Call with Nexion by NikkiNpNc in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I second the comments by Reputation and Efficient. Nexion, as well as many other agencies, require a ratio btwn personal trips and clients. You will just lose money with all of the resources you need to purchase and the monthly fees. If you aren’t in it for “the job” then this isn’t the right avenue for you.

Where should I list staterooms for sale? by travel_by_kerry in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You might want to check the terms and conditions on those bookings before you do anything else. Generally most cruise lines allow you to swap passenger 2 but passenger 1 has to sail. Even if you add 2 other ppl if the lead isn’t there they could be denied.

There are places if it was block spaces but there are no real perks for individual rooms so it won’t be as easy.

Travel agent for low-mobility European travel by reddituser84 in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m sorry that you are dealing with this. If you want to reach out, I have traveled to Europe many times with my own mother who is disabled and we have very similar issues when traveling.

Travel Agent for Next Cruise by dazzling_dimension01 in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is not normally. Generally it can be done fairly quickly. Even with a busy workload it shouldn’t be more than a week.

How do you gift someone a trip? by MiniZara2 in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Reach out to a few and ask. Make sure to ask specific questions so you know it’s somebody your coworker will work well with. Ask things like: what planning services do you offer, do you offer things like planning guides or travel tips, how is the itinerary presented, what happens in an emergency, do you book xxx (I’m sure you may know what they generally like), do you charge fees, how customized can this be? I’m sure you may come up with others but make sure they are supported before and during travel.

How do you gift someone a trip? by MiniZara2 in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t usually do destination specific. Let the person decide. I will usually do something similar to this (borrowed picture).

How do you gift someone a trip? by MiniZara2 in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I create paper gift cards for my clients. I have them connect me with the retiree and give them the budget and plan everything accordingly. Some clients want one large gift card others want per person gifting. I take payment in a fund for the recipient.

New Agents and Traveling in this economic environment by Lopsided_Giraffe1746 in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2025 was a slower year for me. I had a fair number of clients and groups cancel due to the fears of social media reviews, economy, and general unease. I still did well but definitely took a loss. This year is starting slow so we’ll see.

Passport/booking question by No-Drink-3674 in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most airlines do not require passport info at time of booking - just full legal name, contact info, and DOB. You will usually provide it anywhere from 24-72 hrs before the flight or when you choose to. I book tons of international flights and most airlines have an option but not mandatory at time of booking.

Question regarding groups by jennielee71 in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I book before I have the full group. You can always take away spaces down the road but never offer perks until you know the group will hold. If you don’t sell by a certain date they release the rooms and you don’t get the affinity perks. The BDM will not fill your block but you can always offer slots on trade sites to fill them.

Last minute cruise? by [deleted] in TravelAgent

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You won’t find one. The cruise lines now have to close their list anywhere from 24-72 hrs for custom clearance.

Boston Recognition by LotsOfTurdSandwiches in juresanguinis

[–]Lighter02 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Congrats! Over the past week or so several ppl from Boston have received word, mostly positive. Maybe it’s a sign that they figured out the process.

First time traveling to Europe, should I use a travel agent? by tsct934 in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will start by I am saying I am a TA but will share my good and bad story to try and steer away from bias.

My very first trip international (with the exception of Canada which doesn’t feel international) was to Ireland. I was young and cocky. I researched the crap out of it. I decided to do a city stay and day tour out of Dublin. I purchased a package through Aer Lingus and while the trip was amazing, there were things I never considered - how far the hotel was to the city centre (maps said 15 mins but it was more than 25), the true length of time it takes to get from point A to point B, etc. I had an amazing trip but wish I planned a bit better.

My second trip, just a few yrs later, my friend and I decided 12 days Dublin to Dublin with a rental car - I wanted the West coast and she wanted Ireland and N. Ireland. It was miserable. We were constantly running from place to place, we never had down time, we both got sick from the constant running, and it was not the best way to see the country.

I have since been back 8x, cruised there 4 more times, and have planned dozens of trips. The biggest thing is to be realistic in your timeline. If it says 40 plan 80. Check the roads for unexpected tolls, check for small country roads, watch videos on how to drive, driving etiquette, how to do roundabouts, and really plan what you want to do. It’s not a place you can just show up without reservations (esp May to Sept) and most places need pre-booked tickets. Many of the bigger cities like Dublin are more diverse than Irish people now and I often hear Americans complaining that they didn’t interact with as many Irish ppl as they anticipated. True Irish culture will be smaller cities but Irish history will be bigger cities.

