Amazing to say, there is a travel agent shortage today.
I dropped in recently at an outdoor travel agent event for one of my favorite hotel groups. There, I met a sales representative who had flown in from Munich to visit their top agencies for the first time in three years. At the same meeting, I also ran into a couple who owns a small local agency. She told me, “In 40 years, I’ve never flat out told people, ‘I am sorry, but I just cannot take on any new clients now.'” She felt guilty because she’s even turned down some past clients who are reasonable people who have come back after a few years. All because of the travel agent shortage
The United States has a travel agent/advisor shortage.
As I’ve written for a few months now, I don’t know a good agent who isn’t working nights and weekends to try to keep up.
If you are doing fine without a travel agent, you can stop reading now.
But if you have an agent, or are looking for an agent, here are a few things agents would like you to know during this travel agent shortage.
1. Many agents are now charging fees up front.
This isn’t to be mean or to gouge clients. But some people are either trying for free advice to book online or with points. And others want a lot of time-consuming research when they may not end up traveling. Some agents will talk briefly for free, online or by phone. However, we all have stories of spending hours finding what a client asked for, either to have them decide they’re going to do something else and often disappearing and never responding to email. (In some cases, depending on the trip, agents will apply the fee to the actual travel. With a travel agent shortage, many agencies do not have time to give out free advice.)
2. Booking trips and cancellations all take time.
If an agent doesn’t charge an upfront fee, and some still don’t, we almost all have to charge something if you cancel after booking. In many cases, it’s more work to cancel a trip than to secure it in the first place. And we’ve all spent many hours chasing refunds. The travel agent shortage means less time to do the paperwork required by airlines, tour operators, and hotels.
3. Agents make money in two ways — with fees and commissions.
And without going into confidential contracts, the commission structure in travel is not always intuitive. In many, but not all, cases, the commission paid by a travel supplier correlates with the price of the trip, but often the time involved does not. Most agents I know have lost track of the number of times a traveler has come to us after booking a cruise or tour/safari — that was “easy” — and asked for a few days of pre/post stay. (And yes, most cruises, tours, and safaris have a commission built into the price.) Similarly, I recently had a client who did book a very complicated cruise with me, wasn’t sure on air, then casually dropped that they were about to book four business class tickets to Munich on their own to “save you the hassle.” In that case, I had a discount available where they saved several hundred and our agency made money.
4. We are as frustrated as you with high prices and lack of availability.
And while we’ll do our best to get you a deal, the fact that you made a similar trip a few years ago for half the price it is now doesn’t mean anything close to that if it’s available now. And while “book now because availability is limited” is a well-worn selling trope, these days, it’s more accurate than ever. We’re not just trying to pressure you for a sale. Few things are more frustrating during a travel agent shortage. After an agent finds what exactly a traveler wants, we hate it when clients are unable to decide. When we call or email back a week or even days later, the space is sold out or the price is considerably higher.
5. COVID rules have been relaxed. But they aren’t gone from many countries.
And we don’t know if they will get relaxed or tightened. There’s a website airlines use, Sherpa, that is updated daily, and we ask/beg people to read it. https://apply.joinsherpa.com/travel-restrictions?affiliateId=sherpa&language=en-US
6. The truth is, nothing is guaranteed right now.
We’d love to tell you your flights won’t be canceled or delayed or that some amount of time is a “safe” connection. The entire travel industry is understaffed. COVID still results in further staff shortages, and total flights mean rebooking is likely to be a problem. We’ll do the best we can for you, but if you have to be somewhere for a cruise or wedding or something, book to arrive at least a day in advance, if possible.
7. Finally, pack patience and, if possible, a sense of humor.
Eventually, we’ll get back to some normalcy. Or more normalcy. But not yet.
READ ALSO:
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Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
