How to Become a Travel Agent: Everything You Need to Know
dragana991 / iStock
Are you great at finding reasonably priced flights and hotel rooms? Does making itineraries and solving booking issues come naturally to you? If your answer is yes, you might want to consider becoming a travel agent. And if you’re the designated “trip-planning friend,” you’re already halfway there.
You might think the the profession is outdated, but that’s not what the data shows: According to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), 50 percent of travelers are more likely to use a travel agent now than they were in the past. Not only are travel agents needed, but the career’s earning potential can be impressive, depending on the type of agent you choose to be. Use this guide to learn how to become a travel agent and kickstart your journey into a unique career.
RELATED: 26 Best Trip-Planning Hacks Straight From Travel Agents .
What do travel agents do?
A travel agent’s job is to ensure their clients have the best travel arrangements. Using their expertise, they offer advice and essential details about your trip, make your reservations, book flights and hotels, and manage your travel plans overall. Any hiccups regarding your accommodations are handled by them, and they are the best at finding money-saving deals. Travel agents prioritize your needs, like your vacation schedule and budget.
Their goal is to provide peace of mind throughout the trip-planning process so you can get the most out of your vacation.
What credentials do you need to be a travel agent?
You don’t necessarily need a degree to become a travel agent, but getting some training within the field could be in your best interest. This not only makes you an attractive candidate to employers and agencies who may require a form of certification , but also helps you appear more qualified, which can help further your career in the long run.
Even though there might not be a degree in “travel agency” per se, you can opt for a related program like business, economics, or hospitality instead.
Friends Stock / Shutterstock
What do you need to become a travel agent?
There are different ways to become a travel agent, but anyone hoping to break into the field should definitely keep the following three points in mind.
Decide what kind of travel agent you want to be.
Having a specific focus on the kind of travel experience you want to provide allows you to build the knowledge and resources to best help those specific clients. Suppose you want to work in corporate travel: Building your skills according to your niche clientele and field will help you sharpen the skills you need to develop your expertise.
Learn about the travel industry and its trends.
The travel agency field is constantly shifting, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on industry changes and trends to know what you should be offering clients. People’s preferences are ever-changing, so knowing what’s hot and what’s not is crucial. Spend time learning which places are popular and unpopular based on the season, or which restaurants are staple visits. This shows a solid and up-to-date understanding your clients will appreciate.
Build your communication and interpersonal skills.
A large part of being a travel agent is advising your clients and earning their trust, which doesn’t happen overnight. Presenting yourself as knowledgeable and approachable can encourage them to trust your judgment and recommendations. This is especially important if you’re not working with a travel agency, because you’ll have to rely more on your brand and relationships instead of leaning on a company’s reputation.
Maintaining a healthy balance of communication between you and your clients is also essential, which means scheduling phone calls, in-person meetings, keeping up with emails, and any other form of communication your client prefers.
RELATED: 9 Ways Flying First Class Can Actually Save You Money, Travel Experts Say .
Kateryna Onyshchuk / iStock
Get certified if you can
Getting a certificate can be pricey and cost hundreds of dollars . So, if this option is not feasible for you, that’s understandable. However, while certification isn’t a requirement to become a travel agent, it can certainly help you throughout your career. Here are a few certificate programs to consider.
Certified Travel Counselor
This Travel Institute certificate requires at least five years of experience and a Certified Travel Association certification. This course focuses on marketing and building consumer relationships. CTC costs $550 to complete the course and $600 for the CTC Fast Track.
Certified Travel Industry Executive
CTIE is also backed by the Travel Institute and requires at least five years of field experience. This $550 program includes courses on travel business, marketing management, bookkeeping, and travel law.
ASTA Verified Travel Advisor
This certificate is given by the American Society of Travel Advisors and teaches applicants about the legalities of travel and how to solidify relationships with consumers. The nine-course program also focuses on ethical travel advising, agency law, and travel agency compliance.
