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Agent finds money in air fares
Travel agent owner Alan Brooks makes a comfortable living selling only airline tickets. The philosophy he shared with TravelMole:
“I can make more money selling one $7,000 ticket than selling ten $700 tickets.”
Mr Brooks and his then partner went into business as Brooks McGuire & Co. in 1980 as a regular travel agency.
“We had 15 employees, an entire cruise department,” he said.
But in recent years, Mr Brooks operates his Blowing Rock, NC-based business just with his partner, Jay Clifton. The agency only sells international business class fares.
He said his volume is way down, but his profits are up 200%, though he declined to be specific.
The typical airline ticket is anywhere from $3,500 up. Mr. Brooks said by buying in volume and through arrangements with airlines, he saves his travel agency clients’ customers money, sometimes at 40% or so.
The company limits to selected areas of heavy business travel such as Europe and Asia.
The entire marketing effort is regular e-mail broadcasts to travel agents.
Mr Brooks says he does not want just any client. “We don’t want shoppers and browsers,” he said.
When he started his specialty several years ago, his company was among a handful in that area. “But now there are about 250 companies,” he said.
Despite that, Mr Brooks says he is earning enough to meet his goal of retiring in two years.
Report by David Wilkening
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