Travel Classes 1 of 2
TWO SETS OF TRAVEL CLASSES: FIRST AT CLARIDGE FOR 10 SESSIONS
SECOND AT KINGSBOROUGH FOR 11 SESSIONS;
[Of course these are outdated, but isn’t there some interest in what the travel industry was like forty years ago?]
DIARY 8178
2/5/74
TRAVEL CLASS 1
[Last free Claridge class, next will be $80-$95, and this is the last class HE teaches, too---but then they decide the next class IS free!]
Class of February 5, 1974: room for 75-80 in the class, started with 30-35 in it, but it built up as the evening went on (people STILL coming in at 8:15!) to about 60 "highly individualistic" people.
Claridge: Owner: Stu Liebowitz (Don Leibelt-type)
Manager: Tony Rand (Sales-type)
Instructor: Steve Goodman (Arnie Bernstein)
Branch Managers: Avenue P: Tony Rand (376-0100)
E. 16th St.: Melanie Herman (645-6752)
E. 14th St: June Russo (769-0200)
Liebowitz intro: 7:10-7:25: Another class being three weeks from now: 10 am on Saturdays for makeup possibilities.
Opening two offices in Jersey: Great Gorge and Jungle Habitat, in two months
Work in the office on off-the-street business, 25% commission (no salary, though the best from the classes may be hired). Work on own business, get 50% commission. Films, airlines representatives, salespeople ALL available for group-presentations. Newspaper to be published every two months.
Rand: 7:25-7:35: Commission generally 10% (checks sent off 15th of each month)
IATA appointment necessary for franchising, WE get appointments from Claridge.
ANY TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS (before the tickets are actually picked up) can be ticketed through Claridge. If this comes up, call a manager for help.
Small sports teams can be a gold mine.
"Susan will be your greatest crotch [crutch] in the class."
Stupid people in class and repeated questions; saying you get 50% of PRICE.
Familiarization trips: $62 for a week in Israel; $0 for Costa Line cruise.
Hundreds of trips/year to South America. One or two/month to Claridge (off-season, all of them) and 4-5 week ones go begging: no one has time to go.
Any questions? Yes, I'd like to ask a question. What's your question? Here's my question......
BEGIN: 7:45-7:50: "Travel Agent" magazine, 2 West 46th Street, NYC 10036, a good authority $3/year for 104 issues! GREAT BOOK and guide, so GET it.
Bring notes BACK to class each time, with a folder for brochures; file in alphabetic file.
Class of February 5, 1974: 8-9:05 pm.
Travel is moving people for 1) Business, 2) Commercial, 3) Vacation.
Travel industry is becoming a profession, with RESPONSIBILITY for job, even degrees.
Commissions on air, hotel, steamship, bus, rail, meals, car, sightseeing tours, entertainment
AIR: BOAC = FLAG carrier of Britain.
TWO US flag carriers: Pan-Am (INTERNATIONAL flag carrier; can fly ONLY from gateway OUT) and TWA (DOMESTIC flag carrier; can fly ACROSS US)
IATA: International Air Transportation Association, regulates international fares.
ATC: Air Traffic Conference, regulates United States fares.
Classes of scheduled air service:
International
Broad-base carriers---coast-to-coast---TRUNK carriers: TWA, American, United
Interstate carriers---between states: Eastern, Allegheny)
Intrastate carriers---within states: Air-Florida, Air-Illinois
Helicopter and local services.
One person is SUCH a nudge and OTHER nudge says "Why doesn't someone shut HER up!"
Claridge HATES independent charter organizations.
STEAMSHIP organizations: North Atlantic Conference; Pacific Conference.
COMMISSIONS: [ON FARE, not TAX]
Air: 7% on US only, NO land
11% to Puerto Rico, Miami, Los Angeles, Phoenix on IT (Inclusive Tour) with land
8% Family Plan Bookings (FP)
7% air only: New York to Paris
8% Discover America Excursion (DA)
7% air AND land on international ticket, EXCEPT for 10% on GIT (Group Inclusive Tour) ticket
11% Independent Air Tour
Hotels:
10% general; and UP, whatever you can GET from a hotel, some of whom give NO commissions at ALL, some of whom DEPEND on travel agents to book them up.
ORGANIZATION:
Class of February 5, 1975: 8-9:05 pm
So if the travel agent goes DIRECT to HOTEL, the hotel would "save" 20% in commissions, and the travel agent could possibly increase his OWN commission.
But it's a pain to do this for ONE couple; profitable for a large TOUR.
Some hotels don't sell to operators.
Wholesalers are beginning to buy travel agencies.
"Never give the customer a better rate; pocket the profits."
If there's an airline on the brochure, it's a WHOLESALER'S brochure (catalog)
SHELL shows ONE product [London Theater Tour]; a photo or map is REQUIRED.
GARBAGE is only a souvenir folder---no PRICES, no CONDITIONS.
In a CATALOG, go first to the BACK. Take one for client, one for file.
AGENT is responsible, WHOLESALER says he is NOT, right there in print.
The OPERATOR is really responsible, but it's rough to sue a guy in Paris.
Check with Susan for reliable operators!
CONDITIONS CLAUSES ARE ALL-IMPORTANT
"Say you're SALARIED, not COMMISSIONED, and people will like you better."
