Charlie Funk hit the nail on the head [It's Like This: "Our agency's guard schnauzers," Dec. 27].
In our 45 years of owning dogs, there was only one that bit the hand that fed him. Eventually, we put that dog down.
The airlines chopped our hands off by curtailing our commissions, yet we still must deal with them. Our clients are rewarded with the cheapest possible airline ticket that we can find for them. There have been many airline bankruptcies, mergers and going-out-of-business sales. If travel agents had not been selling airline tickets, the changes would have come much quicker and would have been more drastic.
We believe the airline customer using a travel agent is a more satisfied customer than those dealing directly with the airlines, because we take excellent care of our clients.
Some cruise lines are beginning to use similar tactics. We sell their product, shoulder increased expense, and we are rewarded with lower commission percentages than previously earned and the theft of our clients. We don't include all cruise lines in this group.
Selling directly to our clients is unprofessional. However, the cruise lines' spokespersons stand before us still mouthing the same old public cliches, praising the loyalty of their association with their professional agents.
River cruising is picking up in popularity and pays good commissions. We wonder how much of this increase in river cruising can be attributed to professional travel agents guiding their clients to an excellent product, vs. the I-don't-really-care cruise lines.
The same could be true with increased emphases on the all-inclusive resorts and other land vacation packages.
When tragic events or simple problems occur, we defend the airlines and cruise lines in an effort to right the wrong, because we represent the industry as professionals.
We often wonder how well some cruise lines would have fared in the face of the recent tragic accidents if we didn't care for our customers in a professional manner. When there is a problem, we don't see nearly as many cruise line or airline personnel quoted in the news media as we see from travel agents and agency owners.
Unfortunately, we can't afford to put down the dog that bites the hand that feeds it, because we need every entity to fulfill the dream vacations or business trips of our clients. Travel agencies are united in providing service to their clients. However, they need to act in unison to meet challenges facing them. The travel industry, in its many facets, needs to be an honorable profession again.
Richard L. Prether, marketing vice president
Holiday Tour & Travel
Lemoyne, Pa.
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