TA Rebates

[Travelcat2]

I want to respond to the question about what TA's do, and there is so much that I don't know where to start.

 

1. They monitor the pricing that seems to be changing constantly. There are quite a few itineraries and category levels to keep track of.

 

2. For each booking they do, they make sure their client is receiving all of the benefits they are entitled to. This includes the American Express OBCs that may conflict with another OBC offering when you can only receive one. They insure you get the highest benefit.

 

3. As has been mentioned, most people do not read CruiseCritic -- or even know about it. They also do not read what is on Regents website. Instead they contact their TA to:

 

- Have the 2 for 1 pricing explained

 

- Ask about the OBCs mentioned previously

 

- Find out how and when you can book excursions -- how and when you can book dining reservations

 

Actually, they are called and emailed to answer every question you have seen on the CruiseCritic boards. And, they are asked the same questions repeatedly -- just like on CC.

 

4. They book, cancel and rebook (sometimes) cabins/cruises. This also entails keeping track of the cancellations (transferring from one cruise to another, determining what benefits transfer with you, etc.).

 

5. They waitlist you for suites that are currently booked. When the suite clears, they notify you.

 

TA's do much more - I cannot even think of everything. After 13 Regent cruises, I still have to email my TA with questions. Sometimes Regent packages a cruise differently (for instance, the special email savings they have been offering). You read it and wonder why it is less than you are paying. I call my TA - they are on top of it and explain the differences. If Regent does have a special offer that is specific to the cruise you are booked on, they contact you ASAP. Prompt, accurate communication is so important.

 

So, IMO, a TA is worth every penny they make in commission -- perhaps even more.

 

-

[Suite Travels]

The agent cannot just walk away from the agency with his bookings as they belong to the agency. Now if his/her client cancels and rebook with the agent they take the chance of losing onboard discounts and may not be able to get the cabin assignment they had with the old agency. Some agencies can impose a penalty if the booking is canceled and deposits are paid. The client cannot hide and they will find out if the booking was transferred from one agency to another. Some agency's also make their agents sign a no competition agreement preventing poaching existing clients from his/her former agency. The agent can get sued if this is discovered.

 

Trust me the leaving agent will not be able to walk with their files nor can they make copies of them.

[Host Dan]

The agent cannot just walk away from the agency with his bookings as they belong to the agency. Now if his/her client cancels and rebook with the agent they take the chance of losing onboard discounts and may not be able to get the cabin assignment they had with the old agency. Some agencies can impose a penalty if the booking is canceled and deposits are paid. The client cannot hide and they will find out if the booking was transferred from one agency to another. Some agency's also make their agents sign a no competition agreement preventing poaching existing clients from his/her former agency. The agent can get sued if this is discovered.

 

Trust me the leaving agent will not be able to walk with their files nor can they make copies of them.

Good point Suite Travels.

 

Host Dan

[tallship]

Everyone raises very good points. Wendy, I just think that after a dozen cruises on Regent you know where the good cabins are.

 

TC 's pts1, 2, and 3 provide a reasonable rationale as does tnr's description of her circumstances during the volcanic eruption. We booked our own air on the cruise so had no TA nor Regent assistance and none really expected.

 

Re: TC's pts 4 and 5 - not so much as Regent can do much of this directly and probably also do 1,2, and 3 if their tracking/IT systems were better.

 

I really think a large reason to stay witha travel agent is based on incentives and whether they go to bat for you if something goes awry.

 

Really interesting discussion.

[English Tim]

I have AMEX, are these OBC's exclusively for the US market or can anyone join in?

[Travelcat2]

I could be wrong, but, I would think that Regent is looking out for its own interests rather than yours -- at least to some extent. For instance, they want to book as many cabins as possible. This means booking aft suites on the Navigator and Voyager, suites under the pool (they usually offer upgrades to fill these suites), under the gym, above a lounge where music is played, etc. Do they disclose as much information about suite locations as a TA?

[HanaleiSailor]

Aloha all,

 

Very interesting takes here on the rebate debate. After looking through all of the posts again, I realized that Regent's new policy vis-a-vis TA rebating had yet to be posted.

 

Well worth a look:

 

http://www.rssc.com/media/hostedfiles/PDF/AntiRebatingPolicy.pdf

 

These two paragraphs from the document above articulate what I was trying to get across in an earlier post, though from the comments on my post, I think that I was misunderstood:

 

From our perspective, rebating creates confusion in the marketplace as it results in lower margins for agents and leads to a wide spectrum of prices and value-adds being offered for the same stateroom. Consequently, consumers are uncertain as to what they should expect to pay for a cruise and travel agents are uncertain as to what price to quote them. The result: confusion among consumers, frustration among travel agents and cruise lines wishing that their most important partners were focused on articulating the brand and value proposition of their respective lines rather than discounting product.

