Does Charging a Fee Mean My Client Owns Me?

Subscribe now using your favorite service:

To charge, or not to charge? Fees, that is — it’s a topic that’s gotten more and more attention among the travel agency community during the pandemic. Advisors make commission on the products they sell, but should they also charge clients for their services on top of that? 

This week, join co-hosts Emma Weissmann (Digital Managing Editor of TravelAge West) and Jamie Biesiada (Senior Editor at Travel Weekly) as they explore the ins and outs of the topic with two veteran advisors: Jamie Jones, president of WhirlAway Travel in West Chester, Pa., and Susanne Hays, president of Fairytale Journeys Travel in Alexander City, Ala.

One charges fees (Jones) and one doesn’t (Hays), but both are confident in their business model. Tune in to learn more and hear them answer some listener questions, including how to avoid feeling like a client owns you if you charge a fee.

This episode is sponsored by Historic Highlights of Germany.

In This Episode

1:23 Meet our guests, Jamie and Susanne, two veteran travel advisors.

2:34 Susanne’s agency, Fairytale Journeys Travel, doesn’t charge fees. Why?

3:35 On the flip side, WhirlAway Travel was one of the first agencies in West Chester to charge fees, and still does today. Jamie tells us more.

4:51 The Disney agency space (where Susanne operates) is very crowded. Does that mean fees aren’t feasible?

7:09 Are hobbyist agents on the upswing?

8:11 Jamie’s main teaching points for new agents (spoiler: consultation and confidence)

11:19 More advisors are gravitating toward charging fees; what are Jamie and Susanne noticing among their peers?

15:40 Would either Jamie or Susanne consider flipping their stance on charging fees?

17:38 Julie Lanham, owner of Vacations to Remember, just started charging fees, and it’s been a great experience. But she’s concerned about the future: Will her clients feel like they own her once they’ve paid her fee?

20:37: Donna Wolfe, an advisor with Plaza Travel, wonders: How do you ask longtime clients to start paying a fee?

24:21: Disney agencies often advertise that booking with them won’t cost consumers any more than booking directly. Learn how that plays into Susanne’s strategy.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode and Related Reading

From TravelAge West
A Travel Advisor Guide to Charging Service Fees

How Travel Agencies Are Rethinking Fee Structures

From Travel Weekly
A Journey Through Travel History, Fees Included

Advisors Getting Comfortable With Charging Fees

Theme Song
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod (License)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Details
WhirlAway Travel 
Fairytale Journeys Travel