Travel agent surcharge on airline tickets

[SearchGuy]

Silly of this TA for not doing the whole charge thru his own terminal and book the ticket with his own CC

[Chaikel]

Silly of this TA for not doing the whole charge thru his own terminal and book the ticket with his own CC

Only silly when he's dealing with Jews who are too nosy about what he makes. In the goyish world this is never needed, and in Israel it is unheard of to do 2 charges thanks to people like this

[David Smith]

Only silly when he's dealing with Jews who are too nosy about what he makes. In the goyish world this is never needed, and in Israel it is unheard of to do 2 charges thanks to people like this

As a travel agent, do you think this markup is normal?

[SearchGuy]

Only silly when he's dealing with Jews who are too nosy about what he makes. In the goyish world this is never needed, and in Israel it is unheard of to do 2 charges thanks to people like this

whoever I heard doing that stuff, charges the whole thing on his own terminal

[ilherman]

As a travel agent, do you think this markup is normal?

Sometimes, sure. TAs have ways they can get cheaper tickets than the public. If the client accepts the price he should not care how it is being charged. Obviously the total price was cheaper than online.   

[YOSEF]

A couple points to make:
1. Why should the TA care that its Tzedakah? They are in business to make money. As far as they are concerned (at least according to my understanding of the dialogue), this was a regular client.

2. I'm assuming the price was okayed by someone. Why? Because it was a good price or bad price? That doesn't change based off the markup. In addition, as others have said: if I go to a store and buy something at the quoted price, I don't deny the charge because I think.they made too much money, even if I find it cheaper elsewhere.

3. Suggesting that the markup should be a flat rate is ludicrous. I don't know any successful small business where that would work. A $6,000 ticket should only make the TA $100?

4. To suggest denying the charge....um....what happened to making a good faith effort at a resolution (assuming that there is really an issue)?

5. The TA probably got defensive because some random person came out of the woodwork 11 months later and accused her of overcharging. We all would get defensive at that.

6. How much does a baker markup his prices? Grocer? Restaurant? I don't care. I buy based off if I think its a normal price or not.

[SearchGuy]

A Tzedakah I'm involved with authorized a ticket purchase for an extenuating circumstance. The fellow said he can have his sister-in-law, who works for a travel agent, book the ticket for him.

I gave him a CC number and she booked a $660 ticket (billed by the airline)and added a $238 agent surcharge (billed by her company).

She claims that this is normal as this was a "student ticket". I can't imagine 35% is normal.

What are standard travel agent surcharges?

What's the flight info? Perhaps we can do better.

Can you post a picture of the CC statement, I am curious how the real route was...

[Chaikel]

Can you post a picture of the CC statement, I am curious how the real route was...

I'd put down good money that it wasn't hidden city

[Chaikel]

As a travel agent, do you think this markup is normal?

Depends on the circumstance, but I'm pretty sure I know who the agent was, and they were able to get UN considerably cheaper than anyone else. So yes, if they are charging up to the standard web/ta rate perfectly normal. Let me ask you this, if a ticket is $8000 and an agent is able to get it for $100, what do you feel he's allowed to make?
If a pizza costs a store $.50 to make, what are they allowed to charge? Most retail is over 100% markup, you just don't see it. Why because you see it do you feel you have the right to determine how much money someone is allowed to make?

[David Smith]

Depends on the circumstance, but I'm pretty sure I know who the agent was, and they were able to get UN considerably cheaper than anyone else. So yes, if they are charging up to the standard web/ta rate perfectly normal. Let me ask you this, if a ticket is $8000 and an agent is able to get it for $100, what do you feel he's allowed to make?
If a pizza costs a store $.50 to make, what are they allowed to charge? Most retail is over 100% markup, you just don't see it. Why because you see it do you feel you have the right to determine how much money someone is allowed to make?

The price he said ($899 for a.one way on transaero) just sounded very expensive. You can't judge anything about ticket prices without knowing the exact details, though.

[Chaikel]

The price he said ($899 for a.one way on transaero) just sounded very expensive. You can't judge anything about ticket prices without knowing the exact details, though.

Exactly. I've sold one way UN tickets for $1200 - no markup

[Jm1248]

If there was an issue with the ticket then it should've been canceled within the 24 hour window and rebooked without the TA. To fly on the ticket and dispute it nearly a year later is wrong.

[benjie1305]

Price seems a bit high but if customer agrees thats too bad IMO. Got to do your research ahead of time. I also think they could have probably (easily) gotten this cheaper online. Even if not, to start complaining 11 months later seems very weird to me. I am not a TA so can't talk about the detailed TA lingo being referred to here but I think that at some point its too late to fight this. If you didn't have a good experience with the TA obv don't use the person going fwd. I personally wasn't a fan of the way in which the TA responded to the emails.

[yessory]

$899 for a one way on transareo? This TA should be put out of business.

-5000

Whats up with you people? Do you think Travel Agents book their tickets on Kayak?!

There is a reason that people still use travel agents. As many have pointed out, people dont just pay $900 on a one way, Transaero no less, unless they have to. Clearly, this TA obtained better pricing (as many TA's do) and therefor was able to mark it up as such.
Denying the charge after agreeing on a price, out of disgust of the knowledge of what the TA profit was, is nauseating and wrong on so many levels.

[Emkay]

There is a reason that people still use travel agents.

and why is that? I believe there is a whole thread about it. Not much in it though

[David Smith]

and why is that? I believe there is a whole thread about it. Not much in it though

If not for TAs, who would buy points?

[Emkay]

Clearly, this TA obtained better pricing (as many TA's do) and therefor was able to mark it up as such.

Not necessarily, while I'm sure that was the case this time it's quite possible that the TA (or the passenger, relative in this case )saw an opportunity

[yessory]

and why is that? I believe there is a whole thread about it. Not much in it though

Looks like you figured it out.

[yessory]

Not necessarily, while I'm sure that was the case this time it's quite possible that the TA (or the passenger, relative in this case )saw an opportunity

Are we not talking about this case? Not sure what you are saying.

[lubaby]

If not for TAs, who would buy points?

That's a different type of TA, not relevant for this thread.