Travel Agent Chatter | Friday 15

In episode 166 Steph is co-hosting with Chad Burt of Outside Agents. Here are the questions they’ll tackle together this week!  1. I'm currently doing The Travel Institute’s TripKit course. Should I complete the CTA course before I start contacting host agencies? Also, what CTA course do you recommend (The Travel Institute, ASTA, etc…)  ---Anonymous 2. I'm interested in learning more abo...

****** Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/vol30 ****** Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Travel Edge and Uniglobe Travel Center Today’s guest got her start in the industry with the inside sales team at Travel Impressions. After a reorg, Veranda Adkins decided to start her own agency, Travel Legacy. She gave herself 6 months to see if she could make things work. She’s yet to look back. Hav...

In episode 165 Steph is co-hosting David Meihoefer of Travel Planners International. Here’s a taste of the questions they’ll cover!  1. Hello, as a founding partner of an IATA accredited travel agency with plans to move to the United States by the end of the summer to operate from home, will I still have to go through all the stages of ARC-IATAN? Could HAR provide me with end-to-end support i...

In episode 164 Steph is co-hosting again with Lindsay Taylor of Travel Leaders 365. Have a look at the questions below that they cover in this rich and informative edition of the Friday 15! Submit your questions + sign up for e-reminders for the upcoming F15 questions! QUESTIONS 1. Hi Steph. I worked as a Travel Manager at my previous company, however, it was a created position and I used a combin...

In episode 163 Steph is co-hosting with Lindsay Taylor of Travel Leaders 365, If you have a question for Steph and her co-hosts, please submit it here for a future episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 ! 1. I work as an independent contractor so I already have an LLC for non travel related business. I was wondering if I could just add a "second" DBA and use the same LLC to start the trav...

In episode 162 Steph Lee is joined by Chad Burt of Outside Agents. We’ve got some great questions from you all. Speaking of – if you have a question for Steph and her co-hosts, please submit it here for a future episode: https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 ! 1. Do the airlines still give commissions on flights? If not, what is the benefit of an $2300 ARC #? —Anonymous 2. Hello! I have a quick q...

In episode 161 Steph is co-hosting with Lori Speers of Levarte Travel! We’ve got some great questions, so make sure you set aside the time to tune in this week! (Also, ICYMI, all of our podcasts are archived, so you can listen at your leisure!) QUESTIONS : 1. I recently joined a host agency (exactly 1 month ago) and I do a ton of research but somehow I feel more lost every day. I feel a little ove...

In episode 160 Steph is co-hosting with April Swales of Uniglobe! Please join us as this dynamic duo tackles a couple of important questions! QUESTIONS : 1. I was wondering if I could pick your brain a little about the current status of the industry, the possibilities of finding someone interested in buying an agency, and what makes a travel agency attractive for a potential buyer. My mother isn't...

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In episode 158 Steph is flying solo! We’ve got some great questions and requests from our audience this week, so have a listen! QUESTION : 1. Not a question but a request... PLEASE discuss agent etiquette on FAMs. From the unwritten rules of don't sit on the bed or use a toilet to the obvious ones of show up on time, don't solicit guests, etc. There seems to be a lack of awareness and understandin...

Welcome to Friday 15! For today's Friday 15 throwback, we are re-streaming Vol. 92 from Feb. 2023, where Steph chatted about acquiring a GDS system without a host, attending FAM trips through other host/consortiums, using a payment system without using a host, and do you need to be certified to work with a host. Helpful Resources: ( Use code HAR149 to save 50% ) ( More on IATA/ARC ) ( Global Busin...

In episode 156 Steph is so excited to co-host with Meredith Calloway of GTN! You’ve sent along some fabulous questions this week, so please join us for some great Friday afternoon conversation! Here's Today's Questions! 1. Hi! I’d like to charge a fee for my business. I plan to specialize in luxury, which I think will make it easier to charge a fee, like Courtnie in your last podcast said. What is...

In episode 155 Steph co-hosts with Jenn Lee of TPI and their new franchise Vacation Planners! We’ve got some great, in-depth questions from you this week, so let’s get down to business. Join us! Questions : 1. Hello Stephanie, I am new to the industry and I am trying to find a travel host. If I am geared towards making money and want to make this a full-time job, would it be better to choose a hos...

