Travel Agents that understand the SC game

[XavierP]

G'day,

Just wondering if folks here use travel agents or recommend particular ones that understand maximising status credits while keeping the airfares somewhat economical.

I know that some routes travel agents have better visibility than oneself hence this question.

My experience with the last two was like..

"That's the longest route to <insert place> i have ever dealt with"
"Why do you want to do that? Take the quickest route if you ask me"

Anyways, so to avoid this from the start, any good recommendations would be kindly appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[henrus]

Just wondering if folks here use travel agents or recommend particular ones that understand maximising status credits while keeping the airfares somewhat economical.

What are you trying to achieve, just day to day flying the long way round or maximising a DSC promo?

 

[XavierP]

Day to day flying the long way around to maximise SC's

 

[Princess Fiona]

@madrooster is the GOAT
Don’t know if they are taking on new clients at this time.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Just wondering if folks here use travel agents or recommend particular ones that understand maximising status credits while keeping the airfares somewhat economical.

I know that some routes travel agents have better visibility than oneself hence this question.

My experience with the last two was like..
"That's the longest route to <insert place> i have ever dealt with"
"Why do you want to do that? Take the quickest route if you ask me"

Anyways, so to avoid this from the start, any good recommendations would be kindly appreciated.

TA's get very little to nil commission on air tickets. So you would need to pay the TA by the hour/fee. [= SC not economical for domestic-short haul]
My thoughts are AFFers would be "bad" customers and would be demanding for endless options

 

[justinbrett]

My thoughts are AFFers would be "bad" customers and would be demanding for endless options

It works best if you know what you want to achieve and it’s something you can’t do yourself, such as a complex DONE4 or combining tickets onto a single PNR. The savings that can be made by using codeshares to avoid fuel fines etc can offset the extra commission costs, as can hotel commissions.

In that regard I think AFF members would be good customers. It’s the lazy ones who don’t do their own research and expect the TA to do it all that would be bad.

 

[RooFlyer]

TA's get very little to nil commission on air tickets. So you would need to pay the TA by the hour/fee. [= SC not economical for domestic-short haul]
My thoughts are AFFers would be "bad" customers and would be demanding for endless options

I think you’ll find good travel agents - the bricks and mortar type (usually) - charge a standard fee based on the value of the itinerary. For that they do all the work that’s required for that trip, including all the pre-ticket issuing investigations, any problems along the way and any changes that need to be made along the way.

Of course if you’re totally unreasonable in the early stages, they may elect to charge an additional fee

I’m pretty high maintenance for my travel agent, but I know she doesn’t mind because I book heaps and heaps of travel including a number of cruises a year.

 

[VPS]

I think you’ll find good travel agents - the bricks and mortar type (usually) - charge a standard fee based on the value of the itinerary. For that they do all the work that’s required for that trip, including all the pre-ticket issuing investigations, any problems along the way and any changes that need to be made along the way.

Of course if you’re totally unreasonable in the early stages, they may elect to charge an additional fee

I’m pretty high maintenance for my travel agent, but I know she doesn’t mind because I book heaps and heaps of travel including a number of cruises a year.

do TA get better commission from cruises than they do from airline travel?

 

[jenib]

For complex international travel I always use qflyer - based in Adelaide. Consistently great service and they aim to maximise sc for QF. Domestic and simple international trips, and all accommodation and activities, I book myself.

 

[RooFlyer]

do TA get better commission from cruises than they do from airline travel?

Not sure, but I suspect they do. In fact they seem pretty generous.

As you know, many cruise lines give a discount on the cost of a future cruise if you book it on board your present cruise. Before I did this once, I checked with my travel agent to make sure they would get the commission on it if I book direct. I was a bit surprised when the answer came back yes. You nominate a travel agent when booking and the travel agent gets the usual commission.

I ended up not doing it, but it was an interesting thing to discover.

But just getting back to the OP a bit, my own travel agent isn’t so good at maximising SC or points earn on various flights. But then, neither am I, flying QR as I do. . But they all add up in the end.

