T+L Article Signals Shift in Attitude on Travel Agent Fees
byCheryl Rosen/
How times have changed in the past year or so. First the consumer press started acknowledging the wisdom of using good travel agents and the value they can bring. Now, it seems, the consumer press is even becoming sympathetic to agents charging fees – a practice that until recently was scorned as creating an unnecessary expense for consumers who could just book themselves.
In an article titled “How Travel Agent Fees Work,”Travel + Leisure本周指出“与一位出色的旅行社合作的任何人都会告诉您,他们值得以黄金的身份重量。”
“除了在旅行计划中承受压力,在您时与Snafus打交道。’re on the road, they can also open doors to reservations, experiences, and activities that you might otherwise not be able to find on your own. But all of that great service comes at a cost.”
Travel agent fees run from $100 to $500 and up, the article says. “That fee can be charged up front as a security deposit and can either be returned to you at the end of the planning process or, more commonly, applied to the cost of the trip itself.”
TheTravel + Leisure文章报价David Rubin,an LGBT luxury travelexpert, who charges a nonrefundable $250 travel designing fee that “may be applied to the cost of the trip depending on the work involved in the request.” It also quotes travel advisorCamelback Odyssey的Betsy Donley, whose$250 Plan to Go research fee comes with an outline of a vacation plan.
“When in doubt,” the article advises consumers, “ask an agent for clarification about their fee structure before proceeding with your plans.”