DIARY 8187
2/12/74
TRAVEL CLASS 2
Class of February 12, 1974: 7:05-7:45. (32 at START of class, 42 at 8:10)
ASTA: American Society of Travel Agents---strictly a lobbying agency.
ATC: Air Traffic Conference---licensing and withdrawing travel agency licenses (only with an ATC appointment can an agent get commissions. Takes 3-4 months to get, and commissions are held in escrow until the appointment comes.)
CAB: Civil Aeronautics Board---U.S. Government agency that regulates routings (legs)
IATA: International Air Transportation Association---must approve SAME as ATC.
Approves Government Request (GR) airfares: $511 to India, $285 to Israel.
(STRICTLY point-to-point, NO stopovers for sightseeing; only by flag-carrier; profits cut to bone; on REGULAR plane, there may be 9 fares.
Israel ranges from $385 to $970, and cold by ANY price BETWEEN, depending.
IPSA: International Passenger Steamship Agency (Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, North Sea; somewhat weaker agency, no real power over travel agents)
TPPSC: Trans-Pacific Passenger Steamship Conference (Pacific and Indian Oceans)
ICC: Interstate Commerce Commission---regulates travel between states in the US
PTPA: Railroad Travel Promotion (don't ask HIM why initials don't agree!)
TYPES of agencies:
1. Country Tourist Office---BOOKS for Travel Agents list
1) Travel Aids
a) Free films
b) posters, etc.
2) Travel Facts-cities
3) Accommodations, etc
(Get by writing with business card to office and get free)
2. State Tourist Office
3. City and region Tourist office
WHY an agent?
1. No extra charge.
2. An expert in the field.
3. No individual legwork (with tickets, visas, other)
4. Agent could save more money than an individual.
5. Agent can BLOCK space, swing more power, get priorities.
Domestic Air Travel
Charges---based on point-to-point (except for special fares: triangle, etc)
LEG is a ground-to-ground part of a trip
SEGMENT is one-way of a round (return) trip
Class of February 12, 1974
NEVER SAY RATE, SAY TARIFF. Hotel TARIFF, air TARIFF (industry jargon)
Domestic air tariffs ALWAYS come to even dollars with tax.
Scheduled carriers do lifting in the US (strict CAB supervision)
"When Icelandic Airlines has an ACCIDENT, IATA and ATC will SLAUGHTER it."
FOR SCHEDULED DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
1) Normal
(F) First-class or Deluxe: better food and seating (and check-in)
TRAVEL agents can fly first-class FREE
(Y) Coach or Tourist-Class
"I like coach; did you ever hear of a plane BACKING into a hill?"
(FN) Deluxe Coach: first-class section of night flight
(YN) Night coach: tourist-class section of night flight
2) Excursion
(DA) Discover America: used to promote travel
(E) lower prices than tourist class.
3) Bargains
Group fares (25 or more)
Affinity group---members of the same group
Non-affinity group---grouped at the AIRPORT
GIT (Group Inclusive Tour; few dollars LOWER than group)
Open-advertised, printed brochure with IT-number, available to general public
(AU) (SU) Standby fares---lowest fares available to general public on CERTAIN carriers
(YZ) Youth fares with reservations
(Z) Youth fares---rock bottom
(G) Leisure class---more later
First travel agent: Henry Weston, booked the first affinity-charter package (Mayflower)
Thomas Cook REALLY started travel agent BUSINESS, by getting railway to furnish cars to a religious revival at non-scheduled times for one shilling. 600 people.
Then a school contacted him for students to races. 4,600 people
In 1845, he leased a train from the railroad. 1,400 people
In 1847, he took workers on excursions from London to Edinburgh. 5,000 people
In 1851, he took 150,000 people to the Crystal Palace
In 1856, he began worldwide tours; WALKING people from South Ferry to hotels!
"Don't BOTHER with individuals, go for GROUPS."
NEW IDEAS to get groups: don't WAIT, go out and GET them
1. To specific sports events
2. Local bus tours ($25/day to a winery)
3. Go into a Senior Citizen's Club (for mailing lists; to "entertain" them)
4. Weekend trip to Amish Country (a la Casser, swamped with business)
5. Ski-tours upstate
6. Can't COMPETE with UFT, but do the SAME THING for them, you'll get business
"Steak dinner in Japan is now up to $15 or $20."
CLARIDGE TRAVEL DOESN'T CHARGE US FOR PRINTING FLYERS TO DISTRIBUTE OURSELVES!
Give them an IDEA and THEY will mail the flyers to their OWN customers!!
7. Student "bring the kids home for Christmas" rates
"Work it out with Claridge (in advance) and maybe WE give 1% and YOU give 1% to STRINGER
8. Local ideas GREAT.
First homework assignment: GET group ideas: opera, ballet, national parks, fire and ice.