For ASTA members, the course is $399, and for nonmember independent contractors, it’s $598. Travel Advisor nonmembers pay the steepest price, which is $729, and $179 for recertification.
RELATED: 7 Hacks for Flying With Just a Carry-On—No Matter How Long Your Trip Is .
PeopleImages / iStock
How much do travel agents make?
According to Indeed , travel agents make an average of $53,924, and salaries can range between $30,131 and $96,506, depending on where you live. But other factors can affect an agent’s earning potential, like working independently instead of for a travel agency.
A travel agent’s income also depends on their area of travel. The Hotel Agency Review 2023 report revealed that corporate and luxury travel agents earn much more than agents who focus on Disney and cruise trips.
Your experience level can also impact your earning potential, as agents who have worked in the field longer are typically viewed as more qualified.
RELATED: The 7 Best Cruises to Book If You’re Over 60 .
Do travel agents get discounts on flights?
Being a travel agent doesn’t automatically mean you get tons of discounts and deals, but they do have access to perks that can help make planning trips easier and less expensive. Travel agents have the inside scoop on reduced rates because of their relationships with hotels and airlines. As a result, agents share these negotiated prices with their clients to help them save. Agents can, of course, also benefit from this insider knowledge and save money on their own trips.
Thanks to their agents, clients can enjoy luxury accommodations at high-end hotels like Hyatt Privé, Hilton Impresario, Marriott STARS & Luminous, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, and Mandarin Oriental Fan Club, to name a few. These perks range from spa services and later checkout times to room upgrades and complimentary breakfast.
dima_sidelnikov / iStock
How do you make money as a travel agent?
There are several ways a travel agent can make money in their field beyond selling travel packages or working for an agency.
Travel agents can charge a service fee, which is a base pay clients cover along with any other charges.
Travel agents can also make commissions from their contracts with hotels, tour/excursion companies, cruises, car rental services, and airlines. Add-ons like insurance can also help boost an agent’s income, if their client wants it.
Booking group tours can increase a travel agent’s earnings because their commission is based on how much their clients purchase, so more people means more accommodations. For example, booking travel for destination weddings or family reunions is an excellent way to book multiple hotel rooms. It’s such a lucrative strategy that some agents make group booking their niche, because managing just a few a year can bring in a substantial profit.
RELATED: The Best Day to Book Flights for Your Next Getaway .
Wrap Up
Being a travel agent comes with many perks, but ultimately, becoming one takes a lot of dedicated effort. Taking the time to learn about the travel industry is a great way to expand your tourism knowledge and consumer communication techniques. Refining your skills and becoming certified is one of the best ways to attract and retain clients.
So, if becoming a travel agent sounds like the career for you, join this community of globetrotters and combine your love for adventure, great deals, and helping others plan impressive getaways.
- Source: American Society of Travel Advisors
- Source: ASTA: March 2023 Consumer Research Headlines
The Best Day to Book Flights for Your Next Getaway
Shutterstock
There’s a lot of stress involved with planning a trip, and that starts right at the beginning of the process as you’re thinking about what day you should click purchase for your ticket. So, when is the best day to book flights?
Flights are historically expensive right now, thanks to a range of factors, including pilot shortages, expensive jet fuel, and an increase in demand. So it makes sense that travelers are looking for all sorts of ways to save on plane fares.
We spoke to six travel experts about the best day and time to book a flight. They gave us tips on flight deals and how to save when traveling by air.
READ THIS NEXT: 12 U.S. Islands to Add to Your Bucket List—No Passport Required .
The Best Time to Book a Flight
Shutterstock
Domestic Flights
Best day of the week to buy airline tickets
Most travel experts agree that there’s no time that’s better than another when it comes to purchasing the tickets, but when you’re planning what day to take off, there are a few days that will have cheaper airfare than others.
“The cheapest days of the week to fly are usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, as most business travel takes place on Monday and Friday,” says Mercedes Zach, a travel expert at ASAP Tickets .
