What is the history of commission cuts and how are travel agents adjusting to them?
After decades of offering travel agents a standard commission of at least 10 percent with no cap, many of the larger airline carriers in the United States stopped paying base commissions to travel agents, beginning in March 2002. ASTA sees the elimination of base payments to agents on the part of air carriers as anti-consumer and as a missed business opportunity. Consumers value the services and unbiased expertise offered by professional agents who represent an impartial source of information for travelers. Travel agents have and will survive in the new marketplace, because consumers know the value they provide.
