How We Get Paid

Now, you're wondering if you have to pay to consult with us.  The answer is no. Travel agents are paid small commissions by the travel companies, hotels, and cruise lines we book with. So, we only get paid if you book with us, and we get paid a very small commission (usually 5-10% before taxes and fees etc).

So, say you book a trip online with one of the big mega travel sites. You spend hours researching the best companies for the eco-travel trip you've been dying to go on since you read The Swiss Family Robinson. You finally make a choice, you book, and pay. Odds are you would have paid the same price for the trip if your booked it through  Travel Agents Incorporated. You see, the tour companies, hotels, and cruise lines don't pass that percentage discount along to you for omitting the middle man. Furthermore, you've paid the same amount, and you've done all of the work. You might also feel a little uneasy about your arrangements without any insight from an experienced agent who has expertise.

When We Charge Service Fees

Sometimes people tend to shy away from using a travel agency because they think they charge fees. And in some cases, travel agencies do charge nominal fees. For example, most travel agents these days charge a fee for airline tickets. Why? Well, the airlines, in an attempt to cut costs, cut their commissions to agents. The fact is that now, with ticket machines and other overhead involved in running tickets, it ends up costing agencies to run tickets. So, if you just need a flight to visit Aunt Bea in Hollywood, no car, no hotel, you will pay a nominal fee to book this with your travel agent (usually $35 but seldom more than $50).

However, this isn't a reason to shy away from using an agent to book your airline tickets. Travel Agents Incorporated has access to all of the available flights on all of the airlines. We can quickly check availability. We know what the cheapest cost per ticket is and we can tell you which days and seasons it is cheapest to fly. We can get you the best flight times, connections, and seats available. Your itinerary will be available to you online 24/7. You have somebody to call should you encounter difficulty with your arrangements while traveling. We can sell you insurance on the ticket and we can contact the airline on your behalf if you had a bad flight experience. You decide if this kind of expertise is worth a small fee.

We Really Do Get Better Deals

Travel Agents Incorporated has expertise and industry connections. We also have gateway specific knowledge. For example, we know if an airline is running a deal out of a nearby airport. We know if there is a new airline in town. And we know if that new airline is likely to go out of business in a month.

Let's look at a scenario. You want to go away somewhere warm and cheap. You don't care where. At the same time, a hotel company is trying to boost US travel to one of their beach front resorts. They will send a fax to us specifying deals out of nearby airports. In fact, we are most likely swimming in faxes and email promotions like this sent by travel companies with you in mind.

But we don't need faxes to get deals for you. We have knowledge. We have experience. We have expertise. Say you want to take a family reunion on a cruise ship with a country music theme. You can bet that we will know which cruise will suit you. Or you want to stay in a castle in Ireland, you can bet we have sent people to castles in Ireland.

Some Companies Work Only with Travel Agents

There are many travel wholesale companies that only deal with travel agents. These big companies negotiate rates with the airlines and hotels and pass the savings along to us. Hence, the travel providers give discount prices to middlemen, who raise the prices and pay commission to travel agents, who offer their services free to consumers. Hence, the big travel companies and the small consumers both have independent experts working for them.

Travel Agents Incorporated Will Throw Their Weight for You

Travel Agents Incorporated is a service provider. We want to have a relationship with you. Your happiness ensures our future profitability. So, if you experience a problem, we will advocate on your behalf. You had a bad flight? Tell us and we will forward your correspondence to the people who can make a difference.

Furthermore, we have industry pull. If you, as an individual, travel once a year and you have a bad experience, no big hotel chain or airline cares about you. They care about their most frequent travelers. So, if you stopped traveling, you wouldn't be missed. However, if travel agents boycott a hotel chain or an airline, you'd better believe they'd feel the pinch.

We Live on Referrals

Most of our advertising is word-of-mouth advertising.  Our clients routinely recommend us to their friends and family. And they do so without fear of regretting it. We are eager to work with new clients. If you should encounter an agent somewhere else who is abrupt or who you get a bad feeling about, contact us. You need to trust your agent. Ask questions. Include information about your budget, your travel experience, and your flexibility. If you are very restricted with your travel plans, your bottom line will increase. We know all of the ins and outs, so take advantage of our expertise. We are here to help, and enjoy doing so.