Over my eight years in the travel industry I’ve worked in various positions. First, at a call center for a tour operator in Massachusetts. There I learned the ins and outs of working with Destination Management Companies (DMCs), hotel managers, and local vendors. I also became familiar with group rates, rack rates, and run of house (ROH) rooms. Later I transitioned into a role that dealt more with alumni and special interest group travel which allowed me to immerse myself in the world of customized travel and amenities. Finally, I left the call center life behind and entered the world of luxury travel as a travel agent for a bespoke travel company.

Life as a travel agent has its ups and downs, and there are a few things – positive and negative – you might want to consider before getting into the industry!

Keep in mind, there are travel agents that are completely independent with their own International Air Transport Association (IATA) number, and travel agents who have a host agency or work with a company who provides an IATA number for them. I will get into those differences on a later post, but my current situation is working as a travel agent with a company.

Here are the 3 pros and cons that I’ve experienced as a travel agent in the post-COVID world:

Pros

Travel Perks

I have a feeling that most travel enthusiasts get into the travel industry because of their love of travel and the subsequent perks that come with it. The perks that come with working as a travel agent, in my experience, are plentiful, and networking really goes a long way to expand your perks. For independent and non-independent travel agents just starting out, here are a few of my favorite perks that don’t require any networking:

• Marriott Travel Agent Rates: Marriott has a program called Hotel Excellence! that offers online modules to learn about the Marriott brand and their hotels. If you complete the required modules (and quizzes!) you’ll receive a completion certificate and access to their discounted “FAM-tastic” rates which you can book online. Rates are applicable to many (not all) properties in the Marriott portfolio, and there are blackout dates.

• Disney Travel Agent Program for free + discounted tickets: This is a fun one! If you sign up for Disney Travel Agents with your IATA number, you can complete online modules to become eligible for a free Disneyworld or Disneyland ticket (without needing to book a client at Disney). You can also receive discounted park tickets and rates for cruises. The travel agent dashboard is user-friendly for keeping up to date with your bookings, current offers, and program updates.

• Agent Experience: When you receive your IATA card in the mail, certifying you as a professional travel agent, you’ll receive an invitation to create an account on Agent Experience. This website is an aggregate for some of the most popular discounts you can obtain with your IATA number. Many of the offers include: discounted hotel stays, car rentals, and car transfers. The website also partners with Memberperks for additional discounts for IATA card holders from entertainment discounts to pet shop discounts.

• Industry Rates at Any Hotel: If you’ve been networking and attending conferences, or have access to a database key contacts at hotels you will eventually have a large network of hotel contacts. You can reach out to a Sales Manager to inquire about the possibility of discounted industry rates, which in my experience are more generous than online agent programs. They’re not always guaranteed, but I find that you have a better chance of getting good deals or even complimentary nights going directly to a contact.

Flexibility

Working as a travel agent means you don’t have to be in an office (most of the time) as you typically speak with clients over email or phone. The flexibility of not being tied down to an office or worse, having to commute to work daily, is a real life changer. Not only have I been saving money on gas by not having to drive to and from an office, but I can work outside in the sun and get some Vitamin D with my pajamas on.

Pro tip: Traveling to Europe doesn’t mean you have to take PTO to enjoy your trip! I have found that I am able to do activities during the day, and then return to the hotel around 3 PM (usually 9 AM US Eastern time) to start working. A break for a local dinner later in the day, and it’s the perfect formula to both work and enjoy a destination.

This is one of the main reasons why I decided to move to Curacao earlier this year, and my mind and body have been thankful for it. Not only can I enjoy the refreshing Caribbean breeze during the day, but I can enjoy the company of my dogs all while providing the same excellent service to my clients. In fact, a lot of the digital nomad community is made up of travel planners who have decided to move around and explore the world while planning trips for their clients. It’s a win-win!

Building travel knowledge

To be a travel agent, a passion for travel is a must. I’m not exaggerating when I say I live, eat, sleep, breathe travel every day – it’s always on my mind. I’m always thinking about client trips coming up and things I need to do, and I am always thinking about where I should go for my next trip. For me, when a client asks me about traveling to Uruguay, for example, I love that I get the opportunity to research what types of properties are there. I learn that Punta del Este is the best place to experience beach culture in Uruguay, but Jose Ignacio nearby has even better beaches and properties. Then I research the nearest airport and if there are any direct flights from the US to get there and log all that information in my brain for future planning.

