kantzb's Blog

Hi Barucha,

Tell me why your post helps travel agents market their services.  It appears to me that your post is focused on marketing your sim cards.  This forum is for the purpose of travel professionals helping travel professionals.  Please let me know how your service fits into the purpose of this forum.  I will delete your post in 10 days if you can't explain how your post fits this forum.

Barry

Hello Itborbon,

Are you looking for where you can find the best Disney ticket and hotel prices?

Thanks,
Barry

Hi Lorrie,

Wow, you are doing great.  You will have to get signed up with CLIA so the cruises you take count toward your ACC designation.  You can keep your company name even though the domain name is taken.  You can always abbreviate or hyphenate your company name in different ways to find a domain which is not taken.  For instance, I have Special Destinations LLC.  I was able to get the domain special-destinations.com.  Or, if that was taken I could do specdes.com or specialdest.com.  Or, if all of those were taken I could do special-destinations.biz.

Keep up the good work.

Barry

Hi Lov2trvl,

I am a member of Dugan's Travels and I think they are a very good host agency.  You will get a lot of support if you participate in their email list.  I'm not familiar with Authorized Agents.  You may have found the following sources but in the event you haven't, one source for information on host agencies is Tom Ogg's website and endorsement of host agencies.  He lists the host agencies he endorses on his host agency web page.  Another good source is at the National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA) website page for host agencies.


NACTA offers webinars on how to get the most out of your host agencies.  They also have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page listing FAQ's about host agencies.

Another great source of information for the new travel agent is Kelly Monaghan's Home Based Travel Agent Home Study Course.  He devotes a whole book in this course to host agencies.

Lorene Romero and I occasionally talk about host agencies on our Home Based Travel Agent Show (podcast).  You may want to scroll through the show archives and pick some shows to listen to.

I wish you the best in your venture.

Barry

Hi Gary,

This is a timely post.  This weeks Home Based Travel Agent Podcast is about how podcasting and blogging can impact your travel business.  I reveal some "secrets" about how you can engage potential clients using podcasting and blogging.  Mark Murphy's article takes a different approach than this weeks show but the approach is complimentary.

I will include the link to Mark Murphy's editorial in this weeks show notes.

Thank you,
Barry

Hi Mike,

I did a quick review of Arizona statutes and I find no requirement for registration for travel agents.  Also the travel law website shows no requirement for registration [see http://travellaw.com/web/faq1.html#basic1].  I checked the Arizona statutes since I don't know if the Travel Law website is up to date.  My disclaimer is that I'm not an Arizona lawyer so consult an Arizona lawyer to get the best opinion on this matter.

There are no requirements for travel agent E&O insurance.  However, having E&O insurance is a good idea if you are selling a lot of travel.  This protects you when you make a big mistake on someone's honeymoon, etc.  The big insurer for travel E&O is the Berkely Group.

The only other item I can think of is to check your local ordinances about running a business from your home.

Best of business,
Barry
 

Hi Mary,
 
Welcome!  I will put a request on The Home Based Travel Agent Show for information on the Tuscany area.  I will ask anyone with information to come here to the forum and post a reply to your question.  The request will be on the July 27, 2008 show.

Barry

Hi Patty,

We have several shows on marketing at http://www.hometravelagent.net.  You don't need an Ipod to listen to the shows.  There is a player built into the website that will let you listen from your PC or Mac (I had to put the Mac in here otherwise I would be on Lorene's list ). 

Take care,
Barry

I would agree you need to find a host agency who fits your needs.  I think Nexion is a good host agency but I'm biased because they are my host agency.  Most agents have only one host agency. 

How about, "Caring for your travel is our business."  Or, "our business is taking care of all your travel needs."  Or maybe, "we care about where you go and how you get there."

Barry

Jonathan Weber in an article in the Times Online from the UK takes a look at the process of "disintermediation."  This is the process of eliminating the middle man - people like travel agents, real estate agents, stock brokers and attorneys.  Jonathan concludes that most people do not want to be their own travel agent, plumber, attorney, real estate agent, etc.  Most people will admit they don't have the expertise or the time to engage in these activities and are willing to pay the professionals. 