Steve Goodman says, about 8:50, that he's going to run a bit over, but if anyone has to leave, they can. By the time he finishes at 9:10 the class has fallen from 22 to about 15, and then he says that he's giving a class at Kingsborough Community College [Manhattan Beach---bus from subway] and IF there are ONLY about 10-12 (can't be done with 30) who would want it, he would be willing to set up ANOTHER class there for "advanced" information, more than is possible in a 10-night survey. He said it would be sort of a laboratory: "situation you want to beat or to learn the nitty-gritty." He said the cost would be $25 (which the College requires for a certificate of completion of the course) for one night a week for 10-12 weeks. He gave the idea with Susan in the room, and then she leaves when the 11 people, including me, who are left gather around to listen to him talk more about the nitty-gritty of the CLASS. He says he KNEW it would sink from the 80-90 in the first few sessions to the current level of 22, and if Claridge got even THREE good people to work in the office, or if they got just about 7 bookings through the class, it would pay Steve's salary, and anything over is gravy. Of course we had to know it was SOME kind of rip-off, and then HE gets into ripping off CLARIDGE, saying that Steve probably won't LIKE his taking us away from him, since he cold plan on getting free office help out of us, but that there have been HUNDREDS through the classes already, and this room was used EVERY night: when one class stopped, another started. Steve ALSO said he was THE IATA inspector of new agencies being opened, the business manager of an international airline he wouldn't give the name of, and one of the two or three best teachers in the field. He wasn't interested in BOOKINGS because he was an INSPECTOR, but for WHATEVER reason (that'll probably come out in HIS third class) he was willing to give us for $25 what OTHER members of the class assured other members of the class cost at LEAST $300 at accredited places and up to $600 in even some rip-off places. SOME of the exhausting talkers were interested, but Steve wouldn't take names now, saying "Let me know next week" obviously relying on attrition even in THIS group. But there are some REAL pains, though they might be able to contribute some good ideas. I'd probably sign up for it.
DIARY 8215
2/19/74
TRAVEL CLASS 3
Lesson 2B. 21 in class at 7:20 pm, I'm 20th at 7:12; 22 in class finally +1 for Susan.
PRIMARY ENTITLEMENT CODES
*A Prop First Class (whole plane FIRST class)
C Prop Thrift
*F Jet First Class
J Jet Deluxe Coach
K Jet Thrift
P Jet Coach in First-Class Compartment
*R Prop One Class Service (Standard) (Whole Plane is COACH)
S Jet Custom Class (One Class Standard Service)
T Prop Coach
U No Reservations
*Y Jet Coach - Tourist
SECONDARY QUALIFYING CODES
H High Season [ONLY for Excursion]
L Low Season [ " " " ]
Shoulder Season
N Night [9 pm - 1 am]
U No Advance Reservations
E [Point-to-Point] Excursion Shoulder-Season (no secondary qualifying code)
EH Excursion High-Season
EL Excursion Low-Season
Low Season $200 15 Oct to 15 Mar
First Shoulder $250 16 Mar to 1 Jun
High Season $300 2 Jun to 31 Aug
Second Shoulder $250 1 Sep to 14 Oct
1 April - rates can CHANGE [airfare you leave on is the airfare you return on]
If a person buys a ticket on 10 Mar, saying he's leaving 14 Mar, pays $200, gets YL, goes to airport on 16 Mar, guy checks and charges $50 extra or REFUNDS the ticket price.
DISCOUNT CODES (cannot get a discount on a discount [e.g., Night Excursion]) [but CAN have LE, low-season discount]
1. Primary Discount Codes (ENTIRE ticket being discounted)
D Entire ticket discounted [Codes read in reverse importance YLE/21]
AD Travel agent's discount
E Passenger's discount: Excursion
Z Youth discount
YZ Youth discount, with reservations
M Military discount (must travel in uniform)
YM Military discount, with reservations
P Family plan (Father pays full price; family pays less)
NYC Y
MIA EY (E says discount)
DEN E
TICKET: MIA Y
NYC
Rather than full fare of $70 + $30 + $120 = $220, CAN say
$140 (regular)
$60 (discount)
____
$200 {PARTIAL Ticket Discount)
Airfares ABOUT 7 cents/mile---used to be 5 cents
AD/75: Agent's discount, 75%; generally, ALL agent tickets are 75% discounted!
2. Promised (Future) POSSIBLE discount codes (* = in EFFECT)
AF Area fare to a certain AREA
*AS Air-sea fare, with a sailing afterward
CD Senior Citizen
* Child
Clergy
* Deportee
* Diplomat
* Discount 50% for ?
* Immigrant
* Group
*ID Air-industry employee
*IF American Indian Student
* Infant
Job Corps Trainee
Pilgrim fare
TD Teacher's Discount
*VUSA Visit USA, only by Europeans
*TG Tour Guide, though tour guide is USUALLY free
Lesson 3 - DEFINITIONS
1. Add-on Fare: Rather than penalize someone because he can't go Miami-
A. Tel-Aviv, there's a cheaper Mia-NYC fare. The lower MIA-NYC fare is called an add-on fare
B. Add-on fare for the BACK leg (to ease his tipping) from Pierre-SF.
C. LAX-NYC may be $300 Y; $225 E; $160 Add-on (no CODE, the PRICE is on ticket)
There are MANY ways of beating the ticket, but HE won't teach us THAT.
2. Adult fare: Adult is any person who has reached his 12th birthday.
3. Cabotage: The law saying that it is NOT legal to use a FOREIGN carrier WITHIN YOUR NATIVE COUNTRY. Italian, pre-ticketed in Rom, CAN fly Chi-Phil on Alitalia, but American CANNOT. FRENCH can't fly TWA Par-Marseilles.