I get excited at the idea of building my travel knowledge base so with enough time I can be a walking catalog of travel information and know the best properties in any city off the top of my head.

I mentioned the word FAM previously which means ‘familiarization’, and if you’re working for a great company that invests in their agents’ growth, FAM trips should be a perk offered. These trips are the perfect opportunity for building your travel knowledge first hand. Whether the trip is domestic or on the other side of the world, having first hand experience goes a long way with clients. This goes for travel conferences and local vendor events as well! There are plenty of travel conferences taking place throughout the year, and you end up running into the same sales managers for hotels you frequently book which is a great networking stepping stone.

Cons

Long and odd hours

I’m not going to lie, being a travel agent can be extremely demanding. The peak seasons for travel are typically March-April, June-August, and November-January. That’s at least 8 months out of the year of constant trip planning and execution. Not to mention holidays like President’s Day, Labor Day, etc. where families like to go somewhere fun for a long weekend.

Even clients who like to plan their trips for the year in advance take a lot of time. Chances are flight schedules will change or the client will have a change of plans and will ask to move something around. Many times, no matter how far in advance you plan, concierge can’t make restaurant reservations until 1 month prior. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse trying to plan trips, and it can get exhausting. There are a lot of moving parts to keep track of!

Travel work rarely falls into standard office hours of 9 AM – 5 PM, and I’ll tell you why. Time difference is a big factor – there’s nothing like trying to chase vendors for answers in Japan at 11:00 PM at night because that’s when their offices open. If I had a nickel for every time I needed to wake up extra early to call Europe to follow up on an email sent days ago, I could retire already!

Perk blackout dates

A black out date is a period of time where an offer cannot be taken advantage of. It’s great to have many travel opportunities available as an agent, however I find myself thinking sometimes, “why bother offering travel industry rates if there are so many black out dates?“. In my opinion, it’s in the best interest of hotels to allow travel agents to stay at their property during peak travel so they can accurately gauge service levels and hotel quality at a time when clients would typically be there. That’s often not the case, however. Take the Marriott FAM rates as an example – if I tried to book FAM rates the Miami Beach EDITION in December I’d have no luck.

Sometimes agent rates aren’t even worth it. I’ve booked many personal stays for myself at the regular rate to receive a promotion that brought the rate below the discounted agent rate. Plus, they’re usually commissionable that way so you could get some money back in addition to special perks, such as complimentary breakfast or a hotel credit.

Pro tip: When in doubt, it’s always better to reach out to the hotel directly, usually the sales manager, to ask for industry rates.

Cuts from commission

Now, I’m speaking from the perspective of a non-independent agent working for a company with a host agency IATA. I can’t speak to the commission process of agents with their own IATA, though my guess is there are less cuts to commission being fully independent as there are less 3rd parties involved.

In my experience when you use a host agency’s IATA number, the hotel pays the commission directly to the host agency, not to you. Depending on the agency, they keep a certain amount of the commission that comes into them, and you (or your company) gets the rest.

Why use a host agency IATA number if you have to pay them a cut of your commission? Registering for your own IATA number can be complicated, and to be eligible for certain benefits, such as Virtuoso, there are certain standards. you need to meet. This is why many agents starting out use a host agency until they get their feet off the ground, and then eventually register for their own IATA number.

Keep in mind, it’s not only hotels that pay commissions, but airlines too. Using the power of a host agency usually means they have a ticketing department who can issue commissionable airline tickets for your clients. Not all airlines pay commissions, but you have a better chance than booking flights directly on the airline website – which yields zero commission. Many agencies charge a fee for each ticket issued, and unless that fee is passed on to your client that will come out of your commission. Car rentals, cruises, tour operators, etc. usually pay commissions as well, and those will all go to your host agency, which you’ll receive a cut of.

Final Thoughts

The travel agent life is not for everyone, but it can be a rewarding experience for those who are passionate about travel. The opportunities to travel and discover new destinations while networking and building client relationships often overcomes any of the cons encountered. I personally value being able to live and work from the Caribbean and travel anywhere in the world only requiring my laptop and phone to work. As the travel industry continues to evolve, I believe now is a better time than ever to be a travel agent if travel calls to you.