Agency Agreements

Travel agencies have been severely affected by various events in recent years, from the rise of online booking systems and the travel downturn following September 11, to the consolidation of minor and major agencies, the final elimination of almost all airline commissions, and the need for new business models that enable survival.  Some agencies have morphed into travel management consultancies, stressing value-added services well beyond the simple booking of travel products on behalf of end clients.  The travel agency world has changed forever, and the change is far from over.

In this section, TMN presents multiple threads of information to assist with the evaluation of current company/agency agreements, the need for such agreements, their formats and underlying principles, and how other travel professionals are modifying the way they work with travel agencies.  Survey results from 2004 and 2002, supplier contacts, as well as a sample of agency agreements in place today, are included.