through the Internet. As such, commissions for travel agents are always going down. I think I remember when commissions were cut in half, and in subsequent years halved yet again!

A good situation would be to be the dedicated travel agent for several companies whose salespeople are flying all over the place all the time. This way, you get regular business. If the people fly business class or first class, even better as the prices are so much higher and therefore, so is your commission. My mom still books flights for people she knows, but this ceased being a sustainable business for her a few years ago.

I am just guessing here now, but it seems the way to succeed would be through niche travel packages. Nowadays, anyone and everyone can look online and find cheap tickets. But if you want a hotel and golf package in Hawaii or a trekking adventure in Nepal, chances are you will look to a specialized travel agency first. I think this is much more of a value add than just getting plane tickets.

Again, I am not a travel agent nor have I ever been. I was just brought up by one. ;D

Good luck,
Ray

[Michelle]

Well, I guess I can say I lucked out with my job as a travel agent! I didn't go to school or have any previous training, so I don't have much info in that area.

Basically I landed the job because my boyfriend's mom works as an outside travel agent (does her work from home and never actually works in the office). One day the office was in need of someone to just come in and help answer the phones (they were short on staff) so my boyfriend's mom gave them my name. I did the work for them for one day, and they enjoyed me so much they hired me on starting as a receptionist. Basically, just being in the environment was what it took for me to learn everything.

Last Spring, we had a student from a travel college come in to work for practice for about a month (a requirement for graduating from travel college), and it is obvious you don't end up with all the knowledge you need from just going to school. The most important aspect is actually being exposed to the business side of it and interacting with the general public, and applying everything you've learned into everyday situations. Turns out, the student basically knew nothing, and my boss "fired" her (she worked for free!), because she was just dragging down the company. Of course there are people that take the course and do great! (Of course! otherwise where did all the experienced travel agents come from!!)

As far as making a living being a travel agent? The travel industry has struggled for the last few years (9/11, the war, SARS, etc.), so the whole thing has been a bit "iffy". Also, the internet is becoming an easier thing to use in terms of booking flights and such. There are many variables to consider in terms of making a living being a travel agent. Will you get rich from it? Most likely not! There can be some okay money in it, but then again, it comes down to many factors.

What I can suggest to you is to walk into one or two travel agencies and just let them know that you are playing with the idea. I'm sure if they have a spare moment, they would be more than happy to let you know how you could go about getting your training. They could let you know of some good travel schools in the area where you live, and the strategies they used in finding a job in the industry after they were trained.

All I can say is I ended up very lucky. I'm 19, I have my IATA card after only working for the agency for a year and a half and basically know everything you'd need to know to be a travel agent, and I did it without any schooling. That said, I doubt I would rely on it as a career/job for the rest of my life. I have another job apart from being a travel agent, but will most likely stay in the travel industry as long as I can (most likely as an outside agent in my spare time), because it is nice to get perks and discounts every once and awhile, especially when I can take advantage of them!!

I hope this gives some answer to your questions, if you have any further questions, ask away! (You can message me if you want.)

~Michelle