My (partial) list of services that travel agents have provided that you can't get from a web-site or a single airline. 1) Consolidator fares. UAL wants $2400, Consolidator fare for same flights $1000. Duhhh. 2) On fares between $400-$3000 my travel agent CONTINUALLY beats the best fare from www.itasoftware.com, www.ual.com, www.orbitz.com, www.tripeze.com, www.qixo.com, www.expedia.com WELL in excess of any ticket issue fee (in most cases 2x and 3x) 3) Rental car rates, hotel rates the web sites can't even touch. (and I DO check.) 4) Travel agents can tell you how full a flight is, in what fare classes etc. Web-sites and airlines won't. 5) Travel agents have the best user-interface in the world -> The human voice. 6) Ever shopped for competitive travel insurance on the web? Agents can handle it with ease. 7) Some airlines and fares can't even be booked online in conjunction with other travel (Tobago Express.) 8) One point of contact for a complete, complex, interline travel. (UAL won't touch an AC res, and can't even SEE an AA one.) Dealing with a web-site or an airline by airline/hotel by hotel basis is a self-service concept. It, for a good amount of travel, is not the cheapest or best service model. With well over 60% of the market capable of self-service for travel, less than 25% actually do it. That's a bit of a gap. SABRE and it's compadre's have been built over forty years, it's quite premature to think the entire model can be replaced in a matter of a few years. Matthew > -----Original Message----- > From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU] On > Behalf Of Aviatsiya aviatsiya.ru > Sent: March 28, 2002 7:33 AM > To: AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU > Subject: Re: Airline Travel Agent Commissions > > > Mark, I understand that you always have your clients > interests first, but what type of after-sales "service" do > you provide to ensure your customers are happy? What do you > do if they aren't happy, to ensure they come back? > > Cheers > > Scotty ;-) > > <<I ALWAYS have my clients interest as my first priority >