Strategic commands: here are 10 ways you can compensate for the elimination of base airline commissions. (Retail).(travel agent management techniques)(Brief Article)

Travel Agent, May, 2002 by Holly, Tricia A.

From examining service fee options and sharpening their focus on nontraditional revenue earners to joining forces with other agencies and abandoning airline ticket sales altogether, there are myriad methods agents can implement to sustain their business in the zero-commission environment. Following are 10 strategies you can adopt.

Get rid of your Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) appointment: According to ARC's March sales statistics, the number of authorized retail locations dipped 9.4 percent to 26,842, down from 29,629 in March 2001. Home offices suffered the largest percentage drop, falling 14.6 percent to 1,568 locations. On one hand, these figures reflect the fallout from the lingering effects of Sept. 11, a weak economy and zero commisssions. On the other...