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Become a
Home-Based Travel Agent
an Interview
with
Andi Mysza
(www.MTravel.com)
Montrose Travel
by Tom Ogg
Back in the
1970s when I worked for Aloha Airlines, I
was the Sales Manager for the Southwest for
a period of time based in Los Angeles.
Montrose Travel was a key account then and I
got to know them as they were a huge Hawaii
producer. In the 1980s when Joanie and I
owned and operated a regional wholesale
Hawaii tour company (Windansea Vacations)
Montrose was one of our largest accounts.
Montrose Travel has a rich history of
outstanding performance and I am glad to see
them working with independent travel agents
and would highly recommend them.
I caught up with
Andi Mysza and asked her a few questions
regarding Montrose Travel's independent
travel agent programs.
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Andi, How Long has Montrose
Travel Been In Business?
Our company was established in
1956.
What is the Annual Volume
for Montrose Travel?
It is about $110 million
dollars.
How Long has Montrose
Travel Been Hosting Independent
Agents?
We've been hosting independent
contractors since the early
1970's.
How Many Independent
Agents are You Currently
Hosting?
Approximately 300.
Is There a Fee to Join
Montrose Travel?
Yes. We offer 3 programs (no
monthly fees):
Inexperienced Agents - $299/yr 1
to join (annual renewal $259)
Experienced Agents - $399/yr 1
to join (annual renewal $359)
Established Agents - $499/yr 1
to join (annual renewal $459).
Minimum $10,000 in commissions
(must show proof of volume via
1099 or check stubs)
What is the Commission
Split for Your Programs?
Inexperienced Agents - 50%
Experienced Agents - 70%
Established Agents - 80%
Do You Offer Any
Overrides?
We figure our commission split
based on the total upfront
commission generated (including
overrides). Back end overrides
are not shared.
Do You Offer any Preferred
Suppliers?
http://join.mtravel.com/about-us/preferred-suppliers
Key cruise suppliers include,
Princess, Carnival, RCCL, NCL,
Silversea, Oceania, Holland
America, Disney, Celebrity,
Crystal
Key land suppliers include -
Classic Custom Vacations,
Pleasant Holidays, Gogo, Globus
We also have numerous air
contracts for Apollo users,
access to thousands of corporate
hotel rates worldwide and
relationships with the key car
rental companies.
We can service the leisure,
corporate and group agent with
our product mix. This is a key
differentiator for us.
Does Montrose Travel Offer
any Automation?
Montrose Travel has worked with
and supported Independent
Contractors since it’s
inception. We understand the
needs of Independent Contractors
and Home Based Agents and
continuously develop
market-leading products to
increase your chances of
success. By providing the right
tools, products, technology and
discounted net rate content our
agents need to capture a larger
share of the vacation market and
better service their customers,
nobody offers you more
comprehensive technology and
support than MTravel.com.
Without a doubt, our private
labeled consumer websites with
online booking capabilities are
the most superior in the host
agency market. Let our team of
programmers and designers worry
about keeping the content fresh
and professional looking. (If
you’ve ever attempted to keep a
website up to date with the
volumes of supplier deals
available every hour, you know
this is an impossible task that
would take you away from your
primary goal of maximizing
profit). Our booking engines
allow you and your customers to
book cruise, air, car, hotel,
and dynamic packages. This is
available at no additional cost.
The MTravel.com Agent Support
Site contains hundreds of pages
of content designed to provide
you with everything from
procedures to training,
marketing to group ideas and
support, commission tracking to
blast email tools and FAQ’s. It
also includes some fabulous
travel industry tech tools such
as destination guides, objective
hotel reviews, and more. It’s so
comprehensive that you’ll spend
hours discovering its potential
for you.
In addition:
1. Apollo - optional $15/mo
2. Cornerstone - QC software
(included)
3. iBank Reports for corporate
agent accounts (add'l cost)
4. CRM (included)
5. Email marketing tools
(included)
6. Star Service Online
(included)
7. Weissmann Travel Reports
(included)
Do You Offer any Sales
Leads?
No. We used to offer group
leads. However, we found that
many of the email leads that are
generated online are price
shopping consumers and have been
time wasters for our agents.
The most loyal customers are
people who are already
acquainted with the agent.
Assuming a superior customer
service experience, ultimately,
an agent's business will be 80%
repeat and referral business. It
behooves an agent to focus on
this potential to grow their own
client base.
Do You Accept New Agents
at Montrose Travel?
Absolutely.
Is There a Minimum Amount
of Revenue an Agent Must Acheive?
Not for the
Experienced/Inexperienced Agent
levels. No volume requirement.
Established Agent level -
minimum $10,000/year in total
commissions
What Qualities Does
Montrose Travel Look For in an
Independent Agent?
We are primarily looking for
people who are motivated to
build their own travel business
under their own company name.
For experienced agents, we love
those who are seasoned with
established clientele. These
people can definitely take
advantage of all we have to
offer.
For inexperienced agents, we
want to know that someone is
actively working to build their
business, is hungry to learn and
not solely looking to take
advantage of travel benefits.
What Special Qualities
Does Montrose Travel Offer?
I believe our key
differentiators are:
1. Established 1956
2. Hosting since 1973
3. Family owned and managed
(hands on)
4. Top 5 host agency - Large
size (150 employees) and buying
power ($110MM volume), with the
small town touch - we get to
know our agents as individuals
(personal business coaching)
5. Financial stability - no debt
on our balance sheet
6. Leisure, corporate and group
products
7. One of the top consumer
websites with online booking
technology available from a host
8. Top producer nationwide with
most of our core preferred
suppliers
Who Should Agents Contact
For More Information?
Andi Mysza
800-870-5799
andi@montrosetravel.com
www.MTravel.com
Any Thing Else You Would
Like to Share?
Yes, Andi Mysza is also the
current President of PATH
(Professional Association of
Travel Hosts).
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