 

At PCH we believe that supporting travel agency economics is as good for our business as it is for yours, because an upscale cruise vacation is a product that is sold, not bought. Our value propositions needs to be understood, not discounted. And more important than at the larger cruise lines, our success is very dependent on the travel agent’s ability to learn and understand the wants and needs of cruise prospects, to know and be able to articulate the points of distinction, to match the prospect with the right cruise and ultimately, to close and service the customer over the many months from booking to sailing and start the cycle again when they return home.

 

Happy sailing from Hanalei,

 

Mark

[bissel]

After three mediocre TAs until I discovered our current and forever one, I would never book directly with Regent or favor booking over the internet. I agree with all TC's ,and others, reasons for having a superb agent. When you find one who you feel will be there if anything goes amiss (and that never happens!) I see no reason to shop around.

 

Should my TA ever retire then I would search for someone else with that commitment and knowledge and book with that agent. I realize others have different takes on this and something else may work better for them. This is just the way I like to do it.

[WesW]

Mark, tho hard to find, Regent's anti-rebating policy was discussed in late April on this thread, post #20 describes the policy.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1610980&highlight=anti+rebate+policy

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Everyone raises very good points. Wendy, I just think that after a dozen cruises on Regent you know where the good cabins are.

Granted. But I am now embarking on my Oceania journey, and I was able to talk to someone who had been on a ship that few have ever been on, let alone me.

 

...

1. They monitor the pricing that seems to be changing constantly. There are quite a few itineraries and category levels to keep track of.

 

2. For each booking they do, they make sure their client is receiving all of the benefits they are entitled to. This includes the American Express OBCs that may conflict with another OBC offering when you can only receive one. They insure you get the highest benefit.

 

Those are good ones, TC.

 

Aloha all,

 

Very interesting takes here on the rebate debate. After looking through all of the posts again, I realized that Regent's new policy vis-a-vis TA rebating had yet to be posted.

...

 

From our perspective, rebating creates confusion...Consequently, consumers are uncertain as to what they should expect to pay for a cruise and travel agents are uncertain as to what price to quote them. The result: confusion among consumers, frustration among travel agents and cruise lines wishing that their most important partners were focused on articulating the brand and value proposition of their respective lines rather than discounting product.

...[blah blah blah]

 

In other words, we don't want you agents to compete with each other on price, and we want everybody to pay the same! Hmm. Not sure this is necessarily a good thing, do you?

[HanaleiSailor]

Wendy: In other words, we don't want you agents to compete with each other on price, and we want everybody to pay the same! Hmm. Not sure this is necessarily a good thing, do you?

[/i]

 

Well, if all pricing between agencies was really close, wouldn't we then choose agents based upon experience and knowledge of the product (ie luxury cruises) and the customer service they provide? I guess that's my point.

 

And perhaps I just come at this from this perspective due to the insane 'busy-ness' of my life at the moment. We work so much that I basically want to be able to contact someone, tell them what we are looking for and have them deal with all of the details . . . for us, at this point in our lives, that is part of the 'luxury equation.' If I need to spend hours on the computer or the phone, even looking to save a point or two on the price, it feels more to me like work than like planning a holiday.

[cwn]

The only thing that the new Regent rebate policy really says is that a Travel Agency can not advertise or promote giving a rebate to the general public. So what the agency and the customer agree to in booking a selected cruise is not effected really, as long as the customer pays the base price set by Regent at final payment time.

 

The structure of the agency we have used for a long time changed last year, so I have been looking. After talking with Regent and now five other travel agencies about a future cruise, I found that there is a base price and it seems to be the one Regent, after all the "2 for 1 and other "discounts" are subtracted but before the "free extras", the ones you can get credit for...hotel, air, visas, are added. Everyone wants about the same amount for the cruise, with the same discounts and "free" add ons, but some are adding really nice OBC plus cash back that reduce the price to me in the end. At the price per day of regent cruises this makes a different.

 

We don't use a TA in planning our vacations...just for setting up and doing a cruise booking. The research/planning is something we like to do. So offering a good deal on any given cruise, an agent who is easy to reach by phone and one that does what he says he will do, is my driving force. Everyone has different needs/wants so there is nothing wrong with different models to meet those needs/wants.

