The Ups and Downs of Becoming a Travel Agent
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- The Ups and Downs of Becoming a Travel Agent. A lot of people ask me about becoming a travel agent. Whet do you need to do. can you just say your an agent. Does it cost money to be an agent? so here are my thoughts on starting out when you want to be a travel agent.
Need to contact me with questions or to book a cruise? You can email me at dterris@travelonly.com or check out my website at dterris.travelonly.com
Looking for information on out group cruise? Email me at cruisingwithdon@hotmail.com
check out some of these other videos.
• Cruise scam alert
• 10 secrets cruise ship...
Would be cool for you to do a video about the mistakes you've made as a travel agent or the top 10 complaints/best experiences people whose holidays you've booked have.
interesting but ill stick with being the traveler
Thanks for sharing! I learned a lot.
Thanks Don that was very informative.
Don, thank you so much for this video. This career has always been in the back of my mind but I never thought I could actually do it. You've given me a few things to consider. Thank you!
Don, I work in financial services and it is similar. Research at a life assurance company showed that 50% of new business was from existing clients, 25% was from referrals from existing clients. Some people like ourselves only contacted 7% of the clients each year, the successful pick up the phone. The moral of the story is keep in touch with people. Three tips, speak to the people, speak to the people, speak to the people.
I just love to travel might be something to think about. You answered a lot of questions for me. Thank you🤓👍🏾
Thanks so much for this open and honest information. So many cheerleaders out there who don’t share the downsides. Really appreciate it!
Great 👍🏻 Vlog Don great tips as well’ looking forward to you current vlogs on👑⭐️🚢🌴
Fascinating and enjoyable story, Don.
Awesome video, thanks for sharing. I am thinking about becoming a new travel agent. I love the honesty of both the ups and downs. I also love the reality of the busniss.
Geta topic!!! ... not for me personally, but being business man .. I am very interested in this topic! ... just watching now! :)
Really enjoyed watching this, even though I've no thoughts of becoming an agent. You're so thorough and have a way of being positive yet realistic.
I remember many, many years ago when I use to go into a travel agency to book airline flights. Because of the ability to do it yourself now I would imagine that being a travel agent you would have to be exceptional at what you do to keep clients. I personally take care of our travel plans however I know that one of these days if and when we go overseas, I would love to have someone else have the headache of travel arrangements for us :)
Thanks again Don!
Hello Don...... I think I'll just leave all that work to you.... really enjoy the channel thanks👍👍👍👍👍😊
as always thanks for the info. as you know I am a follower! I have been told several times I should be an agent. as I have a travel related show, and have traveled extensively. I have been approached by many people trying to get me into their "Travel business opportunities" aka MLM style business but not too keen on those. I am looking in to getting on with a host. it might pare well with my show and I love travel and enjoy helping other people travel. I know it can be a lot of work as well. Right now I have affiliate links with travel search engines. would be nice to make a little money with this too but not sure yet, if can be done part time etc. thanks again Don!
Don,
You could not have posted this video at a better time for me. Within the last 8 months or so, this idea has really been floating around in my mind quite a bit. My relatively new-found love for cruising triggered these thoughts.
While this will not be my full-time career in the foreseeable future, I do have relatively flexible hours because of my full-time career and my current family circumstances. I just decided a couple of days ago to pull the trigger and pursue this exciting second career. As you said, I will be starting off small, especially since I don't know how it is going to go.
Love this channel. Looking forward to my first cruise next year, this is one of my go to channels for advice.
@Abby Ross
Covid happened just before we were going to book one.
Still waiting for awhile to sail the seas.
Great detail information
I love you videos, ispired me to finally take my first cruise. Thanks! Question: how do take care of your clients while you are cruising/ vacationing?
Thanks, Don, always interesting to get a “behind the scenes” tour! If we didn’t appreciate you enough before, we certainly do now! I will always use a trusted TA because I’ve had things go wrong on trips and my TAs have helped me out of difficulties from minor inconveniences to major medical situations. I’ve also had TAs who have taken the time to get to know me and have suggested trips or experiences that I would have never know about, but have been wonderful and suited me perfectly. Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing your passion for travel with us.
