Can Online Travel Agents Find You A Better Deal?

By Jason Rock

If you're seriously interested in knowing about cruise travel agents, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about travel agents in Philadelphia.

Travel agents usually don't cost you anything directly, but of course most work on a commission basis for airlines, etc., so you might as well use the best. Most travellers are unaware that anyone, particularly in the USA, without a scintilla of training, can pay a modest fee and become a 'travel agent.' So, to be safe, check to see, for example in the USA, if the agent is certified by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) or ARTA (Association of Retail Travel Agents). Airlines have caused an uproar among travel agents with plans to force them to the pay credit-card fees when their customers buy tickets with plastic. The agents say it's an unfair move by United to shift a cost of its business on to their backs. Travel agents are paid by commission on trips they book. If you ask three travel agents to quote packages to Bora Bora and Moorea, complete with sightseeing tours and maybe a layover in Honolulu, you will receive three different package quotes.

ATTA members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, specialty travel agents, guides, accommodations, media and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive conferences the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members. Asking travel agents about their favourites is a delicate question, a bit like asking restaurant chefs where they like to eat out. However, the results for 2009's agents' awards are in, and Canada is the cream of the crop again in the "Summer Destinations" category.

It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of cruise travel agents. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas concerning travel agents in Philadelphia.

The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and valid instrument measure customer satisfaction in travel agents. A questionnaire to measure the service quality of travel agents was used and a total of 217 customers in Turkey were interviewed. In fact, 90 percent of cruises are booked through travel agents, and there is good reason to do so. Agents do all the legwork with the cruise lines including dealing with problems like a missed embarkation. Median annual earnings of travel agents were $27,640 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $21,600 and $35,070.

Booking a voyage with a guidance agency also affords the vacationer the power to full make their vacation. Booking a simple trip online is a snap, but if your itinerary is complicated, a travel agent is the better option. In fact, the more elements added into your travel plans, like hotel, air flights, tour packages, stay-overs, and multiple destinations, the more should consider using the services of a travel agent.

By talking with hundreds of travellers day in and day out, travel agents tend to have a unique perspective on travel. For example, a travel brochure will never tell you if the beaches tend to get incredibly crowded during the summertime but a disgruntled traveller most certainly will! Good travel agents will always help you in resolving all your problems about cruise vacation, if you are a first timer. They also help you to negotiate with the cruise liner's executive. Putting a face to a name is proven to help build the relationship between travel agents and consumers.

Those who only know one or two facts about cruise travel agents can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you're learning here from travel agents in Philadelphia. - 29868

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