If you’ve ever booked your own travel accommodations before, you’ve likely heard of Expedia. But you know you can become an Expedia travel agent and book discounted trips for yourself and others? Becoming a travel agent is an exciting opportunity, and it’s never been easier to set up your own business with Boardwalk Travel Agency.
So what is an Expedia travel agent, and what do they do exactly? Let’s break down the fundamentals and show you how to start making money today.
What is Expedia?
Expedia is a travel booking website, but it’s also the flagship product of Expedia Group. This multinational corporation owns various travel and booking sites, including Hotels.com, VRBO, Travelocity, Hotwire, and more. Most of these sites work as aggregators, meaning they pull data from source websites like airlines and rental car companies.
The primary advantage of using Expedia is the ability to compare rates from different providers side-by-side. This process is much faster and more efficient than finding prices manually from each provider.
What is an Expedia Travel Agent?
An Expedia travel agent is someone who uses the Expedia website to help other people find travel accommodations. Since this process can be time-consuming and overwhelming for some people, it’s better for them to hire an independent third party to handle the booking details. A travel agent takes information from their client (i.e., travel dates and budget) and uses Expedia to determine specific logistics and finalize the client’s travel plans.
What Does an Expedia Travel Agent Do?
Although the general outline of the position is easy enough to understand, there are many details to consider when becoming an Expedia travel agent. If you want to be as successful as possible, you need to know how to do the following:
Knows How to Compare Rates and Services
Typically, people use sites like Expedia to find the “cheapest” accommodations or rentals. However, as the adage goes, “You get what you pay for.” So, while some clients may be on a tight budget, it’s often up to you to determine the best option for their unique needs.
For example, let’s say a client is traveling with four colleagues and has to accommodate them all with a rental car that is large enough and individual rooms for each person. In this case, the cheapest rental car options would likely be too small and cramped to fit everyone and their luggage. Also, budget hotel rooms may not be ideal for this particular trip.
Instead, you need to know how to pay attention to details like amenities, add-on services, and the level of convenience. If you’re only looking at the price, you’ll likely miss most of these elements, and your client won’t have an enjoyable trip.
If you want to learn how you can book travel with other providers, including Disney, Universal, Princess, and more – check out our article about How to Become a Travel Agent.
Help Clients Book Each Part of Their Trip
Expedia can aggregate rates for flights, hotels, rental cars, and more (i.e., cruises). Depending on the type of trip your client is booking, you may have to book each one.
Although you can handle the details from one website’s dashboard, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, particularly if you’re trying to find multiple options to bring to your client. So, you must be able to work quickly and determine whether any specific options are time-sensitive.
Also, you must ensure that everything aligns so the travel experience is as hassle-free as possible. For example, make sure the rental car company is close to the airport (or offers a shuttle service) and that the hotel is close to the attractions or destinations your clients want to see during their trip.
Provide Details and Updates About Travel Plans
When booking vacation packages for companies like Disney or Universal, it’s relatively easy to keep track of everything because it’s all handled in-house. For example, if a client stays at a Disney resort, they can take a shuttle to the park and may not even need a rental car during their stay.
When working as an Expedia travel agent, though, there are far more details to keep track of and relay to your clients. Some examples can include:
- Which gate will your client fly out of?
- What is the average traffic like getting to the airport at that time?
- What happens if they miss their flight?
- Where can your client pick up their rental car?
- What happens if your client gets into an accident while driving a rental car?
- How far is the hotel from the rental car company?
- How far is the hotel from their main destination or attraction?
- What amenities or services does their hotel offer?
- What is the parking situation like at the hotel?
Juggling so many details can initially seem overwhelming, so it helps to learn as much about each component of your client’s trip as possible. Also, if you can build relationships with specific providers (i.e., hotel chains or rental car companies), you may be able to offer perks or discounts that wouldn’t be available to your clients if they booked through Expedia themselves.
What Do You Need to Become an Expedia Travel Agent?
Even if you don’t have any experience as a travel agent, you can get started immediately and begin booking clients sooner than you might expect. Here are the primary tools and skills necessary to thrive as an Expedia travel agent.
You can also get additional information in our article, How to Become a Travel Agent from Home.
A Boardwalk Travel Membership
Typically, to become a travel agent means signing up with a major agency. Not only do you have to pay to join the agency, but you must also pay monthly or annual fees to access their services and software.
Boardwalk Travel is a much simpler and more affordable solution. You only pay a one-time membership fee and get access to all the training, support, and tools necessary to do your job.
Best of all, while Boardwalk Travel partners with Expedia, you can access other vacation providers like Disney or Universal. This way, as an independent agent, you can work with many different types of clients and earn a wider variety of commissions.
