With over $1 million in sales, Anna Harrison already was busy, busy, busy when her baby boy was born in December. She took a short break—but soon she was back at the helm of her agency, sleep-deprived and distracted, juggling customers and infant care. She knew that not even her traditional route to salvation, hiring part-time assistants, was going to be enough. So she jumped in with both feet, took a course by her friend, travel advisor Mary Beth Lynn, on how to hire executive assistants, and ponied up $2,000 a month to give one a try. Read the rest of this entry »

As discussed in the last Point-to-Point column, travel advisor independent contractors (ICs) are renters rather than owners that can become affiliated with as many host agencies as they wish. While few ICs will want to do business with more than two or three host agencies, there is a strong business case for not limiting yourself to one.

Also as discussed in the earlier article, you may want to do this to take advantage of a second host agency’s strengths; or it may be to avoid what you see as glaring weaknesses of your present choice. On a more obvious level, a second (or third) host agency may improve your bargaining position regarding commission rates and FAM trips. Read the rest of this entry »

Travel Agent ICs (Independent Contractors) are like month-to-month renters:

• ICs don’t own their host agencies.
• ICs can move with as little as 30 days’ notice.
• Host agencies can end the relationship with as little as 30 days’ notice.
• ICs can rent as many “homes” as they wish.

Some host agency executives treat signing with several agencies or dropping one in favor of another as an indication of Read the rest of this entry »

The Changing Face of Travel Agents 2023, the report released by The Travel Institute, offers valuable insights into the current state of the travel industry. Based on the findings, the gig economy continues to thrive, and more agents are interested in part-time work that provides greater flexibility and independence. Read the rest of this entry »

The news about possible stricter requirements for independent contractors got me talking to travel advisors and agency owners about the relative advantages of being—and hiring—an IC vs. an employee. And in the end, it seems, there is no right answer. The road to happiness follows the twists and turns of each individual’s definition of success. Many have changed from one side to the other—and how they arrive at their decisions offers up some interesting insights for those considering a shift.

A new proposed rule from the US Department of Labor is taking another look at the status of independent contractors—and making some in the travel agency channel nervous.

It’s the second time in two years the Department of Labor has revisited the way companies define “independent contractor.” Their goal, they say, is to put an end to the misclassification of workers—”a serious issue that denies workers’ rights and protections under federal labor standards, promotes wage theft, allows certain employers to gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses, and hurts the economy at-large. Misclassification denies basic worker protections such as minimum wage and overtime pay and affects a wide range of workers in the home care, janitorial services, trucking, delivery, construction, personal services, and hospitality and restaurant industries, among others.”

“We are a little broken. Life is scary. The waters aren’t always calm and you may not know what to do,” says Drew Daly. “But just keep swimming.”

It’s all about having a plan, the World Travel Holdings (WTH) senior vice president told attendees at the Dream Vacations/Cruise One annual conference onboard Celebrity Apex in November. And clearly, the WTH team that manages the franchising brands has been working on theirs.

In their first live conference in two years, they gathered 800 franchisees and travel advisors aboard one of the first US sailings of the beautiful Celebrity Apex for a week of ship inspections, education and Read the rest of this entry »