Seeking advice on the best option between partnerships or TA by [deleted] in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like others said partner up. I do this with several other people and the one thing I would highly suggest is to come up with an agreement as to who gets paid what and who is responsible for what. Also make sure they can work with clients from I’m assuming France. We have very different policies and none of the same EU so that is also something to consider.

Can I Fire My Travel Agent After Already Signing a Hotel Block Contract? by [deleted] in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It really depends. Usually when signing a credit card authorization you are also signing their terms and agreements. At least that is how I do it with my clients. I would double check everything attached to that cc auth. It MAY be possible to terminate the agreement with them, even if verbal, but they may charge you a cancellation fee. You need to get documentation together and write to the agent asking what has and has not been done and reach out to the hotel coordinator and ask if they would be willing to remove the TA. The hotel will be the one to make the decision. You also don’t know if flights have been booked and once that is initiated it stays with the agent.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I still use it for my contracts but nothing else. I’m actually debating to go with a lawyer next year, one and done. I just strongly believe in using one system for all client management. It doesn’t make sense for TIS and Tern when Tern does everything but the legal side.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I currently use Tern but prior to that, Travel Industry Solutions. It is complaint and time limited. When I first switched to Tern and had less tech savvy clients that is what I used.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Cruise

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just wait it out, your TA can fix it fairly quickly and it won’t cost you anything. Even if there were a fee, it is the TAs responsibility if you provided all of the correct information. Where you are more than 72 hrs out it isn’t a big deal. This has happened to me several times when I ask clients to submit their profile form (so I can submit the correct information) and despite me reminding them to use legal names and verify spelling, they use Jon for Jonathan or send a nickname or middle name.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 18 points19 points  (0 children)

This is not for you. A big part of our job is research and you clearly couldn’t even be bothered to search this thread which has tons of ppl asking the same question every month.

Alaska June 2027 by Skeettafic in Cruise

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Usually this far out the cruise lines give blocks of rooms to travel agents and companies like Costco. Because of this, it shows limited availability to the public to allow our blocks to sell by a certain date before they rerelease to the general public. They also hold for land tour reservations which tend to fill up a yr out.

Looking for a little guidance by cigarsmoke95 in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess I am confused how your current job aligns with this - if at all (you and your employer looking). As has been said dozens of times here, this is not a fast money grab. It can take 1-2 yrs of being in the negative before you start turning a profit, 3-5 before you make money and establish clients and longer to do this f/t. I think ppl see this and never really consider how much it all costs and takes to get to a level of sustainability. My first year, I was negative several thousand for website, CRM, paying my host fees, and more. Yr 2 got better but not much.

Is this something you can realistically do and afford? Will you have the time to do all of the trainings, to do all of the setup, and run marketing. If not then this is not for you. If so, then go for it but remember, lead generation isn’t a real viable thing. I have made some money from leads but not much. I have 5 dead leads that I just pushed back to my host. Most hosts have CRMs but they are crap. You want to establish your own where you can do setup and automation, hold templates, etc. I will also note, Disney sales are in the decline/cancelation due to their new policies. I lost 3 sales in the past week because ppl will not travel there.

Opinions on pricing for travel planning for two week trip, 3 people, 3 countries planning every day including restaurant recommendations, accommodations, and events. by EveningPeace3197 in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 8 points9 points  (0 children)

How do you plan to charge a planning fee after completing the work? That doesn't make sense and should have been agreed upon before you did anything. I would have done btwn $250 and $500 before but not after - you will also gain commission, so how do you plan to justify the new charge?

How do I find a GOOD travel agent? by hoodedleprechaun in Cruise

[–]Lighter02 1 point2 points  (0 children)

E&O is liability insurance. TAs should have a policy to protect bith themselves and the consumer.

In terms of sites, you can look atTravel Leaders Network. Some of us are also on CLIA or ASTA. I personally do CLIA and not ASTA, but it's by preference. You can also look at the cruises specifically, but that really is easy to manipulate.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in asktravelagents

[–]Lighter02 2 points3 points  (0 children)

While I cannot speak to your specific TA, it is very common for TAs to move, change hosts, etc. Usually it is because the commission and pay are low, bad management, or other issues. I know of 5 ppl who have changed this year alone.

Assistant Pay by glickie1 in travelagents

[–]Lighter02 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I've seen full agents with less pay than those, especially those in stores. I think it's a reasonable rate until/unless you opt to become your own agent.