4. Carriage: the physical act of transporting a person and his property from one point to another. If you arrive without your luggage, you have a legal right to report your luggage missing and DEMAND LIVABLE ITEMS (REASONABLE) such as toothbrush, toothpaste, clothes. EACH AIRLINE has a different cut-off point where it becomes unreasonable.
RIP-OFF:
On a GROUP ticket, there's insurance for .50-$1 per $100, say NYC -TLV
Y $970; E $550, you GO on a two-week excursion, give a doctor $5 to sign a letter saying that you're "incapable of flying" and the INSURANCE pays the difference ($420) between your 3-N week stay flight fare and Excursion fare!
5. Children's fare: a child is a person who has reached his second birthday and not yet his 12th birthday.
6. Conjunction ticket: Maximum number of legs on one ticket is 4. To make 8 stops, you join a second ticket to the first. "Union or joining of two or more tickets to make a complete ticket."
7. Connecting carrier: carrier to which a passenger and his baggage will be transferred to at a particular point, where passenger is IN TRANSIT.
8. Destination: ULTIMATE stopping point on a passenger's journey. Destination of a ROUND trip is the STARTING point.
9. Exchange order: used with an airline ticket to PREPAY an airlines ticket, which can even be ordered for someone else overseas (so he won't steal CASH).
10. Flight Coupon: that portion of the ticket that allows boarding of the aircraft.
11. Issuing Carrier: airline that initiates or issues the ticket. The carrier taking the first leg is the issuing carrier. "All airlines are adversaries: they'll try to wipe each other out."
12. Leg: sector of portion of a complete trip.
13. Origin: Place where the journey starts.
14. Passenger Coupon: that portion of the ticket that remains at the completion of the journey.
15. Revalidation: the authorized stamping of a ticket (when being changed from one airline to another) by a carrier ONLY.
16. Sector: a combination of legs that is not a complete journey.
17. Stopover: a preplanned, pre-arranged, intentional break in a journey. NOT a connecting point, where he is in transit. Stopovers generate point-to-point fares. At a CONNECTING POINT you MUST take the first available flight out. "African market is becoming very, very BIG now."
RIP-OFF: XYZ to Rome, maybe 3 DAYS in Rome (in transit) for XYZ to Nairobi, and XYZ will PAY for lavish midtown hotel, meals, tours! Illegally!
18. Ticket: the document entitled "Passenger Ticket and Baggage Claim Ticket," including all flight coupons and all passenger coupons showing "Contract of Carriage issued by or on behalf of the carrier." It IS a contract; it IS a Baggage Claim Check; it is ONLY enacted WHEN the first coupon is PULLED.
19. Transit: state of limbo a passenger is in while connecting (Can't check into the country).
20. Unchecked Baggage: carry-on baggage carried on WITH you.
{Seat-width: standard 34"; proposed 32" "cattle-car" with NO stewardesses; box lunch]
BAGGAGE
1. Carry-on is always free (if they want to WEIGH it, REFUSE). (It must fit under your seat; if it does, you can carry it on, even if it weighs a ton).
2. International Baggage: 66 lbs for adult (30 kilos) in First Class.
3. International; ECONOMY: 44 lbs for adult (20 kilos) in Tourist Class.
4. Domestic, first class or economy: "Two suitcases, standard size."
Domestically it goes by VOLUME and dimension, NOT by weight.
5. Children whose fare is 50% adult fare can have FULL adult allowance.
6. Infants at 10% or free have NO baggage allowance.
7. Group (or husband and wife) CAN POOL their luggage allowances.
8. Aqualung, mask, fins considered as one suitcase.
9. Surfboard considered as one suitcase.
10. Dogs and pets: seeing-eye dogs free, MUST accompany passenger, over 7 lbs, must go in hold. Other pets: weight of pet and weight of container will be charged AS overweight.
OVERWEIGHT RATES: 1% of one-way adult full first-class fare per kilo overweight.
Cheaper to send it by air-freight.
Sending it air CARGO will get it there ABOUT same time, but it's RISKY (rip-offs)
5-6 lbs overweight usually OK, but over 10 lbs, watch it.
SEMI-RIP-OFF: (STEVE DIDN'T LIKE SUSAN SAYING: Experienced airlines reps CAN get authorized excess baggage allowances!)
PREVIEW OF COMING CLASSES: Class 1, introduction; Class 2: History of travel
Class 3: Definition of terms
4: International Airlines
5: OAG---Official Airlines Guide
6: Ticketing
7: Hotels and Steamships
8: Bus, car, train
9: Office Sales and procedures
10: Groups, incentives, promotions, etc.
DIARY 9327
2/28/74
TRAVEL CLASS 4
Class has 28 now, since the weather was so bad last week it kept people away.
I. INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE: governed by IATA: routings, fares, rules for selling.
A. DIFFERENCES from Domestic carriage
1) International is costed by MILEAGE (domestic by point-to point) from ORIGIN to DESTINATION and NOT extra for stopovers, with exceptions.
2) International based on 24-hour clock; domestic on 12-hour clock.
