Today travel agents not only secure bus, cruise, plane, and train tickets as well as reservations for rental cars and hotel rooms, but also act as travel consultants and travel salespersons. Some even organize their own tours and act as tour guides or book their clients on tours conducted by other organizations. Four of the largest are AAA (American Automobile Association), American Express, Carlson/Wagonlit Travel, and Thomas Cook & Son.
What makes the job of travel agent one of the most difficult in the transportation business is, the never ending confusion surrounding air-line schedules and fares. At one time it was said that an agent could compute as many as twenty different fares between Boston and Washington, depending on the carrier, type of service, time of day, day of the week, length of stay in Washington, type of equipment flown, and age of the passenger or relationship to the purchaser of the tickets.
To set up a client's long journey with numerous stopovers may require calls to several carriers for the latest information on schedules and fares. Most travel agencies have computer terminals tied into airline reservations systems, and they are a great help for obtaining information and confirming reservations on any carrier. But to be a successful travel agent calls for a real knowledge of the business.
If you have patience and can stand pressure, this could become an interesting career. Generally speaking, the pay is not what it might be considering the long hours and hard work, but there is one good fringe benefit-free "educational trips" that airlines and hotels offer, hoping you will refer business to them once you are familiar with their service.
Today automation in the form of the new electronic ticket machines (ETMs) threatens many travel agents just as they do bank tellers. By telephoning an airline, bus company, or Amtrak, one can make travel arrangements and at the nearest ETM pay for and obtain the tickets. Obviously this may eliminate some travel agencies, but if one needs help in deciding where to go and stay, no ETM will substitute for a knowledgeable man or woman. Another problem for the industry is that many airlines have reduced the traditional commissions paid travel agents for handling reservations and issuing tickets. Although the workload is no less, the greatly reduced commissions do not, in many cases, provide enough income to pay for the required staff. We mention these developments because they probably will cut employment in this field somewhat but need not affect your career plans if you are serious about wanting to enter this industry.
Private employment agencies and your state employment security office are the best places to find out about the possible openings in travel agencies as well as any large corporation that uses an employee rather than a travel agent to make all company travel arrangements. If you obtain no leads, contact the agencies yourself to see if any of them could use a beginner who is eager to learn the business. A high school diploma is a must for a travel agent, and general familiarity with airline, Amtrak, and bus routes is essential. Some technical schools offer two-year programs in travel and tourism, and a few colleges offer bachelors and master's degrees in this subject.