 

Sorry for the double post and bring up the old thread...senior citizens sometimes get confused on threads we are looking back on and ones we are posting on!!

[Mjflowers]

Wendy: In other words, we don't want you agents to compete with each other on price, and we want everybody to pay the same! Hmm. Not sure this is necessarily a good thing, do you?

[/i]

 

Well, if all pricing between agencies was really close, wouldn't we then choose agents based upon experience and knowledge of the product (ie luxury cruises) and the customer service they provide? I guess that's my point.

 

And perhaps I just come at this from this perspective due to the insane 'busy-ness' of my life at the moment. We work so much that I basically want to be able to contact someone, tell them what we are looking for and have them deal with all of the details . . . for us, at this point in our lives, that is part of the 'luxury equation.' If I need to spend hours on the computer or the phone, even looking to save a point or two on the price, it feels more to me like work

than like planning a holiday.

 

Sailor, that is exactly why I also use my TA. I want to look forward to my holiday without all the hassles involved and now if there is a problem it will be solved rebate or not.

 

TC, although I don't always agree with you, but this time you are spot on about your TA. Wouldn't jump ship, no pun intended, for a few dollars because of some rebate. I have built a relationship with mine over the years and will not give that up.

[Mjflowers]

Ok, the internet has made the world a bit of a cut throat place, but I feel most people will be loyal to an agent, if said TA performs well and offers a decent deal. My understanding and what I expect from a TA, is that I search for what cruise I want and they take my deposit and final payment and just act as a 'go-between', so they have nothing to do.

 

What other services do they provide to earn their commission?

 

Tim. What other services? How about booking a hotel when coming in early or staying extra days after your cruise. Booking transportation to and from the hotel, airport, ship, etc. Also those private tours we take with a driver and guide. Travel insurance, med evact also comes to mind. "Go-between". Give em a chance to preform their services. You may be surprised.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Tim. What other services? How about booking a hotel when coming in early or staying extra days after your cruise. Booking transportation to and from the hotel, airport, ship, etc. Also those private tours we take with a driver and guide. Travel insurance, med evact also comes to mind. "Go-between". Give em a chance to preform their services. You may be surprised.

 

Well, I must say, my TA does none of that!

[cwn]

Well, I must say, my TA does none of that!

 

Tim. What other services? How about booking a hotel when coming in early or staying extra days after your cruise. Booking transportation to and from the hotel, airport, ship, etc. Also those private tours we take with a driver and guide. Travel insurance, med evact also comes to mind. "Go-between". Give em a chance to preform their services. You may be surprised.

 

I plan our trips then my TA gives me quotes for all the services she can provide and I also check with resources found here in CC and direct with hotels etc. The TA knows I will go with the best price, but is willing to offer what she can get knowing she will get the bussiness if it is the best price.

 

I will not pay in advance for anything except cruises and air fare. I will put a small deposit using a credit card, if I have writen contract in case something goes wrong with the deal. Then, at least I have some recourse through the credit card.

 

Our trips are always a combination of sources including the TA. When DH and I trave,l it is for a month or two or more at a time. I want the best price I can get for the elements of the trip....cruise, hotels, air fare, private tours, rental cars etc, the savings doing it this way are definitely enough to make it worth while for me. Plus the planning is half the fun!

 

A good TA is one who will work with you and your style of travel. Those TAs are hard to find in these changing times. Too often they have the one size fits all approach. This is OK for some, just not me.

[WesW]

We are moderately experienced cruisers and DIY most of our cruise plans beginning with direct booking with Silversea or Regent (allows us instant selection of cabin availability) and the opportunity to develop a relationship with the SS and Regent pros and helps them by giving them credit for making a booking with a client. We've found they also give us heads up on impending sales, release of new itineraries, and help solve cruise line specific problems. We also do our own transportation/hotel

arrangements (air, pre cruise hotel stay).

 

Shortly after our direct booking we have the SS or Regent pro transfer the booking to our TA at no effect to their commission. Thus, we now have good relationships with both a cruise line pro and our TA--we find this enables our pre, during and post cruise travel plans. Our TA's scale makes them an excellent go to source if we need them to solve challenges Regent or Silversea present. For example during our two Regent Voyager cruises in April, Regent by email told us we would be Gold

on the beginning of our Athens to Istanbul voyage, not at the beginning of our Dubai to Athens voyage 17 days earlier. Our TA volunteered to work the issue for us and with 24 hours he had secured our Gold status once we boarded in Dubai. Our TA's owner, three months ago, volunteered to work with me in my 5 year pursuit to gently urge Regent (via Regent's President, Mark Conroy) to become the first luxury line to offer a formal military discount program. These are examples of the above & beyond service our TA provides that engenders our loyality.

