All Nippon totally cuts travel agent commissions

EFFECTIVE TICKETING ON/AFTER OCTOBER 1 2005 ANA WILL
ELIMINATE STANDARD TRAVEL AGENCY COMMISSION FOR TICKETS
ISSUED IN USA (INCLUDING THE US TERRITORIES EXCEPT GUAM
AND SAIPAN) PUETO RICO/VIRGIN ISLANDS/BAHAMA/BERMUDA AND CANADA.

Prior to this latest announcement, All Nippon was still
offering travel agents a 5pct commission.

Ticketing fees, refund fees, reissue fees

How much does your travel agent charge for fees? I'm curious to know
what the average cost is and how other travel agencies do business.
I have a feeling there will be lots of different prices and fee
structures. Feel free to comment on this blog, as I would love to know.

Thank you.

Should the agent have to pay

an agent error personally if they make a mistake? If the agent does
not "own" the travel agency, if they pay for the mistake, can they
claim that as a business expense on their taxes. A 700.00 or even
1000.00 ticketing error is a big chunk of change for a travel agent
to have to eat, because after the commission cuts happened, many
corporate travel agencies, now pay their agents based on how many
tickets they issue. Forunately, I don't make alot of errors
personally, but I'm human and have made the mistakes and our travel
agency requires that if the travel agent makes the mistake, then the
travel agent needs to be responsible for absorbing the cost. If it
were so simple as to asking the airline to refund a nonrefundable
ticket, but anymore these days, they truly don't care who has to
absorb the cost. The way I see it, is that the airlines can simply
sell another ticket. Why do they want to hurt the little guy? Why
can't the airlines just work with us, the travel agents. The good
ole days of waivers and refunds due to agent boo-boos are gone.
I don't expect the customer to eat a mistake I personally might
have made, but in this day and age, it's almost not worth it to
remain a travel agent and it's a darn shame because I believe I'm
an excellent travel agent and employee. The sad thing is, there
are lots of travel agents who just go to work to collect a check.
I mean, of course, that's why I work too, but I also really LOVE
doing what I do and I enjoy working with the customers that I
assist with their travel plans.

Government per diem

Why is that some hotels charge a rate which they call
"government rate" when they are not even in the
ball park of what government per diem is? I run into
this ALL the time. Why is it that these hotels can
pretty much set their "government rate" to whatever
they jolly well want to? I think it stinks!! I
guess they count on those folks and travel agents
who don't pay attention to current per diem and
paying it just because it says "government rate".
I work with many government contractors and we run
into this abuse by hotels ALL the time.

The other sneaky thing I see is that some hotels will
honor the government rate on the weekends, but not
during the middle of the business week. Is this there of
sort of complying??? What a joke!! These contractors or
the companies they work for, have to eat that extra
cost which the government division they are working
for will NOT absorb.

Also, many hotel chains don't allow contractors to
stay at the government rate, because they're not
"official government employees". They have a separate
"government contractor rate". I hate to say this,
but I find that the contractors are what keep our
government in check. These folks are almost always
engineers, the brilliant of the brilliant and if
these hotels only had a clue. The hotel business
amazes me at their disregard for these traveller's.

Married Connections

What is a married connection? Married connections can be
a travel agent nightmare. The problem that we continually
run into ALL the time is that clients go to one of the
online booking engines, such as Expedia or the actual
airline sight itself and are able to magically confirm
a passenger on a set of flights, yet the travel agent
is unable to see that availability due to married
connections. That set of connections is actually
available and if the travel agent is given the flight
numbers and city pairs, we can magically confirm the
flights by long selling and voila, we can confirm
reservations on the requested itinerary.

Why is it OK for Expedia to offer a sold out married
connection when travel agents are not. It's not like
the airlines are paying travel agents a commission for
what we do!! We just take extra good care of our mutual
clients and God forbid if travel agents "break any rules",
they get dinged with outrageous debit memos which in turn
is something that the individual travel agent has to pay
for, sometimes this can be thousands of dollars and none
of us in this industry are making tons of money, since
the airlines cut commissions. In fact since travel
agencies now need to charge ticketing fees, to provide
good service, many traveller's have chosen to book their
airfare online in order to avoid the ticketing fees.
I understand it, but it certainly doesn't encourage me to
continue doing a job I love to do.

Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz in my opinion are just
online travel agencies without a person to talk to unless
you have an issue and then chances of being well taken
care of are slim to none. Something just seems so
ridiculous about allowing those online booking sights
get away with selling something that really isn't
available using a married connection. The airlines claim
that "travel agents" are NOT ALLOWED to do this, so why
are these online travel agencies allowed?? Go figure!!!
It seems like the airlines are just doing things a
little bass ackwards and they're gonna shoot themselves
in the foot. Travel agencies are no harm to them, so why
make things so complicated. We are their best resource
when it comes to customer service and we are certainly
worth the ticketing fees which we charge, because we
truly care about the passenger and always go that extra
mile to have them be happy traveller's by the time they
arrive at the airport to greet their ticket counter
personnell. Who wouldn't want cheerful employees. I
hear time and time again, how RUDE the airline
ticket agents are and I believe that if I, as a good
travel agent, keep the passenger happy, that is the
beginning of a safe and pleasant journey, one which
would be passed along to the airline employee's. It
would seem to me that the airlines would be happy
to have the travel agent continue to take good care
of their clients, but yet the airlines do everything
in their power to complicate the process. Makes NO sense
to me AT ALL!! You'd think they would think this through
and realize how valuable we truly are to this whole process.

Shouldn't ever give password out!!

We just received an email today in regard to a scam alert. We get these
notifications all of the time and it's good that they're sent to us, but
I'm surprised that some travel agents are dumb enough to give this type
of information out. Simply amazes me. I have removed bits of this email
so as to not give out too many ideas to the internet world of con artists,
scammers and hackers. With that, if you're a true travel agent, you will
be able to "read between the lines".

Our "governing body" has recently become aware
of a new scam in which a caller posing as an airline
employee is contacting agencies to gain login
information to the airline's own travel
agent-accessible Web site.

Agents are requested to advise all employees of this
scheme in order that this vital Web site access
information is not transmitted to scammers. A real
airline employee would already have this vital
information prior to making contact with any
ARC-accredited travel agency.

There was ALOT of information in that email to us as to how
this "scam" is conducted. The bottom line is DO NOT GIVE OUT
your agency's web site login name, password, and "your
identifying agency number". Just DON'T DO IT!!! You're
asking for trouble if you do.

Cozumel hurricane damage update

COZUMEL, Mexico (October 25, 2005) - Cozumel tourism officials
acknowledge the island has sustained substantial damage from
Hurricane Wilma, but with the gradual restoration of primary
services, efforts to facilitate the return of tourist to their homes
are moving quickly ahead.

According to Raul Maruffo, director of the Cozumel Tourism Promotion
Board, "The most important thing is that people are safe. There were
no tourists injured as a result of the storm and our goal now is to
facilitate both air and ferry transportation so that the remaining
travelers can return home safely."

Current updates from the island as of 5:00 p.m. Central Time:

• The Cozumel airport sustained some damage but the runway is open
and the airport is operating. As of today, (Tuesday, October 25)
Mexicana Airlines began flights out of Cozumel to Mexico City. In
addition, Mexicana Airlines is expected to continue flights tomorrow
(Wednesday, October 26) and American Airlines will also provide a
flight out of Cozumel to Dallas tomorrow. The destination is working
with these and other airline partners to arrange additional flights
to the U.S. to help remaining tourists on the island return home.

• Some tourists began travel home yesterday (Monday, October 24)
morning, taking the ferry to Playa Del Carmen and catching buses to
the Merida Airport for flights home. Coupled with the flights to the
U.S. from Cozumel scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday, October 26),
Cozumel officials expect the majority of tourists to have left the
island by mid-day Thursday, October 27.

• Ferry services between Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen began
operating at 9:30 a.m. yesterday morning (Monday, October 24) and
have been running continuously since that time. The ferry has been
operating free of charge for tourists and locals.