A High-Quality Work-From-Home Setup
One of the best reasons to become a freelance travel agent is the ability to work from anywhere you like. That said, your home will likely be your primary workspace, so you must figure out how to maximize productivity while there. A basic setup should include:
- Hands-Free Headset – A big part of your job will be talking to clients over the phone. Since you’ll also have to look up details on your computer, you need both hands free. A high-quality headset allows you to control every aspect of each call (including utilizing call-waiting) and stay comfortable all day long.
- High-Speed Internet – If your client has a question, you don’t want to wait for your computer to load. High-speed internet allows you to work more efficiently, and you can even field calls through your wireless connection (and avoid using your personal phone number).
- Laptop Computer – While a desktop setup can work well for your needs, a laptop gives you far more flexibility. This way, you can work from any room in the house and stay as comfortable as possible throughout the workday.
- Lap Desk – If you plan to work outside of a desk, you need a flat surface to hold your laptop and mouse. A lap desk works perfectly and enables you to stay productive, whether sitting in a chair, on the couch, or even on your bed.
Excellent Customer Service
Because most of your job involves talking to clients, you must have superb customer service skills. These skills include speaking clearly and professionally and addressing any questions or concerns.
That said, because you’ll be working as an independent travel agent, you don’t have to follow scripts or fulfill specific on-call duties. Instead, it’s much better to focus on building relationships with your clients. While you shouldn’t treat them as a close personal friend, you can be a bit more relaxed and casual when discussing specific details or asking questions.
Also, keep in mind that you may have to deal with complaints or negative call experiences. Even if you provide the best service possible, many variables are outside your control. So, learning how to handle and turn these calls into a favorable situation is imperative for long-term success.
Attention to Detail
As we mentioned, booking a full-service trip through Expedia can involve juggling various details from different service providers. While this process will get easier as you book more clients, you must be able to manage multiple details and stay organized throughout the workday.
For some people, organization works best with spreadsheets and digital note pages. For others, a physical planner or notepad is the best option. Discover which tools work best for your workflow and leverage them as much as possible. This way, you can always be prepared to answer any question your client may have.
Relationship Building
One of the best ways to stand out as a travel agent is to offer unique perks, discounts, or add-ons for your clients. The only way to get these extras is to build relationships with service providers. Because Expedia aggregates rates from dozens of companies, it’s best to pick only a handful.
From there, you can contact local offices and speak with site or regional managers. Typically, these providers are willing to offer free services or add-ons in exchange for more clientele. It’s a win-win-win situation. You win because you can provide better service to your clients (leading to repeat customers and more referrals). Your clients win because they get bonus services they wouldn’t receive otherwise. Your provider partners win because they get more business.
Perks of Becoming an Expedia Travel Agent With Boardwalk Travel
By now, you should be excited at the prospect of starting your own independent travel agency. However, this situation only gets better. Here are some of the primary advantages of signing up with Boardwalk Travel.
Flexible Work Opportunities
When working for a traditional travel agency, you have to put in full-time hours and meet specific quotas. If you can’t reach those quotas every week or month, you may be out of a job. Also, these agencies have specific travel partners they work with, so you can’t branch out and help clients with other types of packages.
At Boardwalk Travel, you set your own schedule. You can become a travel agent for yourself and people you know or build a thriving business from scratch. Agents often start their jobs as a side gig and then switch to a career once they have a substantial roster of repeat clients.
Taking time off when you work with Boardwalk Travel is also easy. You never have to submit a time-off request or work a minimum number of hours. Your destiny is in your hands.
High Commission Rates
Another problem with working at a traditional travel agency is that you can only make around 10 percent commission on all packages you sell. This means you have to sell a lot more trips to start earning big money.
Conversely, Boardwalk Travel pays up to 70 percent commission rates for each package. So, you can earn more money with fewer clients, allowing you to spend more time building relationships and fostering long-term success. Typically, word-of-mouth advertising is the best way to find new customers, so you must be able to wow every client with each interaction.
Lifetime Access and Support
If you have to pay a monthly fee to work with a traditional agency, that puts pressure on you to sell a specific amount every month. When you’re starting your career, it can be challenging to find new clients, so there’s a higher chance of failure.
With Boardwalk Travel, you only pay one membership fee for life. Afterward, you can access training videos or speak to a support professional anytime. Whether you have a question after three months or three years, you can get assistance without paying extra for the privilege.
Start Your Career as an Expedia Travel Agent Today!
Are you ready to start working with clients as an Expedia travel agent? Do you love the idea of building an exciting and rewarding career by helping others realize their travel goals? Boardwalk Travel Agency is here to help! Join our team today and discover how easy it is to start making money.