B. Five types of air fares
1) Normal: Y/F
2) Excursion: E (discount)
3) Group: G
4. Charter: as in "Europe Charter Book"
5) Extension: 14/21 extended to one-year (hardly ever sell)
C. Discount Symbols same
D. NO night on International Service.
E. 0 added as SHOULDER-season code
II. Refunds on tickets (Tickets won't EVER expire, ALWAYS good for cash)
A. All unused flight coupons must be returned to carrier.
B. Refund is made to person NAMED on the ticket [Agent can't cash it FOR the person.]
C. Carrier may refuse to refund to a person on a temporary visa.
D. Carrier has RIGHT to refuse refund one year and one month BEYOND first use.
E. Total refund for total ticket refunded.
F. If half-ticket is used, partial refund is done.
III. LOST ticket---KEEP personal notebook with airlines ticket number, name, date of travel, first leg, and price for all you ISSUE.
TODAY'S RIP-OFF: Denied-boarding COMPENSATION is at one-way first-leg coupon, between $25 and $200, for AA, BN, CB, CO, CL, EA, MO, NA, NE, NW, EA, RW, IT, TT, TW, WA.
IV. Ticket validity (at midnight of day of expiration)
1. One-way and round or circle trip: one year from date of commencement of travel.
2. All other: validity depends on individual rules.
3. If airline messes you UP, the AIRLINE is responsible for missed flight, new season, higher rates [Flight carrier will pay for meals, hotel, AND phones to tell people you'll be late.]
V. Manuals
1. OAG: Official Airlines Guide
2. IATT: International Air Transportation Tariff
Documents used for International Travel [THESE ARE THE THINGS TO RIP-OFF AN OFFICE]
1. Airlines tickets
2. MCO: Miscellaneous Charge Orders
A. Agent transfers ticket to a foreign country
B. Serves as a tour receipt for hotels, etc: validated by airlines stamp, copy of purchaser, copy to carrier
C. MCO's paid once every 10 days; wait and send out MCO and KEEP the liquid cash.
3. Agency Tour Order: Voucher system for pre-paying WITHOUT an airlines validation.
SEMI-RIP-OFF: NORTH coast of Africa GREAT for camera equipment discounts. On consignment: pay 90 days after camera SOLD; get cash, INVEST in short-term bonds, and CUT PROFITS TO THE BONE.
OAG: Domestic every TWOS WEEKS; international every MONTH
EX99: 99 different types of Excursion fares in the US.
Connections: fares do not always apply to connections: a rate construction.
A. Call airline (many times wrong)
B. Use Squires Manual of fares
C. Do both and double-check.
Connections: need ONE coupon for EACH flight.
Homework: go out to airport at 10 pm and look around and ask questions.
Check steamship sailing and CHECK them out (what are areas like), and get into great cocktail parties and champagne and rip-off ashtrays and captain's hat.
NEXT TIME: bring pencil with eraser
Class: $25, 11 SESSIONS, 7:30-9:30 PM, STARTS Wednesday, March 6, maybe register BEFORE the class. D train to Sheepshead Bay, off at Claridge Travel side (Shore Parkway) and wait inside Claridge Travel and bus goes to front gate of Kingsborough College. Programmed learning (7 days at TWA, 1 night here, rest PI).
DIARY 8349
3/6/74
TRAVEL CLASS 5
Colette from "Rose's Tours" (Steve Goodman caught out of town)
Marlene, manager upstairs: AGENCY desks have allotments for seats; general reservations have MORE seats. Bigger volume the agency has, it gets a different phone number for seats for airlines!
Colette: 7:17 pm - 8:35 pm
WHOLESALING---they do all the groundwork. "Charter trips are bigger than ever."
Tour Operators sell to Wholesalers sell to Retail Agents sell to people.
Deals in groups (very lucrative). "We can put together a package for you."
1500 people/week flying ILLEGALLY to Vegas.
Charters in GENERAL: Children same price on planes; children less in room with two parents; no discount for triples; supplement for singles.
Group of 40 people gets discount [otherwise, 3 pay as much as 39 people.]
Rosen: "If you're BOOKED, you're BOOKED. If it's CANCELLED, it'll be 8 weeks ahead."
Individualism on any tour will cost more.
"Junket" is a gambling trip ONLY for large gamblers [i.e., playing blackjack for $20, $40, $80 a card; craps for $40 each dice-throw.]
Establish a credit line (for $5,000, $3,000) in Vegas.
($1,500, $2000, as FRONT money for Curacao and San Juan.)
Hotel wants a SHOT at you.
Call SELMA direct. Selma must talk to client [What color chips, how long do you play; have you ever been on a junket]
Junkets to Yugoslavia, Italy, Freeport. "The Girl sent up was UGLY."
Pay "a quarter a couple"---$25/couple recommended to Selma.
You can win a thousand, lose a thousand, you're NOT a junket-player.
Suites at Caesar's Palace are MARVELOUS; room service: request a drink, get a bottle.
Cash or certified checks required for front money.
Credit for checks ANYWHERE in Las Vegas in 24 hours.
(International Hotel has buffet dinner for merely tipping the meat slicer.
Caesar's Palace has INCREDIBLE breakfasts for $2.50.
DIARY 8376
3/12/74
TRAVEL CLASS 6
Class of March 12, 1974. 18 in the class, seemingly a REAL hard core.
