9 a.m. Glodt says she believes the reduction in commissions is a step in a long-range plan by airlines to eliminate travel agents altogether. Since it would be inconvenient for Maui agents to close their shops and travel to Honolulu, she is suggesting that Maui agents and their friends call the airlines during the two-hour rally to express their support for agents. Casey says his group is asking agencies to post signs in windows and put messages on answering machines explaining why they are not open for business as usual. United Airlines, Delta Airlines and other majors quickly followed suit. Previously, the industry standard had been 10 percent of the cost of a ticket.
Agents have some alternatives.
Glodt says she deals mostly with wholesalers, many of whom, like Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, pay 10 percent. But she says it is the consumer who will be hurt in the end. More than half of all tickets are still sold through agents, says Casey, and consumers like agents. The fast-growing alternative is online purchases. If deals change, the Internet doesn t call you back, says Glodt.