No One Pays Less for Travel Than a Travel Agent

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 56 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #2,142 in Travel, #77,145 overall

New Trends in Travel

The travel industry is changing rapidly. It used to be if you were planning a vacation or making a flight reservation, you'd call your travel agent. That all changed with the introduction of the Internet and online travel companies like Expedia and Travelocity. Sure, some of their specials are great, but if you're booking directly with them, you're not always getting the best deal. Think about it. These companies spend millions of dollars on advertising. And guess who's paying for it? More than 200,000 brick and mortar travel agencies have closed down since the introduction of Expedia, Hotwire, and Priceline. But the truth is, even these online travel giants are losing market share. Why? Because now it's possible for people to purchase travel through their own booking engines. In the past couple of years more than 135,000 people started home-based travel agencies with personalized booking engines, and that number is growing every day.

CST#2057620-40

Are You Booking Your Travel Online? 

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Should You Be Your Own Travel Agent? 

For a low monthly website fee, you receive a state-of-the-art search engine powered and supported by our partner, Travelocity. Your personalized website offers the same inventory and competitive pricing as Travelocity.com which includes more than 60 airlines and 74,300 hotels. You'll have immediate access to thousands of pages of content, millions of dollars of inventory... and you'll make a commission on every single purchase. All transactions booked through your site are backed by Travelocity's 24-hour, 1,200 person customer support center. It costs nothing to check it out and you can even sign up for free as a Rep and upgrade later.

You're the Boss at Your Own Agency! 

As a Referring Travel Agent (RTA), you'll earn commissions on all travel and services booked through your personalized website, even on purchases made by your friends and family. Once you're set up, anyone can use your booking engine. Just point them to it! Customer support is provided around the clock by Travelocity. Your booking engine and related sites cover a full range of travel services, including:
  • Airline Tickets
  • Cruises, Hotels & Resorts
  • Foreign Currency Exchange
  • Car Rentals
  • Golf Tee Times
  • Floral Delivery
  • Limousine Services
  • NASCAR Tickets
  • Concert & Show Tickets
  • Theater Tickets
  • Honeymoon Registry

What it Means to Travel as an Insider 

Travel Agents never pay full price. Every day my email in-box is full of offers like this...

Round-Trip from Dallas to Cancun
6 Days, Ocean-View Suite
All Meals & Drinks Included

Cost of Trip: $2,357
Less Commissions: -$300
Less Typical Tax Deduction: -$657

Net Cost: $1,400

This example represents a real trip taken by a Referring Travel Agent.

How About This... 

Round-Trip from Los Angeles to Tahiti
5 Days, Bungalow Upgrade for Two People
Travel Agent Price: $1,398
Best Retail Price: $6,558

Total Savings: $5,160

This example represents an actual trip offered to travel agents, as compared to the best price available to tourists through other online booking websites.

Tourist vs. Travel Agent 

Which would you rather pay?

$6,558 ~ Tourist

or

$1,398 ~ Travel Agent

Travel & Tourism Facts 

  • The Travel Industry represents 10% of the U.S. economy
  • The Travel Industry is growing 23% faster than the global economy
  • Online travel is a 50 Billion Dollar industry
  • Online travel is the fastest growing sector on the Internet
  • Forty cents of every dollar spent on the Internet is spent on
    travel or travel-related services
  • More than 200,000 travel agencies have gone out of business in the past 10 years, primarily due to the Internet

Let's Compare 

Tourist 1-Week Cruise Including Air
Cost of Cruise: $4,400

Travel Agent 1-Week Cruise Including Air
Cost of Cruise: $1,400
Less Typical Tax Deduction: -$560
Net Cost: $840

Total Savings: $3,560

Tourist vs. Travel Agent 

Which would you rather pay?

$4,400 ~ Tourist

or

$840 ~ Travel Agent

How Would You Like To Write Off ... 

  • Cell phone charges
  • Internet connection charges
  • Telephone add-on services like, 3-way calling, forwarding and voicemail
  • 48.5 cents per mile on business-related driving
  • Entertainment deductions like business meals and golf
  • Home office supplies like paper and printer cartridges

As a Travel Agent, You Do! 

There are nearly 500 laws that allow small business owners to save money on their taxes. The minute you sign up for your own online travel agency, you're entitled to a number of tax deductions. In my case, the cell phone and Internet deductions alone more than offset the monthly website fee. My parents, who are retired, are now able to write off tens of thousands of dollars for their personal travel because of this business. They no longer take vacations... they take Pay-cations! Anyone who travels and understands the power of tax advantages will want to take a serious look at this business.

It Gets Even Better 

If all you received were travel and tax benefits, your own travel booking engine would still be well worth the signup fee. But there is another component to this business. You're rewarded for bringing new partners in who also purchase their own booking engines. This is purely optional. There are no requirements to recruit other business partners.

Testimonials 

I initially got into the travel industry to make money. While on an Alaskan cruise, I realized the perks were worth almost as much to me as the income. We saw whales from our stateroom suite, went white-water rafting, mountain biking, and had hot-rock massages. When I found out the couple staying next to us paid $4,800 for the same treatment and we paid $750, I almost felt... guilty. Traveling as a travel professional is the only way to go!
~ Cameron

On a trip to the Italian Riviera, we stayed at several four-star hotels in the $325 per day range. By simply presenting our Referring Travel Agent credentials, the prices were lowered to an average of $125 per day! That included the best of rooms, certain meals and extra first class treatment! And it was entirely tax deductible.
~ Gary & Diane

One of my favorite trips was to a resort in Mexico offering a $180 standard room for only $50. At check-in I was upgraded to a 2,000 square foot suite normally costing $600 a night, saving me $3,300. Then my CPA said that as a Referring Travel Agent, who is promoting the travel industry, I could deduct the whole trip off my income taxes! I have already saved so much in taxes I would never even think of giving up this business.
~ Suzanne

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Legal Disclaimer 

The YTB companies offer two unique and powerful business opportunities, that of referring travel agent or RTA and that of independent marketing representative or Rep. The travel agent opportunity has an initial fee under $500 and a monthly license fee of $49.95. There is no fee or travel agency purchase required to be a Rep. You may choose to participate in one or both opportunities.

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