Whoever said it isn’t work if you love it, never had to wait on hold for an airline for HOURS while getting paid nothing and still claimed to love their job. Most travel agents love their job. They just don’t have to like all of it all of the time. And that’s okay.
To love what you do for a living is a privilege few can afford. But love is no excuse for poor pay or poor treatment.
When the pandemic hit, many travel agents worked for nothing and were blamed for everything. They faced the worst and the best rose to the top. And things got better. But they’re still not perfect.
Karryon has compiled a list of all the complaints we’ve heard in the first quarter of the year to find out what is still on the $#!+ list of agents in Australia. Here they are:
The waiting game
As nice as it would be to work on one file to completion, that’s not how it works in travel. Dealing with airlines, hotels, and tour operators (not to mention clients) can sometimes feel like trying to juggle cats.
Things haven’t been helped by the staffing crisis facing the whole industry either, but having to wait on hold for hours for an airline (on a travel agent-only line) is not great.
‘Direct’ competition
Being undercut by suppliers you’re supporting can feel like a slap in the face. And then when things go wrong, travel agents are expected to be there. In the words of some 90s commercial, agents are not happy, Jan.
Ghost clients
The difference between an agent and the internet or AI? Travel agents have experience, they care and they’re real in real time. When clients come in, mine you for all your worth and then go off and book directly they are a massive time and energy suck. Charging (or even just threatening to charge) a small service fee helps.
Tech tantrums
In a world where technology is supposed to make our lives easier, sometimes it feels like it’s doing the exact opposite. Glitchy booking systems, crashed websites, and finicky software can turn a simple task into an all-out battle.
The last-minute shuffle
Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping quite like a last-minute change to a booking. Cue the frantic phone calls, emails flying left and right, and the inevitable scramble to salvage the situation. The adrenaline will keep you going for a while, but then the work piles up and, oh, wait! Is that another last-minute change?
Clients. Just clients.
Some clients need more help than others. And you do it all for them and then they fail to read the itinerary and get angry because they expected x when you promised y. Or it rained in Dublin and they hadn’t packed the right shoes. Or they thought getting to the airport in time for their flight was just a suggestion. Most clients you love. Others you tolerate.
The paperwork pile-up
There’s work that makes you money now, work that will make you money in the future and then there’s admin. Between contracts, waivers, and insurance forms, it sometimes feels like travel agents are drowning in a sea of bureaucracy. And don’t even get us started on the endless stream of emails that clog up our inboxes faster than the rising drama on MAFS.
Have more to add? Please add them. We hear you. It’s important to let off steam, know that you’re not alone, and alleviate some of the stress burden. But after you’ve vented, try and work towards a solution to your pain points. And remember the good parts of being a travel agent — they’re there. Under that booking.
