If you’re interested in becoming a travel agent, this article will answer your questions about the job’s duties, responsibilities, and compensation.
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Job duties
A job as a travel agent involves helping people plan and book their vacations. In addition to working to a budget set by the holiday planner, they provide advice on where to go, attractions, customs, and events. A graduate typically enters the profession as a junior counter staff member, and progresses to a managerial role after gaining a few years’ experience. Some travel companies have graduate training schemes, while others advertise vacancies in industry magazines and trade journals.
Travel agents work in attractive offices. They usually work forty hours a week, with longer hours between January and June. Travel agents need to enjoy working with people and have excellent communication skills. Many employers prefer those with formal training. Some travel agents are required to have strong organizational skills. They also need to be persuasive in selling their services to clients and to travel operators. As a travel agent, you may earn a commission for each trip you book, or service fees for each trip you arrange.
While the exact job duties of a travel agent vary from one location to another, they typically involve selling airfare, lodging, and entertainment activities to clients. Travel agents can work for a travel agency or independently. The median annual wage for travel agents was $43,660 in May 2019, but salaries may vary widely. The highest ten percent of travel agents earned $69,420. Most travel agents work full time, though they may be required to work additional hours during busy periods.
Responsibilities
As a travel agent, you need to know your responsibilities, whether you’re selling a package or just giving advice. Not doing what people expect of a travel agent will result in unhappy clients. The job of a travel agent is a demanding one that requires a lot of communication skills, and a good understanding of the industry. Listed below are some of the most common responsibilities.
Travel agents plan and book transportation services. They help clients make reservations for flights, hotels, cruises, trains, and buses. In exchange for the money they charge, travel agents receive a fee for their services. Travel agents must research the destination and make necessary arrangements, as well as be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations of the destination. When necessary, they may also provide alternative transportation arrangements, such as rebooking tickets in the case of bad weather.
Working hours vary by location, but most agents work normal business hours, though some work overtime during peak travel times and when customers’ plans change. The job can be stressful, so many agents take up additional hours in high-demand periods and when they are accommodating clients. However, a career in travel agent requires formal training and certification, and good communication skills are essential. A travel agent may also be required to maintain liability insurance.
Compensation
The SAA introduced differentiated override commissions for travel agents during contract year 2002/2003. These incentives were based on the class of ticket sold – premium, sub-premium, and discounted. While SAA still rewards travel agents for sales above certain thresholds, it also restructured the commission model to pay travel agents back to rand one principle. These changes affected the profitability of travel agents. So, compensation for travel agents was impacted by the SAA’s override commission.
While recognizing the role of travel agents in the SAA’s business, the Tribunal erred in its interpretation of the relevant market. It was wrong to consider the sale of domestic airline tickets as the only relevant market. Instead, the Tribunal should consider all goods and services the dominant firm supplies, including travel agent services. The RBB argued that the SAA was a dominant firm in the supply of the travel agents’ services. This is contrary to the approach taken by the Tribunal in Nationwide.
In most cases, travel agents are paid directly by suppliers. These suppliers pay travel agents a commission on the sale of the products and services they recommend to clients. This commission is generally between 0.7 and 2% of the sales volume. In some cases, travel agents may charge additional fees for concierge reservations and group bookings. In the end, compensation for travel agents is dependent on the quality of the travel service and the experience of the travel agent.