• Approximately 1000 tourists currently remain in Cozumel. Tourists
have been relocated to downtown hotels, which have sustained less
damage from the storm and are well supplied to accommodate guests.

• Telephone service is operating. Hotel properties housing travelers
are assisting guests with calls home to family and friends.

• Cozumel coastal hotels and resorts have suffered extensive damage
and most are closed for damage assessment. More specific information
will be provided as it becomes available.

• Currently all cruise ship piers remain closed. The Punta Maya Pier
was lost during the storm. The remaining International and Punta
Langosta Piers have sustained damages but are still intact and are
being assessed.

Electricity remains out on the island. Fuel is available for
generators currently operating. Additional generators are being
brought to the island to help restore basic electricity and sewage,
and are expected to arrive tomorrow

According to the mayor's office, tourist cruise ship arrivals
are scheduled to resume on November 20. As most of the cruise
ship piers were damaged, tourists initially will be taken
ashore in tender boats. "It will take time, but Cozumel
will come back."

Airlines don't seem to receive

cancelled downline space. Also, I'd like to add that it does not
impact your current e-ticketed reservations. I can't imagine how
many other reservations which I reserve have the same gobbly gook.
This has been an ongoing issue, like I said, for years and years.
Oh well........I do what I can to take good care of my clients, but
now that they are able to check in online, it sure looks sloppy
when the passenger pulls up the reservation at the airlines website
directly.

I TRULY LOVE MY JOB!!!

I enjoy working with the people who I speak with each and every day
on this telephone. I try to make people smile and well, actually I don't
seem to have to try very hard because I'm genuine, my feelings are
genuine and I honestly get a sincere enjoyment out of doing what I do, so
all of this comes very naturally. I've been told that clients can hear
me smiling through the phone. I've been that way for years, always a
smile, even if I'm down. Call me crazy and I'm sure my down to earth
spirit seems a bit wierd to total strangers initially, but that's OK,
it's that fresh air I breathe everyday and I'm so happy to be around
my friends and family and doing a job which I truly enjoy doing. It's
never a dull moment and I just never know who that next phone call will
be. I've worked with some very interesting people in my life and
after all is said and done, the one thing I DO know is that we all
put our pants on one leg at a time and I treat people equally.

p.s. - Luckily I am still human and I do have bad days too, but for the
majority of clients, I can still put on a happy face, sometimes it's just
happier than others :-)

ATA Announcement - cutting back on flight service

Dear Travel Agent,

In spite of continuing industry challenges, ATA Airlines has made
tremendous progress in our efforts to reorganize. We recently filed
an initial Plan of Reorganization and are in the process of fielding
investment proposals to fund our emergence from Chapter 11 protection.
Unfortunately, escalation of jet fuel expense and increased
competition has made it difficult to continue to operate all routes as
planned.

As a result, we have made the decision to realign our network and
discontinue service to the following markets: Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Newark and Boston. Additionally, we will not initiate service to Miami
and Sarasota, Florida as previously planned. These actions are
important elements of our overall reorganization effort to better
position ATA to absorb the challenges of the industry.

ATA is in the process of contacting customers affected by this
announcement. Those already holding tickets for travel beyond Jan. 9,
2006 on the affected routes will be provided full refunds. ATA is also
putting plans into place to assist those individuals holding tickets
beyond the cancellation dates, but before Jan. 9, 2006, in booking
alternative travel. All changes will be reflected in the Company's
public timetable as of Oct. 16, 2005.

Thank you for your continued support of ATA Airlines through these
difficult times.

Sincerely,
ATA Airlines
Agency Sales and Marketing

Hotels near Michigan Avenue in Chicago

Google Maps are great. Here is a wonderful travel agent tool.

Travel Professionals of Color

Travel agents hold 4th annual conference. I'm interested in finding out
more about this organization. I wonder if it's a collection of all kinds
of travel agents of color, both working in full service agencies, or are
they all home based agents? The home based market has always intrigued
me as to how well they do as far as making money? I guess it's like
anything else, if you're motivated and good at what you do, then you
will do well :-)

Here is the link I found. I would love to see ALL professional travel agents
get together for fun and friendship.