By STEVE JENSE
Price wars between competing airlines over the past few years have put travel agencies in the pilot’s seat.
Some people will always prefer the comforts and service of their favorite airlines, but the bottom line for most frequent fliers is price. That’s how travel agencies help.
“We don’t try to fool anybody,” says Mike Josse, manager of the Travel Station in Provo, and in the travel business for over 16 years.
“When you call Delta they’ll tell you Delta’s fares. When you call us our fares start at the cheapest and go to the highest,” he said.
Travel agencies receive ten percent of the fare of all tickets ordered through their agency. That means the travel agency would receive $10 of a $100 ticket if that ticket is ordered through their agency instead of from the airlines directly.
Josse said 70 percent of his agency’s business is with BYU students. “Most of the kids who get (The Daily Universe) walk past here or drive past here,” Josse said.
Morris Travel, who just merged with Beehive Travel a few weeks ago, is another popular agency in the area. James Mella, supervisor of the leisure department at Morris Travel in Provo, says service and knowledge give travel agencies the edge over directly calling the airlines.
“If money’s the issue, you look for better routings to cut down the fare somehow,” Mella said.
He said travel agencies “have a better system to help the people.”
Mella said BYU students provide about 30 to 40 percent of his business.
College students are the target of many travel bargains advertised by competing airlines.
A recent news release by Delta Air Lines offers its “Student Extra Credit Fares” to students who call between January 4 and March 4. Round-trip fares from Salt Lake City are advertised as $138 to San Diego or Vancouver, $198 to Chicago, Dallas or Fort Worth, and $318 to New York or Boston.
Alison Clements, spokesperson for Delta, said the student fares were “an excellent deal.”
She said the company does not offer these deals at a predetermined time every year.
“Delta makes the decision to offer special fares,” Clements said. “We take a lot into account, like how many seats are available in the marketplace, the time of year and a number of other different factors.”
Airlines know college students will fly between home and school as much as four or five times a year, so targeting students is important.
Alexandra Dragisic, a junior from Chicago majoring in English, was asked if she follows up on media advertising for airlines.
“Not usually,” she said. “I phone my travel agent and ask her, and she finds me the best deal.”
Dragisic said her travel agent found her a flight home to Chicago at Christmas for $174 ($24 less than Delta’s current “Extra Credit” fare, and at a much more demanded time of year to fly). She said she does not care what airline she is on, as long as she’s paying less.
Chris Baird, a senior from Utica, N.Y., majoring in advertising, doesn’t mind a little inconvenience to get the cheapest ride home. Last month Baird’s girlfriend spent $750 to fly home to New York City for Christmas. Baird spent $350. How did he do it?
“I went right after Christmas,” Baird said.
Baird also found that flying to cities neighboring New York City is sometimes cheaper. If you don’t mind the extra drive and have someone to see on the way — Baird recommends it.
“I saw that it was the cheapest to fly Southwest to Baltimore for $298,” Baird said, “so I drove from there to Harrisburg (Pa.) to visit some family, spent a day and then went on to New York.”
“It’s kind of a long way to go, but if you’re going anywhere around there, it’s worth it,” he said.
