Agents tips

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) continues to push back against American Airlines' controversial New Distribution Capability (NDC) rollout.On Monday, the Alexandria, Virginia-based organization launched a weeklong ad campaign in POLITICO magazine in hopes of influencing lawmakers in Washington, D.C.Beginning May 1, American will stop awarding AAdvantage miles and loyalty accrual points through agencies unless they are deemed "preferred," a status achieved by having a 2024 incentive agreement with the airline or by booking through American NDC channels and reaching progressive sales thresholds of 30 percent by April 21, 50 percent by October 31 and 70 percent by April 30, 2025."This latest development doubles down on American Airlines' clear agenda since last year to force the travel agency industry to adopt immature technology, monopolize distribution channels, and squeeze channel partners and customers for cost-cutting and profit," ASTA stated.Additionally, ASTA is offering a toolkit for travel advisors to reach out to their congressional representatives. The organization is also encouraging members to send their clients to SaveMyMiles.com to take action."Tell them to stop AA from disenfranchising customers who book through travel agencies by telling Congress—don’t let American Airlines eliminate consumer choice," says ASTA.

Travel advisors weighed in on the ramifications of Gogo Vacations and American Queen Voyages shuttering their doors, along with the termination of the JetBlue-Spirit merger, noting that nothing is off the table in the post-pandemic era.

Just when you thought you’d seen everything imaginable on Instagram, one woman comes along and defies all expectations. Ever seen a professional musical theatre actor-turned-travel advisor? Well, there’s one out there, alright, and she’s attracting plenty of attention with her cleverly written original lyrics about the world of travel, which she flawlessly sets to the tune of famous songs.

What are the most pressing issues facing travel advisors in 2024?

TTC Tour Brands has added Celtic travel expert Brendan Vacations to the Travel Advisor Portal (TAP).Advisors can now book all guided itineraries across the TTC Tour Brands portfolio—including Trafalgar, Contiki, Costsaver, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold and Brendan Vacations—using one convenient portal.With TAP, advisors can book itineraries with flights and insurance, pre- and post-nights, pre-paid gratuities and discounts for each client’s booking. They can also access downloadable itineraries and invoices, make additional payments, find transfer details and complete a client’s registration on their behalf."With spring nearly in the air and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations top of mind, the Celtic selling season is in full bloom which is why we’re delighted to let our travel partners know they may conveniently access Brendan’s guided itineraries through the TAP portal," Guy Young, Chief Engagement Officer at TTC Tour Brands, said in a statement."Our number one priority for advisors is ensuring all the tools and support are easily accessible to make working with TTC Tour Brands as seamless and effective as possible."Advisors can visit agents.ttc.com/login to access Brendan Vacations’ guided itineraries for booking on TAP.

Success Stories focus on veteran travel advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Niki Rakowitz, founder of Visionary CARE Travel and CT Signature Collection.

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is calling on travel agencies and advisors to contact their respective members of Congress to make their case as to why they shouldn't be on the hook for issuing airline refunds to clients."For the first time since 2018, Congress is reevaluating federal aviation policy through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization process. This is our opportunity to influence sound policy that recognizes the value of the travel advisor in the greater travel industry," the organization states.  "Travel agencies sell 40 percent of all air tickets, and travel agencies are considered ticket agents under both federal statute and government regulations."ASTA points out that the House version of the FAA Reauthorization bill contains clear language that travel agencies are not responsible for providing airline refunds if they are no longer in possession of the client’s funds. However, the provision was left out of the bill passed by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation earlier this month.ASTA is hoping to change that and is encouraging advisors to email their members of Congress—one House Representative and two Senators—through its grassroots portal.

Success Stories focus on veteran travel advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Becky Smith, owner of Becky’s Travel Biz Inc in Gainesville, Ga.

Travel advisors are invited to join ALG Vacations for an enlightening live webinar on Monday, March 4 at 2 p.m. ET.The webinar is free to attend for qualified travel professionals and includes the chance to win a free three-night stay at the award-winning all-inclusive UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya.Moderated by Northstar Travel Group's EVP of Marketing and Partnerships, Mary Pat Sullivan, the virtual event will feature insights from Jacki Marks, Global Head of Trade Brands, as well as Mike Ehlers, Vice President, Groups, and Jim Tedesco, Vice President, Sales.The trio will break down ALG Vacations' implementation of key initiatives designed to continue driving demand for advisors by letting travelers know advisors are the only way to go.Attendees will get the latest details regarding new events, including ALGV Pros on the Go featuring two mega FAM trips in Cancun, Mexico and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in 2024.Advisors will also learn about enhanced groups technology to make planning easier, ALGV's Amstar transformation and new product launches, including in the lucrative luxury segment.Click here to register for next month's ALG Vacations webinar.

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Luxury villa company Rental Escapes is offering a new bonus commission incentive for travel advisors, going on now through the end of February, offering up to $5,000 in bonus commission. 

Corina Johnson. (Source: Corina Johnson)

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has submitted comments to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which would prohibit unfair or deceptive practices relating to fees for goods or services.Focusing specifically on junk fees often charged by hotels and other short-term lodging services that result in a misleading total cost, ASTA expressed support for transparency."As an advocate for not only travel agencies and individual advisors but also the millions of consumers who rely on our members’ services, ASTA believes that the rule as proposed would greatly benefit consumers of hotel and other short-term lodging services, and it is in that context that ASTA has the greatest interest in the proposed rulemaking," the organization said in a letter signed by Peter N. Lobasso, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, ASTA."While charging mandatory resort fees has come under greater scrutiny in recent years, up until now predominantly by regulators and enforcement agencies at the state level, the practice remains common in the industry.""Moreover, the manner in which resort fees, also alternatively referred to by hoteliers as 'amenity fees' or 'destination fees,' among other terms commonly used, are disclosed to consumers is highly inconsistent," ASTA added. "And, as many hotel properties are independently owned and operated franchises, there is little uniformity in this regard even among hotels doing business under the same brand name."The organization is calling for uniform application of the full disclosure obligation."ASTA strongly believes that all consumers, regardless of where or how they choose to book their travel, have a right to expect that hotels, as well as OTAs, short-term rental intermediaries and other distributors of lodging services, provide complete pricing information, exclusive of any Government Charges, upfront in a transparent manner to permit meaningful comparison shopping. Moreover, we are of the opinion that the full disclosure obligation should apply uniformly irrespective of the distribution channel or medium used by the consumer when booking a hotel room."ASTA also asked for clarity regarding proposed penalty provisions in the context of intermediated transactions."As a matter of fairness, we believe intermediaries that reasonably rely on erroneous information provided by the entity charging the fee should be relieved of liability for the error. To that end, ASTA respectfully requests that the Final Rule include either an outright exemption or a 'safe harbor' mechanism to protect an innocent third-party seller from enforcement action in this scenario."

Crystal, the luxury cruise line owned by A&K Travel Group, has become a preferred supplier of the travel agency consortium, Ensemble, which has travel agents in both the U.S. and Canada. 

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The new year is right around the corner. Are you ready to have a successful year? 

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A senior Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) official revealed Thursday that travel advisors would no longer receive commissions for the entire cruise fare on advanced bookings, starting in the first quarter of 2024.

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