Based on what you just said, this is not the retirement career path for me. 😁 Thanks for clearing this up.
Great video
Great info Don! I just became a travel agent myself this past June! I basically have it as a 2nd job and I got into it for the perks of travel, to get our own cruises for less and help my friends out with their vacations! I have done fairly well so far, like you said , it does take time, but actually I have already booked more than I thought I would. It is do true about selling yourself, using social media etc. ..
Would you share which host agency you chose?
Great video I've been thinking about going into being a travel agent since I love to travel myself. Was wondering can you give any recommendations as far as what trainings to start myself off into this venture
Thanks Don!!! If you are interested in mentoring and please let me know I'm starting my travel agency soon and any all help or "tips & tricks from around the world" haha please tell me. I love your super positive channel!!!!
Thanks for another informative video. Why are there different prices when booking with various TAs? Online agency like VacationsToGo vs someone like yourself? And what is the different OBC offered by cruise lines vs TA? I know one lady who can give better prices on Princess cruises but not Celebrity or HAL.
I was a travel agent for 17 years in 80s and90s
Speaking of your transatlantic trip, tell us what happened with the rest of the cruise.
he's till on his cruise.....he will be back on the 25th in new york...after the ship was rerouted and he got to see islands near portugal
Thanks Don. I think I'd be excellent at that job but also travel quite a bit. I've traveled all over the US, Caribbean, Europe and Asia. The ideal job for me would be backing up an agent while they are traveling. Is that realistic or even possible?
Like any job you have to love love what your doing or else it becomes all work not fun.....Don your experience would make you a great agent tho...you know the routines for crushing any way but a travel agent has to cover all forms of travel...right ? Or do they segment the different modes of travel now?
Don we heard there was a tornado in Ottawa I hope everything where you live is OK !!!
This was one of my favorite videos, something I've always wondered about. Don - what we need now is something more detailed on how to scope out a host agency that will be a good match. Are there any ratings on these agencies? Is there any federal or state regulations?
Yes there are regulations for US agencies and BBB will have a rating if they are listed
Hi Don, If I book a cruise thru a travel agent, do I pay directly to the cruise line or to the travel agent?
Are travel agent like yourself restricted to clients in USA / Canada or any person staying around the world could use your services?
Thanks.
Hi Don, what is the difference between a TAP test and a TICO test?
Kind of like being a Real Estate Agent :)
I know a person who earned an Associate Degree in Travel Agency. She traveled extensively until she had a child.
I have to admit that I was inspired by Don to become a travel advisor. I researched host agencies for months. The one I settled on has tougher requirements to join. I had to set up an LLC and provide my own E&O insurance and tons of training after that. But I feel totally supported by my host agency and it feels like family. I'm still working full time but I'd love to eventually be able to do travel full time. It will take a while though. I looked at the commission split on the first cruise I sold and that was a reality check! It's a lot of work between working clients and keeping up on your cruise line education and cruise news in general.
Who's your host? Wow u didnt have to buy your own E&O. Check Outside Agents, heard lot of happy reviews.
@@sunnyt.427 Avoya. They require an LLC and E&O as part of the on boarding process.
@@LVLoriAnn Heard of Avoya. Wow I never knew about their requirement for these two. They offered great stuffs but their start up fee is insane, lol.
@@LVLoriAnn How much is there start up?
Are you still doing it. I’m curious and looking into it.
Are the cops coming to get you at 14:09?
