Price adjustment...do you lose your TA bennies?

[booyey]

The price on our upcoming Allure cruise went up $4/pp for the first 2 passengers, but down $217/pp for passengers 3 and 4. I emailed the TA for an adjustment (never done this before) and she emailed back that she adjusted them and we'll get the credit on our CC. However, now I started worrying that by adjusting the fares that we will lose our prepaid gratuities, specialty restaurant, spa certificate, and $100 OBC from the TA. Is that how it normally works?

[loudbmw]

All the freebees (prepaid gratuities, specialty restaurant, spa certificate, and $100 OBC) come from the TA's commission. If you end up paying less, they make less. Some folks here think the T/A should just absorb the loss in commission - I disagree.

 

What's fair is a reduction of some of the OBC but you still should come out way ahead. Think of it this way, if you were booking the cruise from scratch at the lower price, what OBC would the TA offer?

 

Congratulations on the price drop. Hopefully you are outside final payment.

[booyey]

We cruise in May and already did final payment. Our cruise is still ~$10,000 for a 7 day, so it's not like no one is making money off us. I obviously don't want the travel agency company to go broke, but I am asking because I might have made a different decision if i knew I was losing the other freebies....

[travelpeon]

Don't be afraid to ask for clarification from the agent, to help avoid confusion and disappointment. One of the reasons agents get business is because some customers like a little more "interaction" from a trusted associate. The benefits are great but she/he probably hopes you'll give them another 10k for other vacations because they did a good job for you.

 

Two e-mails is hardly a lot of questions. I've had TA's say that at this fare, they can give me X out of the freebies but not Y, as the margin is slim. That's fine as long as expectations are set. It also helps avoid wasting anyone's time.

[perkyblue]

I agree that you should just ask your TA. And just to clarify, not all of the perks agents offer come from their commissions. Some large agencies are able to set up special promotions with the cruise lines once in a while or block group space at the agency level to book individuals into. This is usually the case when you're offered big OBC and gratuities and onboard amenities. I don't know any TAs who would give a $100 OBC plus all that other stuff out of pocket, and if they are giving that much out of their own commission, I'd be very leery of using an agent who's that desperate for a sale!

 

But definitely don't feel bad about emailing your TA and asking for clarification. That's what we're here for -- to answer our clients' questions! If your TA ever makes you feel like you can't ask questions, it's time to find a new TA! Good travel agents are about more than just giving away income to make a sale -- we're here to provide a service, so ask away!

 

If your TA didn't say that you would lose those amenities by getting the rate drop, then I think there's a good chance this was an agency-level offer, not an offer from the agent's own commission and that you'll still be entitled to all of those benefits.