TICKETING:
Passenger coupon
Flight coupon, one for each LEG of trip (if this is NOT there, guy can't get on the plane)
Agent's coupon, black carbon before, followed by red carbon back-ups. (If these are THERE for a CUSTOMER, the ticket is INVALID)
Auditor's coupon, completed in FINE point Auditors
Passenger Ticket and Baggage Check (Cover)
1. ALWAYS print in cap block letters
2. LIKE a check, ALL boxes are ALWAYS completed.
Auditor's copy: pulled and forwarded to regional ATC Bank
Agent's copy: pulled and kept in office
Flight and Passenger coupons---to client.
Process of ticketing [If a MISTAKE: VOID the ticket and keep; ALL must go to auditors.]
1. Passenger's Name
a. Adult (22-101), full fare ticket LAST/I. Mr.
b. Unaccompanied Minor (2-12) LAST/I. Miss/Mister (UM-10) (and age)
c. Air-sea ticket LAST/I. MS (AS) Cunard/FF-5661/New York to London Line / SS ticket # / Itinerary] [MIAMI: Cruise]
d. Youth Fare (12-UNDER 22) LAST/I. MR. 20 June 60 (Date of Birth)
2. X/O [From/To] [X = No stopover allowed; 0 = Stopovers OK]
a. NO ABBREVIATIONS [New York]
b. AIRPORT next (3 letter code)
c. VOID thereafter (PULL voided tickets out of back with auditor's and agent's coupons and forward to ATC bank for CONTROL)
3. Flight Itinerary Portion
[JV: too messy to reproduce]
"Family plan dies 1 Jun 74"
"Indian Airlines SAME price in India as in US (except, of course, for black market.)"
4. Fare (Net fare OAG) (X) Equiv. Amt. Pd. 4600 Fr (other than $) (BY EXACT DAILY RATE OF EXCHANGE)
Tax (8% domestic EXCEPT NYC-Honolulu) (Y) Total (X+Y)
Form of Payment
(1) CC: [Credit card] BB 573958 Non-Ref [Non-Refundable]
BB = Barclay's Bank
CB = Carte Blanche
AM = American Express
DC = Diners Club
(2) Cash AGT Non-Ref
(3) Check Agt Non-Ref
5. Conjunction ticket 243 PHYSICALLY ATTACH TICKETS
244 243
245 244
243 245
6. Origin Destination
New York New York ONLY NECESSARY FOR CONJUNCTION TICKET
7. TAKE to validating machine and get THESE
Date of Issue Place of Issue
Passenger Ticket and Baggage Check Issued by
8. Pull coupons and give client ticket
a. PULL coupons BEFORE filling in COMMISSIONS (or it'll go THRU)
b. ORIGINATING carrier is plate-name.
9. Sample ticket (on #2 on class 6 #1; for next week)
Mr. T. Clark ad lib other info Minneapolis- Chicago-Minneapolis
GO: jet coach, NW 428, 2 Aug at 12:05 pm, confirmed
RETURN: Same, NW 437, 4 Aug at 1:00 pm, confirmed
NET fare $64.82 Tax = ? Total = ? FOP: AMEX
10. NET fares New Orleans (Atlanta) Indianapolis
Memphis
NO-ATL: $37.04 54.63
Atl-Ind: 37.04 34.26
NO-Ind: 54.63 32.41
Ind-Mem: 34.26 _____
Mem-NO: 32.41 $121.30
Ind-NO: 54.63
FIVE only gave that ANSWER!
THREE gave 109.26
ELEVEN OTHER NUMBERS---INCREDIBLE!
Steve: "Find out why you got the wrong answer and bring it back next week, but I don't know what you're DOING in this class!"
DIARY 8410
3/19/74
TRAVEL CLASS 7
12 in the class by 7:07 pm. 17 arrive finally, though he's surprised they showed up at ALL after being told off last week. We go into the $121.30 problem again, and, funny thing, it seems that half the class actually had it right! Ha. Look at the homework tickets we did---which I did on the train on the way into class, and make out a NEW ticket for CAPTAIN J. Walsh, and he said that he PUT the captain in for a sticker, and if we DIDN'T put in a military discount, or be concerned about it, we weren't thinking. He gives us the data and the fact that there will be no security charge, and we draw up the ticket on Hand-out 7 #1. He says that we should MEMORIZE the boxes that he fills out in order (regardless of the fact that HE doesn't know which is which and must refer to the handbook), but that's never required of us.
FILING; EVERY {HEY, I made a yen mark!] agency has files: one envelope per trip.
1. File Number: depending on agency.
2. Date booked, sourced, department, agent booking
3. Names: up to 12 for small group
4. Organization of sales talk is ON the envelope in its questions.
5. Hotel information
6. Flight information
7. Accounting information (credit card #, Amount, Refunds, Cash deposits.)
Additional cash outlays: check citizenship, get visa, send it registered mail.
Then we look at samples 2 and 3, and by this time it's 8:30 already.
Get another sample ticket, for Roy Brown, figuring commission and tax.
Then another sample ticket, for Miss Bonny Carroll (UM 10).
Next week, we're instructed to be ON time, for the "15 error ticket."
Melanie comes down with the "startling" announcement that there's a $249 Thu-Mon flight to Las Vegas on Memorial Day weekend, requiring $100 deposit per person.
SLIGHT RIP-OFF: Kids up to 12, 50% off ticket for youths, and there is no AGE for the kid if the kid is on the MOTHER'S passport, so she can squeeze him by for a longer time if he's on HERS.