Have you ever done a world cruise
No No Don don't tell them. They trying your job. Lol😁😀😊😯
For me it’s been like a year, and still have zero customers
2:34 ... SEE!! ... lol that's what I meant by "not for me" :) !!! :)
Don, i live in Florida,can I use you as an agent? Nice video...
i used him to book the group cruise with don in april and he got me a good rate on a hotel to stay at the day before our cruise in ft lauderdale
Don I am 59 I have always thought about becoming a travel agent but I've always had to work full-time job so, what I'm asking and please be honest am I too old to start now please be honest and thank you
No you not to old there are 70 year olds that are doing it
I don't know if you read these after they've been on for a year or so but I have been trying to find you online I know you're out of Canada I do not know if you have the ability to book people in the United States this is what I'm trying to find out we'll hopefully maybe be able to get in touch with you through the website on Google I want you to be my travel agent but I live in the United States nice guys finish first at least on your CZcams site we all love you
At the top next to the name of his video is a little triangle on the right. If you press on that, information about the video and his contact information will show up.
What do shore excursions cost ; how to save on shore excursions and leave ???
fecarlson42 I think every shore trip is priced differently...and some port of call have seemingly little to offer once your away from the ship... You could just stay on board and go shopping and have a drink or bite to eat a lot cheaper...Other ports might have a bigger interest for you...then book them with your travel agent and your guaranteed that ship will wait for your group to return...no matter what...travel on your own and be late to that ship and it could likely have left you behind... And your on your own to get back to the ship or next port to catch it....for the coast of the cruise...which in my opinion is fair...the port excursions are totally worth it, when booked with the ship or travel agent....on my 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean my only port excursion is on last stop in Cozumel ....I want a bottle of Mexican vanilla..even that you have to be careful to get real stuff and not a knock off...but ohhh those baked goodies are gonna be great... Gotta do your homework or risk being played in a strange port....
So it all depends on where your going and what you plan to do once you get there...what is there to go see...and do you really want to see it...
It depends on your sailing, your cruise line and whether you book through the cruise line or not. If you don't book through the line you're sailing on it's usually cheaper. But you don't have the security of knowing that you won't be left at the port if anything happens and you don't get back to the ship on time. Also a cruise line booked excursion is checked out and trusted and will return you right to the port where one that isn't may not. They don't want any security issues hurting their business so they will stop using an excursion company if there are security issues.
😎🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏
We had a travel agent that lost us $600 OBC because she forgot to send RCI my approval for an itinerary change on one of our cruises. She was getting ready to go to Disney for a few weeks and was more worried about her own trip than ours. She tried to blame it on us, but I showed her the email that we sent her. RCI ended up cancelling our cruise and refunding our deposit. She was able to rebook the cruise, but we had to pay more, lost our $600 OBC and we lost our fantastic room that we booked. We ended up with a not nearly as good room because our original room was given to someone else. We would have sued, but she was my buddy's wife. We have never used her again and we let her know why.
A good example of what Don pointed out about being distracted.... Sorry to hear it wasn't what you deserved.
Wow sorry to hear that
Who is your host agency?
Also, did you switch host agencies over the years and why?
Arlene Stone he never told use who he uses!
Can you trust reports made by someone with something to gain? What about cruise reporters that get free travel?
Scripps-Howard Newspapers, Inc
@t › itc › journalism › edit › ethiccodes › SCRIPPS
Any other admittances for purposes of news or review coverage will be paid by the newspaper. The same rule applies to travel. We will accept no free transportation or the payment of travel expenses.
If the event is newsworthy, the newspaper should pay its own way.
A restaurant critic should not expect the restaurant to pay for a meal when writing a review, for example.
Paying our own way
NPR pays the newsgathering expenses of its journalists. We don't allow sources or subjects of coverage to pick up the check for dinner or pay our travel expenses, we respectfully turn down gifts or other benefits from those we cover, and we don't sell materials sent to us for review.
So a TA that accepts greatly discounted travel may not be totally honest about the trip especially if that credit is not disclosed.
Be a nice person?!! lol...kidding
The difference between men starting a new company and women is...men buy everything they MAY need, a woman will buy WHAT she needs for their new business. The results are that women tend to succeed more in starting a small business then men. Just food for thought for anyone with dreams of being successful in business.