Fiala says that the best day of the week to travel essentially boils down to supply and demand. Because most business travelers are flying on Mondays and Fridays, that leads to higher costs when you want to book tickets on those days. As fewer people fly out during the middle of the week, the cheapest airfare will be available on those days.
“Flights tend to be cheaper on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, not when they’re bought on a Tuesday, but flying out on a Tuesday,” Fiala says. “Weekend days tend to be more expensive because the majority of people opt to fly somewhere on Fridays and Saturdays. So in essence, it’s supply and demand.”
Best time of day to buy airline tickets
There’s no time that’s better than any other for purchasing tickets, but there are better times to find cheap airline tickets, especially if you’re an early bird.
Flights that take off at 9 a.m. or earlier tend to have cheaper fares, on average, according to The Points Guy. The earliest flights of the day, those that leave before 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., are approximately 15 percent cheaper than those that leave throughout the rest of the day.
“You can also usually save money on flights by booking ones that are either late at night or early in the morning,” says Nathan Russo, director of operations at Florida Panhandle . “Peak travel times during the day are always going to be a little more expensive, so going for uncommon hours can help your wallet.”
International Flights
Best day of the week to buy airline tickets
Just like domestic flights, experts say that there’s no overall best day to book flights, it might be good to search for cheap deals on these days. Joel Speyers, the co-founder of Prep4Travel , says that these deals typically get launched on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
Similarly to domestic flights, the cheapest days to take an international flight are typically during the middle of the week, on a Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Speyers.
“A midweek departure and return statistically are cheapest,” Speyers says. “Flying on weekdays, particularly Tuesdays and Wednesdays, tends to offer better deals compared to weekends. This is because fewer people tend to travel on these days, resulting in lower demand and potentially lower prices.”
Best time of day to buy airline tickets
There’s no best time of the day to look at international airline ticket prices, and there’s no specific time in which travelers can find the best deals. But there are better times of the day to take a flight, and that all depends upon where the flight’s destination is.
Destination is the most important factor when choosing a time to fly internationally. Due to differences in time zones, many flights from the United States to Europe will leave later in the day, or during the night, so the plane can fly through the night and arrive at the destination in the morning. While you’re likely to be jetlagged, you won’t have to land in a foreign country in the middle of the night.
There are only a few destinations in Europe where passengers can book a daytime flight, according to Simple Flying, all of which leave from the East Coast or Chicago, including London, Istanbul, and Reykjavik. Similarly, West Coast flights leaving for Asia or Australia will also depart later in the evening.
For international destinations that are close to the United States, like Canada, Mexico, or countries in the Caribbean, there are flights that leave at all times of day. In those cases, it’s best to follow Russo’s advice to find the cheapest airfare: book flights that leave either very early in the morning or late at night.
READ THIS NEXT: 7 Clothing Items to Never Wear Through Airport Security, Experts Say .
Why do people believe there’s a best day to book a flight?
Shutterstock
For years, there’s been a myth about airline booking: that there’s a magic day when flights are typically cheaper. But, unfortunately, for hopeful bargain hunters, that’s not true.
“There are no best days to book flights,” says travel consultant Kelie Fiala at Vacations Planned . “Ever since online booking has really come into play, airlines have adopted dynamic pricing that changes regularly based on algorithms and purchase trends. Because of technology, these changes can be made almost immediately.”
In the internet’s early days, airlines would manually update their prices on the same day each week, according to travel site Going, leading some to believe that the day the prices were updated was the cheapest day to buy plane tickets. While some prices would be lower on those days, that wasn’t the case for every flight and led travelers to incorrectly assume that the only possibility of obtaining a cheap ticket would be on the day the prices were updated.
Now, these changes happen almost instantaneously through algorithms, and travelers should regularly be on the lookout for travel deals that can pop up any day of the week. Still, there are tips and tricks travelers can keep in mind for booking cheaper flights.