DIARY 8411
3/19/74
AFTER TRAVEL CLASS 7
El Al is going to AFRICA! USUALLY it's $2000 to Africa, but THIS tour will be $1400 to $1700 for an INCLUSIVE tour: to Addis Ababa, Gondor, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Treetops, and Israel: 2 days in Tel Aviv going, 3 days in Jerusalem coming back. It'll be a photo-safari in Africa with seven-passenger safari busses, so groups should be multiples of seven.
Trips will be 17 or 22 days.
Commission: 17% on land, 10% on air, free trips to Tour Leaders.
Free flyers from wholesaler.
Good for black studies programs: see HERMAN Washington about it?
They may make it a STUDY trip so it can be deducted from IRS.
Walter will have a deduction for EDUCATION, which is what he's in, I will get a PUBLISHING tour, and Ina will handle the SYNAGOGUE tour.
There should be 28-35 people on a trip!
The countryside is HIGH and DRY, and trips will START in August. [Though the travel book I just look at says the October starts the season NOT to be in the Game Preserves.] I calculate that for the 9.5 days in Africa, the first trip is a staggering $147 per day, the longer 11 days at $154/day!
Even taking the WHOLE 22-day trip, it's $79 a day!
Then Ina and Eli and I go into the coffee shop where I have a cherry pie and water and they have coffee, and they talk about mutual friends and adventures in Israel: Steve's wife is a coward and cowered on the floor of the taxi when they went through various ambushes in Arab territory while the war was going on. The BEST story was about the Pan Am-insured cat-crate that they opened in Paris to have 6 pure-bred Persians streak for escape. They then, in suits and their doctor's degrees hidden, searched the streets of Paris for strays to fill the box, Pan Am accepted it without checking, and when it got to its final destination, there were 7 Parisian alley cats in the box, and Pan Am had to foot the insurance bill of some $1700 or $17,000 depending on who tells the story, and when. Steve, however, does NOT have another joint for me, as he'd promised, but one's better than none.
DIARY 8433
3/26/74
TRAVEL CLASS 8
March 26, 1974. 10 in class at 7:07 pm, then 16 in all, the lowest yet!
I. Insurance (commission paid on THIS, too; 35% on insurance!)
See Hand-out Class #8, 1, 3 pp.
USE the overall coverage: life, baggage, air and cruise fare insurance,
and RIP OFF 21 days to 50 days with MD certification.
II. Raid and bus travel
A. Rail: best TOUR operator is Four Winds. Now all rail is Amtrak, which is good to Florida.
1. Rail centers: Santa Fee, Chicago, New York
2. Long-Haul (NYC-Miami: NYC-Chicago) Observation cars used ONLY out west of Chicago. Sleeping cars RARE out of NYC.
3. Commuter/short-haul transportation---no reservations.
4. Metroliner---NEED a reservation; penalty for changing reservation, 10% commission.
5. Rail CRUISES
a. Four Winds: American Cruise (Florida; US; West Coast; Mexico) (16-22 days) Some liners use SIDINGS for rail-HOTELS.
6.Eurailpass---NOT in England (which has British Rail Pass (Britrail) for 1, 2, or 3 months, purchased ONLY in US.
B. Bus---Greyhound and Trailways
Tauck Tours Inc cater to 40+ age-group; Parker and Casser to 60+
C. Local sightseeing---Gray Line and American Sightseeing (FOR ANYWHERE!) Casser ONE-DAY tours are $10-$20/day!
III. 3 Manuals for "big-time" touring
1. American Sightseeing International (ASI)
2. Gray Line (Mainly US): AGENT, setting up FIT tour, will BUY from Gray Line.
3. Greyhound (US): Prepay by VOUCHER and just PRESENT the voucher the day you want to TOUR. On a $5.20 voucher, $1.39 commission.
IV. Manuals ON DESK
1. OAG (NA and IE)
2. ASI Tour Manual
3. Ticketing Manual
V. Manuals NEARBY
Train fares; hotel index [which is one step below garbage, but at least it's got the hotel REPS, 99% of whom are in NY, CHI, LA, but the rest of it all ADS]. NON-BIASED hotel guide is OHEG: Official Hotel Registry Guide; and the Consolidated Air Tour Manual (CATMAN)!
1) United Airlines
2) Eastern Airlines
3)Delta Airlines---all have hotels, sightseeing, everything for everywhere they fly (He gave me the Eastern one). Don't call airlines for fares. Use Squires and IATA tariffs for fares.
In OAG, excursions and during air-fare changes, the fares may be WRONG.
If YOU get wrong tariff from the OAG, YOU are responsible for the difference in the fare. If you REALLY can't find rate, you CAN call airlines. If AIRLINES gives you a quote, get the name and a QUOTE-number to make AIRLINE responsible.
GATEWAY cities (LA and NYC) NOT Hawaii.
For NYC-LA-HNL-Manila, DON'T go NYC-Manila, get EXCURSION LAX-MAN-LAX, and have NYC-LA as an ADD-ON, which is CHEAPER.
Squires: Book 1: Rules and Regulations
2: US fares
3. European fares
4. Oriental fares
5. Other, including Mid East, Africa.
If you ARE an agent, GET the client's NAME AND ADDRESS.
