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Article: Travel agents bet future on consumers stomaching fees
- Article from:
- THE JOURNAL RECORD
- Article date:
- January 21, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1998 The Journal Record. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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SAN FRANCISCO -- For years, people banked on travel agents to book
their flights, car rentals and hotel accommodations -- for free.
But that was then. This is now.
With the dawn of 1998, an estimated half of travel agents on the
West Coast have begun charging consumers "processing fees" --
anywhere from $5 to $40 -- tacked onto the regular cost of a ticket
or reservation. That number is to grow in coming months, as travel
agencies struggle to keep making a profit since airlines cut their
commissions.
The result: Industry analysts predict more and more consumers will
opt to bypass travel agents, save the money and buy tickets directly
from the airlines' 800 numbers or via the Internet.
"I ...