(Of course, we know there are two sides to every story. This is the “con” side. For the many reasons some travel advisors do choose to sell air, see “Earning an Extra $50K: Travel Advisors Who Sell Air Say It’s Worth the Effort | Travel Research Online.”)
Liability issues. Time wasted. Late night calls. And the new DOT ruling about refunds that takes effect this week just adds one more reason to the litany of why many travel advisors hate to sell airline tickets.
“Selling air? Don’t.” That’s the succinct advice from Rich Greenway, owner of Greenway Travel Group-Dream Vacations. And he is not alone.
“Air disappointment is the number-one complaint from clients. It’s the easiest way to lose a client even when totally out of your control,” notes Dream Vacations franchise owner Bryan Villella. “I only book air for elderly needing assistance, or if I can roll it over to the cruise line responsibility. That way if something goes wrong they can make it up to them onboard.”
“I only book air under duress,” agrees Sarah Weiner. A former travel advisor at AAA Travel where she “did it all day,” she gave up selling airline tickets when she went out on her own and opened Oyster Travel and Tours, LLC. “The problem with travel advisors issuing air is the client thinks you have clout with the airline, which you don’t, and they think you can make sure the airline won’t move them and you can get them a better deal, which you can’t. If they are at the airport, they need to walk up to the airline desk, not call me. So it’s a bother. And I don’t like third-party because if something goes wrong it’s cumbersome. So I only book for personal clients and only through Avoya Air, where they add the fee automatically and sometimes it’s commissionable.”
“I won’t sell just air and the simple answer is liability,” says Dillon Guyer of Guyer Travel Network. “If I book you a package with Delta Vacations you have their travel protection, even more so on their Delta Amex. You have layer upon layer of protection and customer service. But selling air alone leaves you liable to help when there are fiascos.”
Helen Prochilo at Promal Vacations gave up selling air during Covid when “there were so many problems using third-party air I vowed from now on I would encourage clients to book directly with airlines. It is much better for the client to be able to interact directly with the airline instead of being in the middle of ‘you booked with a third party, you have to go back to them.’”
“With any trip, it is always the air that will mess things up,” agrees Monica Brown of Cruise Planners franchise CRUZBUGS.com. “We sell air if in conjunction with a cruise or tour only. The liability for zero pay is the reason why; even with a service fee it’s just not worth the risk.”
At Sunsational Beach Vacations, meanwhile, president Tom Brussow “personally would like to be 100% out of the airline ticket business, as it is the highest risk and lowest margin product in the industry. In addition, the airlines have zero respect, support, or appreciation for the immense contribution that advisors make to their businesses.”
Still, “in the best interest of the client, we suck it up, knowing that the airlines have us basically doing their sales and service work for free.”
And Lisa Melroy at Melroy World Travel Agency cites the call she got on Mother’s Day asking for a ticket change; the client had first called Delta, who told him that since he booked through a travel advisor, only she could help him. “Now I encourage people to book on Delta.com so they get immediate assistance while traveling. After 45 years in this industry, I don’t need to be called on holidays, weekends, middle of the night. I don’t care how much money I lose, it’s not worth it!”
Bring Me Some Solutions
Still, many argue there is money to be made in commissions and service fees, and better customer service to boot (see Earning an Extra $50K: Travel Advisors Who Sell Air Say It’s Worth the Effort | Travel Research Online). And that has some travel advisors, like Angela Hughes of Trips & Ships Luxury Travel, taking a second look.
Hughes stopped selling air when the airlines cut commissions—and thinks re-entering the air booking market now presents several cons. And yet, she is back in the marketplace for the first time since the early ’90s.
In today’s competitive landscape, she notes, a proliferation of players is offering “direct online booking options that can undercut our service mode.” Servicing clients around the clock is a daunting task in any case, as travelers expect immediate assistance for changes and cancellations, and air travel is also more unpredictable than ever, “with frequent cancellations and schedule changes, requiring a significant investment of time and resources, which can strain our team.” If that’s not enough, the complexity of varying airline policies and fees, and the risk of fluctuating fuel prices and economic uncertainty, can impact airfares and traveler demand, adding even more layers of difficulty.
Still, Hughes is embarking on a new venture, using Travel Leaders’s SNAP program—which offers non-GDS booking, service fees, and a support desk—to “help us move forward against all odds” and sell air once again.
“It offers a streamlined solution tailored for non-GDS users, enabling us to tap into lucrative contracts for business and first-class travel, and provide our clients with a competitive edge while maintaining our commitment to exceptional service. SNAP also empowers us to charge service fees on regular air bookings, creating a new revenue stream that mitigates the risks we faced previously. With this program, we can adapt to the evolving landscape of air travel, enhancing our offerings without incurring the high costs associated with traditional GDS systems. Overall, SNAP is not just a tool for us; it’s a catalyst for growth, allowing us to thrive in a challenging environment and redefine our role in the air travel market.
“Balancing all these challenges while striving to provide excellent service will be crucial as we navigate this re-entry into the air market,” she says.
Some Legal Advice
The airlines don’t want travel advisors to book through consumer websites, “which is what a lot of non-GDS advisors do. So, if you do that, I recommend having terms and conditions that clarify that the ticket is a contract between the passenger and the airline,” says travel industry attorney Thomas Carpenter. “And get out in front of it with your client. If they get turned around on the tarmac and call their agent thinking that you can exchange a ticket or rebook them, they’ll be upset if they have to wait in line with everyone else. So manage expectations. As for making money selling air, it’s a lot easier if you’re on a GDS and you (or your host or consortium) have good contacts with the airlines.”
For new non-GDS advisors, meanwhile, Carpenter “has a strong view that you should decline to book corporate clients. They require lots of exchanges and it’s almost impossible to manage without a GDS.”
The real money is in selling premium economy or business class International air, notes Geoff Millar of Ultimate All-Inclusive Travel Inc., so he only sells air as part of a package. “We found that with the problems and issues, it is not worth it and it detracts from selling higher-commission products. With the high number of large groups we sell, we require that clients purchase their own air. And we never had a problem.”
Pam Crate at Moon Gate Travel is not interested in booking air at all. “I encourage my clients to book directly, and I highlight the fact that the price is usually less because when I book it, there are fees, consolidators and mine, and also, that if things go wrong, they’ll often get better service from the airline if booked direct,” she says.
Julie Bartz, owner of First Class Travel, says that “since I’m a one-woman show and traveling so much, I’ve gotten away from selling air. If something happens, I can’t be in Timbuktu and assist clients thousands of miles away at 2 am. Since I’ve given up air, my stress level has gone down a ton.”
“Pffft, no way,” says Teri Hurley, owner of Endless Love Travel. “I sell custom curated travel because I delight in creating experiences that wow my clients and build forever memories. There is no joy in simply booking air. Actually, the dead opposite. There is not near enough money in it to persuade me.”
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.
