The agent who loves to surf

There's no denying that the Internet is a frothy font of factoids, but let's face it. Sometimes, trying to find the right information can make even the savviest Web surfer yearn for a cheat sheet. You know, the old-fashioned kind. On paper.

Those who prefer paper cuts to carpal tunnel syndrome will be glad to know about "Passport To Travel -- Web Sites from A to Z," a guide compiled by new agent Judy Reaves.

Reaves, a recent travel-school graduate and an employee of The Boarding Pass in Schaumburg, Ill., is the agency's star Web crawler, responsible for tracking down information needed by the front liners at her shop.

She decided to self-publish the booklet when she realized just how many Web site addresses she'd compiled in a list she made at work. "I needed to find these places for my research, so I just kept writing down all of the sites."

Reaves' list finally topped 1,700 sites, and, Yahoo! -- an idea was born. The agent found she had site addresses in a plethora of travel categories, from Adventure Travel to Zoos of the World.

The tidied-up version of her in-house list now is 42 pages long. Although it is not a comprehensive guide, it's a handy, simple and delightfully low-tech solution for weary wanderers of the Web.

For those who are unable to find what they want in her list, Reaves lists her favorite search engines at the end of the booklet.

After using airline computer reservations systems, she's surprised that the user-friendly Internet intimidates CRS-trained agents. "Airline res systems are so out-of-date. They are DOS-based, with screens and screens and screens of information. They should be updated to Windows," she said.

Maybe agents aren't intimidated but are suffering CRS overload instead, Judy?

To buy a copy of "Passport To Travel -- Web Sites from A to Z," send a check or money order for $12, including shipping and handling, to 1360 Cooper Road, Hoffman Estates, Ill. 60195. An on-line version of the guide is in the works, and Reaves said she plans to offer updated versions in the future.

Judy's Tips

So, you're the Internet-challenged agent who's been tapped to track down travel tidbits on Timbuktu. Stop trembling behind that potted palm! Judy Reaves has a few ideas to take the sting out of those speed bumps on the information superhighway.

l Keep your options open. If you find a search engine or a Web portal that you're really comfortable using, remember to try others.

"I like Go.com," she said, because the engine subdivides what's located into manageable chunks rather than creating one massive list.

"I also use Yahoo! and other standard search engines, which sometimes narrow things down more easily," Reaves said.

Instead, she said, it's better to pare down your list of bookmarks to contain your most-used sites and keep a separate list for all the others.

"Some are good," she said, "but I can get the information I need more quickly through work, and a lot of the stuff I've received is really meant for consumers."

Recently, Marriott Hotels announced its preferred travel agency program, which requires one person in an agency to take their Hotel Excellence course to keep the agency's commission at 10%. Damn, but don't you just love the creativity here?

This reminds me of years ago when it was illegal for gas stations to charge a surcharge for credit card sales. So what did they do? They offered a discount for cash! Semantics, that's all it is.

So let's call this what it really is -- a commission cut. Or better yet, how about strong-arm tactics by a supplier who has a very mainstream product. Oops, maybe they don't know they have a very mainstream product.

Let's get real here. We are not talking about Relais & Chateaux, but Marriott! Pick any major U.S city, and I and every other travel consultant can come up with five comparable hotel products.

Regarding airline commission cuts, I certainly don't agree with them, but I have more respect for the airlines that don't appreciate our services and responded by cutting commissions. They called it what it is -- a commission cut.

Is there an agent out there who doesn't ask "Do you want fries with that flight?" ever since the airlines cut commissions? Agent sales of hotels have increased dramatically over the last five years. We have the ability to direct sales on the leisure side. Whether it's the Big Apple or a Hawaiian island, we can offer comparable choices.

Increased knowledge and education are wonderful. The result is usually increased sales. But I still prefer my education to be voluntary, not couched in blackmail.

The first five chapters of the Hotel Excellence course are great. New staff will use it to learn how to sell hotels -- that means all hotel brands, folks.

Lucy Hirleman, CTC, MCC, owns Berkshire Travel in Newfoundland, N.J. You can e-mail her at [email protected]; fax, 973 208-1204.