Travel Agent Perks

[Princess Victory]

Many many years ago before the internet, TA's were storefront agencies in your neighborhood. You would go in and sit and discuss your perfect vacation and when you went to pick up your tickets they would always give you a perk! (travel bags, luggage tags etc...)

 

Now-a-day's Online TA's are here to stay and offer the busy consumer quick service.

 

What were some perks that you got years ago from your TA and what perks do you get now?

[Cruise Junky]

I used to be sent crap wine, now I get an average of 11% off the cruise price....I like now better :)

[No1Conner]

As a TA it all depends on who the client is, how much the refer to me, destination and maybe the occasion. It could be gift certificates, luggage tags, discount, drink koozies, etc

[cruiseryyc]

I get the knowledge of having a live person to call if something goes wrong; plus he sends good bottles of wine.

[sammiedawg]

I have used conventional TA's a couple times to book. I received wine, photos, guide books, dining certificates to eat in the specialty restaurant, etc. It was nice to discuss pros and cons with a live person who was not in a hurry.

Generally I use Internet based agencies to save a little money and they dont generally throw anything else in other than a free photo or something small. Savings off the bottom line works best for us. I do not like the Internet agencies that throw in 3 day 2 night hotel stay somewhere else, I'm not interested in that type of promo.

[Toto2Kansas]

Gifts from travel agents usually depend on how discounted the price is that we receive/received.

We have gotten some of the same gifts now that we did 20 years ago. Tote bags, photo vouchers, wine, shipboard credit, luggage tags.

 

But when we purchase a cruise at a rate we know has discounted the TA's commision by a lot, we don't expect anything.

 

Back in the days when we received lots of gifts, we also paid close to brochure rate for our cruises (pre-internet times). A lot more than what we pay now for the same type of itineary and length of sailing.

 

But every once in awhile, we get a surprise from the TA we use, and it is usually one listed above.

[ancldaca]

Hmmm, today I got a comped membership to Hertz' #1 Gold Club. I think that's a nice one and very useful for me. On my first cruise with this T/A I also got a bottle of wine, a ship's photo album, and 2 on-board pics. On my second it was a flower arrangement for my parent's cabin. I know that on my upcoming cruise they'll send another bottle of wine.

 

I certainly appreciate these gifts but value their great service even more.

[Stevesan]

For booking (repeat customer) a two week cruise I got an obc voucher for a glass desk clock, value a whopping $12.95.

Great deal, huh? :p

[blindrid]

I guess my needs are to book a cruise at a fair price (not necessarily the cheapest) and really don't expect any treats. One problem with gifts are you may love the item and I may not as I may perceive it is junk.

 

I now typically use online sites that I can still call and talk to the person in charge of my booking (as I rarely do). I consider myself a pretty low maintenance customer and really don't need much more.

 

Moral of the story is I don't expect any gifts so if they throw something in fine, if not fine.

[Putterdude]

We like to work with a TA who is knowledgeable, offers good service and provides a good fare (we double check on line). We find generaly the TA will provide a bottle of wine in our cabin, flowers or an OB credit although I suspect the OB credit is actually part of the fare structure. I don't believe that TAs recieve the compensation that they one received from the cruise lines which makes it hard for them to do too much.

[sail7seas]

Getting harder to find any brick and mortar, down the street, neighborhood TA's. Most in our area have gone out of business. There used to be a fair number of them but now only a scant few.

 

[ehfl]

I avoid TA's as much as possible. I don't want a few perks, in exchange for finger-pointing when something goes wrong. I want to be dealing with the people responsible for fixing any problems. I don't want a TA pointing the fingter at the cruise line, while the cruise line points the finger at the TA.

 

A few bucks in an on board credit is not worth the hassle of having to double and tripple check on what the TA is telling me.

[c-legs]

. I don't believe that TAs recieve the compensation that they one received from the cruise lines which makes it hard for them to do too much.

;) You nailed it right on the head !!!

A ''perk'' comes from ''somewhere'', much like the proverbial ''free lunch''.

Compensation ain't what it's used to be, thus the window of opportunity for us TA to give something to our valued clients is smaller....

It's all relative.

 

Cheers

:)

[boards]

We use a TA because they know more about where we am going than we do. The advice they have given us over the years has been great and true. We do not use our TA (a her) because we expect a perk, just good advice and service and that we have received and is why we continue to book through a TA. WE have also found cruises that we have wanted to take and have the information onto her and it has worked out just fine.

[YoPhilly]

I used to be sent crap wine, now I get an average of 11% off the cruise price....I like now better :)

 

What a great line!!!! LOL :D