Other Factors Affecting Flight Prices
In early 2022, flight prices hit a record high, and while they have gone down a bit in the past year, they’re still relatively steep. That’s due to a number of factors, including a spike in jet fuel costs.
“One of the main reasons linked directly to the increased airfare fees is of course the fuel price that has gone up by 20 percent to 35 percent,” Zach says.
Another reason that airfare prices seem to be higher is because demand has drastically increased in the past few years. Since many countries dropped COVID-19 travel restrictions in 2021 and 2022, travel has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels in many places, according to the World Economic Forum. With an increased demand for travel, flight prices are bound to increase.
While there is an increased demand for travel, there are fewer crews to work on airlines. The travel industry was one of the hardest hit industries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with most travel coming to a complete standstill. Throughout the pandemic, airlines in the United States lost more than 400,000 employees , according to Forbes. The staff shortage has contributed to airlines canceling and delaying thousands of flights and has also contributed to more expensive flight prices because there are fewer routes.
What Tools Are Available to Help Me Find Cheap Flights?
The most convenient way to know if you’re purchasing a cheap flight is by comparing it to other flights on different airlines. There are a few websites that can easily compare flights on the same day, like Kayak or Google Flights, which not only show the price of different flights on a particular day, but also tell you if they believe the price will increase or decrease over time.
“There are many tools to help you find cheap flights,” says Hans Mast, a travel expert at Golden Rule Travel . “Websites like Skyscanner, Finty, Google Flights, and Kayak allow you to compare prices across various airlines. Hopper is a mobile app that predicts flight prices with 95 percent accuracy up to one year in advance.”
Eva Darron/Unsplash
How far in advance should you book airline tickets?
When it comes to booking travel, the amount of time you should give yourself when booking a ticket differs based on whether you’re intending to fly domestically or internationally. When you’re booking a domestic trip, Speyers recommends booking six to eight weeks in advance of flying.
He says that booking too far in advance, more than six months before a trip, or too close to a flight, within two weeks of departing, can result in higher fares. For international flights, the time is even longer because more planning is required for the trip.
“It’s often advised to book international flights around three to six months in advance, especially for popular destinations or peak travel seasons,” Speyers says. “However, keep an eye on fare trends and consider booking during airline sales or when special deals are available.”
READ THIS NEXT: The 6 Cutest Small Towns on the East Coast .
When is the best time of day to travel?
It’s said that the early bird gets the worm, but that’s not all. The early bird also gets the best flight deals of the day, according to Ashley Les, a luxury travel agent . The travel agent recommends the first flight of the day that’s going to your destination as the best time to travel.
“I always suggest traveling on the first flight of the day as it’s less likely for a flight to be delayed as the aircraft is normally already there at the airport,” Les says.
When is the worst time to fly?
The worst time to fly is dependent on your destination, as time zones in the destination and flight times should be taken into consideration. But, for the most part, Les says that the worst time to fly is late at night, or the last flight of the day to your destination.
“I don’t suggest flying on the last flight of the day to your destination in case of unexpected delays or cancellations,” Les says.
If you’ve booked the last flight of the day and there are any cancellations, there are no other options for travel until the following day, leaving you either stranded at an airport or missing a day of your planned trip.
Conclusion
Shutterstock
Although flights are pretty expensive right now, it’s still possible to find cheap flights, if you’re flexible with your time and open to searching online for the best travel deals.
“You can explore less traditional travel combinations to save money,” Zach says. “If a direct flight is too expensive, look into connecting flights. Where possible, check out pricing for flights to secondary airports. If it means traveling more efficiently, don’t be afraid to book open-jaw tickets. You may even combine multiple airlines or different modes of transportation.”
The bottom line: There is no best day to book flights. But, while you can purchase your tickets at any time, it helps if you can fly out on an early flight in the middle of the week to domestic destinations. And look to book your flight three to six months in advance.