In episode 154 Steph co-hosts Stephanie Gries of Travefy. (It’s a special Stephanie and Stephanie episode!) They’ve got some big questions to cover, so grab your note-taking materials and get ready to study up! Questions : 1. Hello HAR, I have learned so much from your site and have found it to be an invaluable resource, I only wish I had found it sooner! I been a travel advisor for about 3 years....

In episode 153 Steph co-hosts with the one and only Mary Stein of HAR. Sponsored by Outside Agents - thanks Chad and team! Here’s a taste of the questions they’ll cover: Questions : 1. I keep noticing offers from my host agency/consortia/vendors that would provide perks for my clients and bonus commissions for me…after it is too late to claim them. How do other agents manage the flood of consumer...

In episode 152 Steph co-hosts with the one and only Jenn of TPI and the chat on TPI’s new franchise, Vacation Planners! Questions : 1. What is your view on terms and conditions? I see so much talk about them but do I need to invest in getting custom terms and conditions for my agency? That seems crazy to me. —Anonymous 2. Hi Steph! I signed up for a host agency on your site and he asked me to Venm...

In episode 151 Steph tackles some great questions with co-host Henley Vazquez from Fora! Questions : 1. I have my agency set up after going through your 7 Day Set Up program but now I’m lost on how to find clients and start advertising. I know there is no one way to do things, but what would you recommend for next steps once my agency has opened? I sent an email to my friends and family about my n...

In episode 150 Steph fields some great questions from our good friend Anonymous (ha!) about naming your biz and choosing a HA based on locality. She also breaks down how to become a travel agent in some handy steps! Questions : 1. I am just stepping into starting a travel agency at the very early stages and still working on what it would look like for me. When considering a niche and a business na...

In episode 149 Steph co-hosts with April Swales of Uniglobe. Here are the questions they’ll cover. Got some fun ones this week!  Questions : 1. How do HAR courses differ from an IATA course or something offered through a host agency? –Anonymous 2. Hello HAR and team! I have a question about commissions. For travel agents based in Europe, as far as I know most airlines do not pay any commissio...

****** Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/vol29 Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Caffeine Today’s guest is a former professional fundraiser who put those skills to work and went from travel being a part time job on the side in 2017 to full time in June 2018. Here’s the thing to know though. Even with $2.5M in sales, that’s not the metric our guest watches. This travel advisor has niched d...

In episode 148 Steph co-hosts with Katie WIlliams of Tern. Here are the questions they tackle this week! Questions : 1. I'd like to switch to Tern. We're currently on Axus. Is there an easy way to transfer that data or can you tell me the level of manual work that needs to be done by our team to make the move? –Anonymous 2. I have been diagnosed with ADHD and of course, some of the things I strugg...

In episode 147 Steph co-hosts with Lori Speers of Levarte Travel. Here’s a quick look at the three questions they cover this week. Questions : 1. I found a host agency which fits with my requirements but they don't have any reviews on host agency reviews. Is it okay or not to work with host agencies without any reviews on their profile? --Meseret G. 2. Is there an advantage to working with a host...

In episode 146 Steph and the lovely Lindsay Lauer of Travel Leaders 365 answer your excellent questions! Questions : 1. Would the Accelerator course be helpful if I've been an employee? I'm thinking of going on my own. I do a volume of around $1M and have 2.5 yrs experience with over 1000 cruise bookings. --Anonymous 2. Can I require my agency's independent contractors (ICs) to work exclusively wi...

In episode 145 Steph co-hosts with Connie Miller of Montecito Travel and they tackle your probing and ever-helpful questions. Questions : 1. I would love a conversation about how to execute charging fees when different trips take such a different amount of time. Some people know what they want - some don't. I've been experimenting and every person I've given an hourly fee (I've tested it at $75 an...

****** Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/vol28 Starting a business is not easy. Starting a successful business is even harder. Judi Lombardi has done both the past 9 months with her newly opened travel agency, Memories on the Move Travel. A seasoned traveler with a passion for planning, she finally made the leap a decade after she first started exploring the idea of starting a travel agenc...