How to become a spare time Travel Agent

Travel is a line of work that gets virtually no publicity because of the unusual paradox involved. Travel agencies are always trying to upgrade their appearance to the public. They would like to acquire a professional image similar to law or engineering. On the other hand, many will take on spare time,outside salespeople, many of them having no formal training . The reason is simple: Millions of people still have the mistaken impression that it costs more to buy tickets at a travel agency. Actually, the price is the same. When the airline makes the sale, it keeps the m oney that would have gone to travel agency as a commission. Well over a million people embark on domestic and international flights daily. Travel agencies want a larger share of this business. People who can arrange to have their friends, relatives, neighbours,coworkers, and businesses buy their tickets through a travel agency are welcome at many agencies, especially the smaller ones.

The future of the travel industry has never been brighter. As prices rise, so do the profits. The work is interesting and the hours are yours to choose. Your very first client should earn for you many times the cost of the book.

On September 19,1997, United Airlines sent shock waves through the travel agency community by lowering their commissions on point-to-point airline tickets to 8 percent from 10 per cent. Most major airlines followed suit with some variations, while some of the mid-size and smaller ones stayed with 10 per cent. Most large airlines also have limits on the amount of each commission. Travel agencies were left with several options. Among these are:

1. Adding service charges to the ticket prices, but that might lose them customers.

2. Trying to steer clients into package tours and cruises that often pay more than 10 per cent.

3. Expanding their outside sales force to get extra business brought into the office.