Personally, I've learned if you put a wrench in my hand, whatever I'm fixing will turn into a disaster and cost three times the amount to fix versus calling a professional at the onset of the problem.  Therefore, I don't hesitate to call a plumber, carpenter, handyman or electrician for what seems the simplest of problems. 

As people discover the great service you offer as a travel professional, they will quickly take advantage of what you have to offer.  If I just arrived in Cancun and I'm having trouble with my hotel would I rather call my travel agent on her cell phone or would I be better off trying to figure out who to call because I booked my vacation on line.  Actually, if I booked my vacation on line I probably have no idea who to call to resolve the problem.

Please click on, "Death of a Middleman" to read Jonathan Weber's article about disintermediation.  I think you will agree with what he is saying.


Barry

Hi Jane,

Thank you for the compliments on Show #157.  You can get access to travel shows, training, seminars and "Travel Agent Only" websites by using your host agency's IATA number.  The better designations in the industry are achieved through Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and the Travel Institute.  The designations offered by CLIA and the Travel Institute are well recognized in the industry.

I would recommend three magazines to use to stay abreast of what's happening in the travel industry.  The magazines are Agent at Home, Travel Trade and JaxFax.  The Agent at Home magazine is free for filling out a survey.  Travel Trade and JaxFax are $10 to $15 per year.

I do believe, over time, the Travel Professional Network will be an important designation in the travel industry like you PMP designation is in the project planning industry.

Thank you for being a part of the Home Based Travel Agent family of listeners!

Barry

Hi Lorene - You can subscribe to the RSS feed by entering the following feed into your RSS read, such as Google Reader.  You will have to copy and paste the feed (below) into your favorite RSS reader or you may be able to click on the link below to subscribe.  Otherwise, you can click on the RSS symbol in your browser's address bar and choose the reader you wish to use for the subscriptionsubscription.  The RSS symbol is a small orange box with a dot in the lower left hand corner and semi-circles radiating up and to the right away from the dot.  Any posts made in the Agent2Agent forum will automatically appear in your RSS reader if you are subscribed.

http://agent2agent.lefora.com/api/posts/?token=UefdZzKqkqUpEtlga-aF8dtsJAYAAAAAAA%3D%3D&userid=17033&format=rss2

In the Home Based Travel Agent Show number 117 on August 18, 2007, we interviewed Susan Foster.  Susan is the author of the excellent book, "Smart Packing for Today's Traveler."  Susan offers discounts to travel agents who purchase several copies of her book and use the book as a gift to clients. 

The airlines are attempting to reduce their expenses and one of the methods they are using to reduce expenses is by restricting checked luggage.  Many airlines are charging for checked luggage - even for one bag.  Thus, the value of Susan's book to your clients has dramatically increased.  You can help your clients save money on their flight by giving them a copy of Susan's book.

Susan just released a new edition of "Smart Packing for Today's Traveler" in March of 2008.  You can learn more about obtaining the book by visiting Susan's website at http://www.smartpacking.com/.

Barry

I came across a great flight tracking website.  The site displays flights in real time and you can select by airline, flight number or by airport code.  You can see maps of the entire country or region showing the location of various flights.  The maps are U.S. based at the present time however you can enter international airports and get information about arrivals and departures.  This may be a great site to give to clients so family and friends can track their flight status.  The site is FlightAware.com.

Check out http://www.opentravelcrm.com/index.aspx

This is a web based CRM and the best part it is FREE!  You do have the option to upgrade as you need additional services.  The list of features in the free version is impressive.

Barry

The Travel Insider has a great chart listing all of the baggage requirements for each airline.  There are links to each airlines baggage policy page so you can check to see if the policy at Travel Insider is up to date.  The link to the Travel Insider article is http://www.thetravelinsider.info/travelaccessories/airlinecheckedluggageallowances.htm

Barry

Welcome to the Agent2Agent forum. Stop here often if you are a travel agent or just interested in the travel business. This forum is sponsored by the Home Based Travel Agent Show. The Home Based Travel Agent Show is a podcast hosted by two travel agents building their business and sharing their experiences in the podcast. You can find the Home Based Travel Agent Show at http://www.hometravelagent.net.

Please use this forum to learn about the travel business, comment and share your experiences; and, comment about what you hear on the Home Based Travel Agent Show.