4 Myths of Working With a Travel Agent
When most people book a trip, they simply go online, do the research, and book the trip themselves. In fact, when someone mentions working with a travel agent, you may even think to yourself that you didn’t know travel agents still existed. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths floating around about working with travel agents, and many people are surprised when we explain exactly what we do and how we can help. For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of four myths relating to working with a travel agent. That being said, there are even more myths than just this short list, so don’t be surprised if we come out with a part two.
That being said, continue reading below to learn more about working with a travel agent, and if you’re interested in booking, don’t hesitate to reach out to JP Travel today!
We Make a Salary
Everyone needs to earn a living, right? However, despite what you may believe, travel agents don’t always have the steadiest income. Unlike a corporate 9 to 5 job, or even working part-time, we don’t make a guaranteed salary.
What most people don’t understand is that most travel agents work for commission, meaning we don’t get paid until you book a trip. And even then, we may not get paid for your trip until after you’ve already returned home. If you’ve ever wondered why travel agents push their services so much, this is why. We work hard to advertise ourselves because that is how we get clients and make money. As you can imagine, it can be extremely disappointing when you work with a client and put in hours upon hours of work, just for them to take your quote and book their trip themselves. Not only did we do all that work for free, but there’s also a good chance you’ll end up paying more than if you had worked with us, which brings us to the next point.
Using a Travel Agent Costs More
One of the biggest myths people tend to believe about travel agents is that it costs more to use our services. That couldn’t be further from the truth! Many people avoid using travel agents because they don’t understand how we are paid. They believe that in order to use our services, they will have to pay a fee that could defeat the purpose of working with a travel agent in the first place, but that’s not true. We mentioned in the previous point that travel agents are paid on commission. That commission is paid out as a percentage of what you’re already paying for your trip, but instead of you paying us directly, we get paid by the vendor.
For example, if you decide to book a flight and hotel to Orlando, you may end up paying $1,500 for both if you were to book on your own. If you book with a travel agent, however, you’ll pay the same amount (sometimes less) for less work on your part. Your travel agent will book the trip through one of their vendors, and then the vendor will give the agent a percentage of what you spent as commission. As a result, you get a great vacation for the same price or less than if you were to book it yourself.
Travel Agents Can Only Help With Huge Trips
You often hear about people using travel agents to help with big trips, such as family reunions, weddings, cruises, and more. However, travel agents can do much more than that. Even if you’re going on a simple business trip and all you need is a flight, hotel, and a rental car for two nights, a travel agent can help! We can also help with small family trips, booking tickets for theme parks and concerts, planning fun excursions, and so much more! When you work with the right travel agent, such as the licensed agents at JP Travel, your agent will be able to help you with just about anything!
You Can Get Better Deals On Your Own
If you’re someone who is a master at comparing prices and finding the best deals for just about anything online, you may be thinking there’s no way a travel agent can get you a better price than you could get yourself. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Travel agents have access to a variety of booking engines, and when we do research for a trip, we’re able to see exactly what prices are offered online. In some cases, the prices may be similar, but when you book on your own, there will likely be a lot of hidden fees that pop up as you complete the booking process. For example, the price you see advertised may not include taxes and service fees, or you may see only the bare minimum, which means you’ll likely have to pay more to upgrade. Travel agents, on the other hand, are offered limited-time prices and select member deals that are not only lower than the prices advertised online, but also typically have those fees included in the price if they aren’t eliminated altogether for booking with the vendors directly.
Work With JP Travel Today!
These are just a few of the myths associated with working with a travel agent, and if you’re interested in learning more, or you would like to work with a licensed and bonded travel agent (now that you know more about how they work), reach out to JP Travel today! We would be more than happy to help you plan an amazing vacation at no extra cost to you. Give us a call to schedule your FREE consultation today!