8:45, simple sample agent-client "game". And next week, WALT is the agent, I'm the client
"It'll sell like wildflower." "Nefereeti" "They're moling [mauling] our brochures."
For GOOD customers, SEND champagne to the airport with your card; HAVE flowers waiting at the first hotel with your card; PUT bottle of wine in his free flight bag!
15-20 agencies OPEN two times a year (but he KNOCKS 10 OUT)
41 of 498 agencies and 302 freebies in Brooklyn are ANY GOOD AT ALL.
DIARY 8452
4/2/74
TRAVEL CLASS 9
April 2, 1974. 10 in class at 7:06, 14 by class end. No class 4/9, 4/10: next 4/16
Tonight's topic is MAKING MONEY FROM TRAVEL
1. GROUPS---where the money is (and sell them ALL insurance)
a. Common Interest group (pertinent people to pertinent places)
1. Conventions---medical, professional
2. Trade Fairs---medical, professional
3. World's Fair, NYC, Montreal, Osaka
b. Affinity groups---fraternities, masons, PTAs, classes, synagogues
c. Field trips---archaeological research and movie crews
[There is NO such thing as a marriage between an agent and a tourist: the best price wins. Taking one day off a tour may save $100. Work for the best price (unless the client has already given someone else a deposit.)]
[Pricing: for US market, a good price is $99.99; for Europe, $100.00]
c. Field trips (cont)---engineering crews, basketball teams, mass transit with NO land arrangements.
d. Sales meetings and incentive travel---seminars and symposiums
e. General tour groups
1. Advertised groups---hardest to sell---price is the ONLY thing that wins.
2. To check out rates for COLLEGE groups---go to college and check bulletin boards.
Incentives: reward for doing well. GREATEST incentives are free TRIPS.
ONE student set up incentive for BARTONS to ISRAEL for high sales, and she got the BOX company owner into it, too. "Work it at the bone."
Set up options: $620 for 10 days; $748 for 14 days; $858 for 21 days.
"Too much choice for the people?" "No way." Keep it flexible.
Someone sent 720 Fedders salesmen to Europe.
"Incentives are the area of the future" and it only started 3-4 years ago.
"Management is the enemy." If you set up an incentive meeting, drag Liebowitz along to pay for lunch with HIS Amex card. He'll be GLAD to go.
1900 Reynolds tobacco salesmen to Puerto Rico!!
Management telling management how to select a travel agent:
1. Decide on specific objectives (how much sales in how much time)
2. Allow enough promotion time (agents: 5-6 months ahead of time)
3. Budget for promotion: 4-15% for promotion (of projected sales)
4. INCLUDE wives, it PAYS for "after 5" sales incentives.
5. Choose a location with proper facilities, weather, popularity, and NON-busy season.
6. Make travel agent decision early. What do you want HIM to do?
7. USE BIG COMPANIES (UM), and DON'T try to do it yourself.
8. INSPECT every element of the trip yourself---stay, eat, tour, travel
9. Make contingency plans for strikes, rain, stalled transit (everyone should)
10. Have your own staff on the trip (send the boss along---the VP can order six limousines if the bus breaks down without bothering to call for OK).
Chase Manhattan started a travel club for new accounts.
Knickerbockers paid off the Board of Education best, and they get the teacher-travel business.
2. Formulas for building a group.
a. Select your OPERATOR through competition---call EVERYONE. $5 makes a diff. in PR.
b. Appoint a committee WITHIN the group you're hitting to do the hackwork.
1. They disseminate information---you don't get results by putting coupons in the newsletters (!)
2. Must have word of mouth and person-to-person---get the pace-setter.
"They have to be in the right social circus."
3. Boss never handles it, he delegates it and GETS his free trip.
4. ONCE you've given "a little over" you're SHOT, will ALWAYS have to give it.
c. Circular mailing to ALL members. A one-sheet flyer---go for a BIG one (legal size)
1. SAY all you'll get free, DON'T say what you WON'T get.
d. Distribute folder or brochure---printing by airline or wholesaler (who bills airlines)
e. Articles and photos OF tour to club's publication---written by leader.
f. Arrange an evening "Moroccan festival" with film, questions, speakers, raffle, refreshments (from book, "The Travel Agent." Airline will pay for refreshments and raffle gifts, operator will send projector and screen; Moroccan travel agency will send a live Moroccan; airlines will send a SECOND speaker if you want.
g. "LIMITED seating" only 30 seats left---sign now (even though there are 300 left).
h. CHECK WEEKLY "Don't forget, we're leaving soon."
Remember though, you NEVER do anything HEAVY without a DEPOSIT.
i. Put up POSTERS with BANNERS on them "We leave on October 18."
j. Table filled with free information "Help yourself, we leave October 18." Then, at 8:45, Walt's travel agent to my customer was "perfect." For MY niggling, Walt should call an OPERATOR and ask HIM to set up a tour for WALT to sell to ME at 10% commission! Itinerary comes typed---cover operators name with YOUR name and it's YOURS. FANTASTIC.
MIAMI BEACH areas
Gentile market
Condominiums and gold clubs---cosmopolitan
Miami dollars---Fontainbleau and Eden Roc
Convention boys "I'll get it for you wholesale" area GARBAGE
Bagel beach (old folks)
