Many travel advisors have been singing the praises of suppliers' efforts to help them cancel and rebook clients whose vacations were impacted by the coronavirus. However, going forward in a post-pandemic world, they are eager to see a variety of changes in supplier policies.
At the top of the list for many is revamping of how and when commissions are paid.
"Travel advisors do 90 percent of the work on the front end of a trip with the hope and expectation they will get paid after the client travels," said Laura Madrid of Resort to Laura Madrid, a Travel Experts agency. "Countless hours of work were put into trips that didn't materialize due to the coronavirus, which means advisors have worked for free when a trip cancels or our commission payment is deferred for yet another year in cases [where] a trip is postponed. This is simply not a sustainable model."
Sandy Pappas of Sandy Pappas Travel, a Travel Experts agency, said she would like to see suppliers protect agent commissions at the time of booking "so we know that if there's an issue, we're taken care of," adding that it would be extremely helpful "if suppliers could pay 25 or 50 percent of commission at the time of booking and then the balance after the client completes the travel."
James Berglie of Be All Inclusive, who has been advocating for suppliers to pay agent commission once a reservation enters full penalty as opposed to waiting until after clients travel, would like to see commission protection programs created by tour operators or third-party companies. "Tour operators [would] not only be offering insurance to the customer, but also to the agent to protect their commission-resulting in another revenue source for the tour operator, and providing assurance for the agent," he said.
Berglie added that he would also like to see "flexibility from tour operators to allow agencies to charge their planning fees and cancellation fees through the tour operators' payment systems."
Shari Marsh of Cruise Holidays would like to see suppliers allowing travel advisors to communicate directly with their air departments rather than funneling the information through reservationists. "When we're trying to figure out what type of financial advice to give our clients" regarding such issues as air waiver change fees, "we need to be able to talk to the air department directly," she said.
On the subject of air, Berglie believes airlines ought to be paying agent commissions. "The travel agents sell their products and service to their customers, often with zero compensation from them," he said. "Agents are doing the brunt of the work on behalf of the airlines in dealing with our clients, and the airlines are taking advantage of essentially a free travel agency workforce by refusing to pay for the work and value we provide in a commission."
For his part, Richard Turen of Churchill & Turen would like to see a playing field where suppliers do not compete with travel advisors for business. "In a new, more transparent travel environment, we would hope that suppliers would stop competing with agencies that are totally dedicated to selling their products," he said. "It is both unethical and likely illegal for travel suppliers to continue to charge consumers for the use of a travel consultant's services when they have booked directly with no unbiased consulting involved."
On an entirely different note, Marsh is hoping hotel companies will extend expiration dates on the points and free nights she's selling their properties. "I use the points and free nights to [create] makeshift fams," she said. "I inspect the properties, meet all the management, and I might stay at two or three [properties] in a week's time," she said, adding that she is about to lose many of these earned benefits. "I know a lot of people who make a vacation from them, and I do too sometimes, but I never go to the same place and I use them for professional education and growth as well."
In the final analysis, for the most part, agents understand that both they and their supplier partners are doing what they can in one of the most challenging periods in history of the modern travel industry.
"I've been a part of many constructive conversations with agents, suppliers, and hoteliers and I think the overall tone has been great," Berglie said. "Everyone is absolutely respectful of each other's businesses and want to hear the issues so we can all work to prepare solutions and change our businesses as a result."
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