 

It pained me when I learned from a fellow CCr on one of these rebate thread discussions that he spent $30-50K per year with out getting a single $ in discount (Cash or SBC). A competitive TA will provide you a reasonable discount (combination of cash and or SBC) additionally as pointed out above, many CCr's TA's belong to one of the three major travel consortium (Virtuoso, Signature, Ensemble) and these consortium's with the scale they represent allow these affiliated TA's to provide even more SBC, or included excursions, on board parties, or even a limo to/from the airport.

[A Tucson Guy]

I think it is important that people know of the various choices available to them when they book a cruise. Informed buyers are happier buyers. You review the choices and then decide which option appeals. That is why Baskin Robbins make 31 flavors. Enjoy the ice cream.

[tallship]

Well, I must say, my TA does none of that!

 

Neither does mine

[Seabourntraveller]

Neither does mine

 

Time to change TA I would say!:eek::rolleyes::eek:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Time to change TA I would say!:eek::rolleyes::eek:

 

Why? I really like my TA. I don't expect them to plan trips for me.

[Seabourntraveller]

Why? I really like my TA. I don't expect them to plan trips for me.

 

I would expect them to rebate back most of the 17% commission or I wouldn't deal with them...just like I dumped that organization in Mississauga right around the corner from you ages ago because they got too high and mighty and would refuse to budge on rebating back or matching a quote.:rolleyes::eek::rolleyes:

[HanaleiSailor]

Aloha all,

 

Well, because I know that I have no real knowledge of the cruise business, I decided not to further comment on this thread; however, now that it has been bumped back up the board, I just can't help myself (wearing my small business owner's cap).

 

Above, Wes writes,

DIY most of our cruise plans beginning with direct booking with Silversea or Regent (allows us instant selection of cabin availability) and the opportunity to develop a relationship with the SS and Regent pros and helps them by giving them credit for making a booking with a client. We've found they also give us heads up on impending sales, release of new itineraries, and help solve cruise line specific problems. We also do our own transportation/hotel

arrangements (air, pre cruise hotel stay).

 

Shortly after our direct booking we have the SS or Regent pro transfer the booking to our TA at no effect to their commission.

 

And this is done, I presume, to get the rebate from the TA.

 

Here is my question: How is this a good deal/business model for Regent?:

 

1. Customer calls Regent direct and spends time with an employee, who is being compensated by Regent, asking questions about cabin availability etc.

 

2. Customer makes booking with Regent employee. Again employee is being compensated by Regent to do this work.

 

3. After the Regent employee has done the work answering questions and creating the booking, customer transfers the booking to private TA.

 

4. TA now earns up to 17% commission for work done by Regent employee.

 

5. TA takes final payment from customer and sends it to Regent.

 

6. Regent pays the commission on a sale that the TA did not generate.

 

7. TA then sends part of the commission back to the customer.

 

It would just seem to make so much more sense to me for Regent to discount the cruise to the direct-booking customer by the amount of the rebate and quit pussyfooting around moving money between three parties and allowing one party to profit without performing any real service to either the customer or to the cruise line.

 

Does this make sense, or am I missing something here? (ie what value does the TA bring to the equation when the booking is handled in-house?)

 

Sorry if I am showing my complete ignorance but have been trying to get my head around this since the thread began.

 

Mahalo for your patience,

 

Mark

[mariners]

Mark,

We have been lucky enough to sail on many cruise lines. The only answer I can give to you is to look at peoples' experiences when things go wrong. When everything on a cruise turns out right, a TA might not add a lot when you transfer a booking. However, when things go wrong, if you have the right TA, they are worth their weight in gold. I view a TA in similar light as an insurance policy - when I need help, the TA must be there. Sometimes, I might "lose" the premium, but, when I really require the assistance, the premium is well worth the money.

[mrlevin]

I would expect them to rebate back most of the 17% commission or I wouldn't deal with them...just like I dumped that organization in Mississauga right around the corner from you ages ago because they got too high and mighty and would refuse to budge on rebating back or matching a quote.:rolleyes::eek::rolleyes:

 

I dropped the same agency when they got kicked out of Virtuoso. :D I found their rebates and shipboard credit reasonable but not enough to forego Virtuoso benefits. Now, I have switched to agency that gives reasonable rebate and SBC and excellent customer service (especially when things go wrong).

 

Marc