My Travel Career - FAQs
We know that you have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a host agency, and we’re thrilled that you are considering Big Creek Travel. Unlike the large host agencies, we limit the number of agents we accept. While our boutique approach limits us from boasting that we have the “highest commissions in the industry”, we can brag that we provide a premier level of marketing and business support to our agents. In the end, this personalized support provides our team with more opportunities for increased sales. Below are answers to the most common questions we receive to help you learn more about working with Big Creek Travel.
Thank you for your interest! Click here to fill out an interest form, and we will be in touch ASAP!
We have several Florida agents and would love to grow our team in that area! Unfortunately, we are not registered in the state of California, so we are not able to work with California agents.
We offer complimentary marketing tools, an optional monthly social media content program, and a leads program for those interested in participating.
We have a Help Desk ticket system available for general requests, and a support number for emergencies that someone will answer after hours and on weekends.
No. We have agreements with over 150 preferred suppliers, and we are open to helping you set up relationships outside of our preferred list as well. We do require, however, that agents come through us first before setting up new supplier relationships. We also allow our agents to develop a direct relationship with the business development managers for those suppliers that they wish to specialize in.
You are an independent contractor, so you set your own hours, determine how and when you work, and have no sales quotas.
If this is what is appealing to you about a job in travel, you will likely become disappointed very quickly. Being a travel agent can be hard work and, while we do receive some travel perks, free travel doesn’t happen very often.
Each person is different, but here are seven characteristics that most successful agents possess:
- Expertise - this doesn’t mean that you have all the answers, but this does mean that you’ve put the time and effort into training so that you have a higher level of competency
- Professionalism - set high expectations for yourself when speaking to customers, when communicating in writing, and when interacting on social media
- Enthusiasm - if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, people won’t be excited to work with you
- People skills - this is pretty self-explanatory - if you don’t like people, this is definitely not a good fit
- Integrity - people are spending a lot of money when they travel. They need to be able to trust you.
- Resourcefulness - know how to research a trip and find the best solutions (HINT: it’s not posting on social media looking for someone to give you the answers)
- Empathy - be kind and put yourself in your clients’ shoes
We will go over the commission levels in more detail during your initial call, but experienced agents can earn up to 90%.
Travel agents earn money through commissions and consultation fees. Our commissions vary by suppliers, and we are here to help you determine a fee schedule. Suppliers typically pay anywhere from 7 days to 90 days after a client travels, and Big Creek Travel processes commission every Monday and pays every Friday.
Yes, as long as the agent agrees to the agency’s contract terms and identifies him- or herself as an independent affiliate of the agency, he or she is covered under the agency’s E&O policy.
If you plan to operate as a sole proprietor (using your own name), your costs are relatively low. That’s one of the biggest advantages of joining an agency such as Big Creek Travel. We handle all of the operational logistics and expenses for you such as business licenses, insurance, certifications, legal fees, technology, etc. The cost to operate your own travel agency is thousands of dollars a year. Working as an independent affiliate of an agency, significantly reduces your costs. You will still be responsible for expenses such as office supplies, business cards, technology, training, and marketing, but you can set a budget you are comfortable with. If you plan to promote your travel business as something other than your personal name, there are some additional requirements that you need to be aware of, and we can talk through those with you.
The travel industry doesn’t require a degree or certification to begin selling travel; however, we have seen most new agents struggle without some type of training. Big Creek Travel requires all agents new to the industry to complete our New Agent Boot Camp training or Travel Leaders of Tomorrow, TripKIT, or the Certified Travel Associate program before you can begin booking travel with us. We prefer that you complete our Boot Camp if you haven’t already completed one of the other programs, but we will talk to you about the cost and advantages of each during our initial call. Additionally, we expect you to have completed training in your area of specialization. For example, if you plan to sell Disney vacations, you will need to have completed the College of Disney Knowledge. Most suppliers, such as Disney, offer these types of training at no additional cost.
