For those of us who love the glamour of travel without all the fuss of actually traveling, getting a job selling tickets for an airline is a viable choice of profession. However, it is very important that one is educated about what is and is not effective in this line of business. Many people will try to become a travel agent only to discover they are not making the amount on commissions that they had originally expected. Like any job, in order excel, one must be knowledgeable on the subject.
Most airline companies offer little to no commission to independent travel agents, though this used to be not the case. Travel agencies must charge, at minimum, $20 above the retail price of the ticket in order to make any money on the sale. If one is an independent agent, one is very unlikely to make a fair portion of the commission, and that is if the agency is even willing to offer any compensation for the time spent. Many companies report that they are not able to pay a commission to independent agents.
The pricing of international flights, however, and the way in which they are generally handled will be far more likely to net positive results for the independent ticket seller. Because a consolidator will usually buy seats on international flights in blocks and for less than the retail price, they are then able to sell the seats to a travel agency below retail price and still make a profit on them. The agency then attaches their commission cost to the price of the ticket, before selling it to a customer. Depending upon the agency, this can still prove to be a cost effective tactic for the customer.
An independent agent will make a profit on the sale of international tickets, because the cost is still much higher than that of a national flight, and time spent with the customer warrants a higher commission. It is therefore far more profitable to take the time to invest in international flight tickets to receive the highest commission for the time investment. For this reason and because money matters, it can be a highly satisfying and oftentimes lucrative business in which to become involved.