 

[Cynicor]

Cruises can be pretty high commission, at the low end 10% and 15-20% at times. Hotels tend to be 10 though 8 is possible.
Airfares can be often 0% for international origin and 1%. Plus they are way more hassle in the first place, and liable to change regularly and last minute with no recourse and taking even more work. I tend to not even offer to book economy flights and have a minimum $250 for business fares.

 

[leadman]

Read this thread last night and woke up thinking: why don't I use TA's? I haven't used a TA for 10 years now, and when I'm planning a trip, I don't even think of engaging one. One reason could be how/what I do by mixing business with birding. I start by booking my "spine" leg, the major leg, and then everything hangs off that section. For example, next week I have a conference in KK (BKI), so MEL > SIN > BKI is the spine. Hanging off that is BKI > KUC, BKI > MZV and BKI > SAN, then KUL > KNO. And, I take in SC when travelling, and I don't think I do a bad job; this year, with two weeks to go, I'm sitting on 4,708 SC's (no DSC or P1!!!).
I'm not sure where I can use a TA in my planning, even to the point I book all travel for my family, who are travelling, in part, with me next trip (7 pax). One reason may be that my trip planning and adding legs are not all done at once. I would drive a TA mad with all the questions/explorations.

 

[Cynicor]

I think in this era, for flights, most do not need a ta. They are there mainly to book flights that you can’t (I have a family of 8 people, 4a4c, who want the kids to fly up with some and back with others- just can’t be done online) or people who are happy to pay for the service and have someone take the mental load off.

@madrooster is the absolute bomb at the flight stuff and is totally generous with his time too. Worth the fee for someone like the OP.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm not sure where I can use a TA in my planning, even to the point I book all travel for my family, who are travelling, in part, with me next trip (7 pax). One reason may be that my trip planning and adding legs are not all done at once. I would drive a TA mad with all the questions/explorations.

You are obviously doing things very successfully and I wouldn’t try to convince you to do otherwise.

But a travel agent could do everything you wish to do and probably save you a lot of time in the end. But again time may not be an issue.

As I’ve mentioned before, having a travel agent is a relationship thing. I’ve used mine for over 10 years now and they can now anticipate just about what I want if I give the destination and dates. They know my seating preferences and my preferences for for daytime flights and overnight stops on long haul journeys and the first draft of any itinerary comes with all those built-in.

They keep an eye out for me of discount fares and specials and bring them to my attention almost weekly.

They have a corporate relationship with QR so get a good discount on them from the get go. Steering me into Virtuoso deals on cruising.

Have direct contact with airline and cruise representatives to answer queries and to sometimes to get an exemption from fare rules.

Can navigate between the Amadeus and NCR booking pathways which is becoming increasingly complicated.

When I’m on a trip and there’s an issue or a cancellation they fix it. No long calls waiting on airline call centres perhaps international for me. Sometimes the problem is fixed overnight before I even know about it.

And… I can still book myself for anything I wish if I want to. (and I do do all my domestic bookings myself.)

 

[leadman]

I forgot to add that when I was in the Corporate arena, we used TA's for 35 years, so know the game well. But I think my difference is the birding. I generally plan, (after business is over) around the bird sites I find/explore on eBird, like on Monday, I was on Cau Dai beach Da Nang, looking for the White-faced Plover. Two weeks time I'll be in Sepilok Rainforest dodging leeches looking for the Borneo Bristlehead. Maybe I should leave metallurgy and become a birding TA????

 

[RooFlyer]

Maybe I should leave metallurgy and become a birding TA????

From what I know of birders, that could be quite lucrative. Forget the lifetime SCs, promise them the life ticks.

 

[kookaburra75]

From what I know of birders, that could be quite lucrative. Forget the lifetime SCs, promise them the life ticks.

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[XavierP]

I forgot to add that when I was in the Corporate arena, we used TA's for 35 years, so know the game well. But I think my difference is the birding. I generally plan, (after business is over) around the bird sites I find/explore on eBird, like on Monday, I was on Cau Dai beach Da Nang, looking for the White-faced Plover. Two weeks time I'll be in Sepilok Rainforest dodging leeches looking for the Borneo Bristlehead. Maybe I should leave metallurgy and become a birding TA????

Finally realised after reading this over two days, you were ACTUALLY talking about birds!! I thought it was some kind of flight talk initially...