References

Recommendations of Super Host Agency by member agents

“. . .The office staff is very friendly and very willing to help out. . . . someone (can't remember who) highly recommended Robbert and his group and we've been very happy since.  Robbert is always looking for new and updated info to pass on to us.”   

Diane Delahunty

Double “D” Travel

“In the short two years I have been with the agency, they have never failed to be there for me in a travel crisis with support and advice.  The strength they have in the industry provides better commissions and ability to make changes and overcome issues with a tour or cruise package.

I am privileged to have attended the Cancun Fam and meet other outside agents that have had great success with the company also.  I learned so much that week and still have contact with several agents I met.  Great advice, suggestions and offers to buy into groups are always available.  The [agent’s only] website offers all the options and items an outside agent needs.” 

Jan Jones

Prefer Choice Travel

“I stay with All About Travel because of having a personal relationship with the people I am dealing with like Deborah, Sheila and Traci.  I want to know who I am talking to and for them to know me.”

Paula Ator
Thames Tours

“I did work with a small agency before in outside sales. It was a nightmare trying  to get paid. I only received commissions at the end of each month. I kept up with my sales which I had to fax over the end of each month. If they missed a payment, they would not pay me for it until the end on the next month. Sometimes I had to argue with them about my sales. Fortunately, I keep very good records. Sheila has been wonderful to answer any questions I have about commissions. The direct deposit payment is the best. I never waste my time worrying about getting paid any more.”

Laurie Shuping

Shuping Travel

 “I had a potential church group desiring air transportation from DFW to NYC.  There were about 50 ministers and their wives planning to make the trip.  I had been on the phone with the coordinator of the group discussing the various air prices and availability.  When I finally received a call back from the group coordinator with the final decision to purchase the tickets, I was on the road in traffic, away from my computer and unable to get additional information from American Airlines.  

I called Deborah from my cell phone in desperation.  Deborah was absolutely outstanding and extremely helpful by looking up the information required, contacting American Airlines and finding out what was needed in order to reserve the air seats.  It was truly a stressful and overwhelming moment!  And I recall mentioning to Deborah (in regards to my previous Host Agency) that I was not used to that kind of assistance, if any!!  And I wanted to know if that was the "norm", because it really "floored me"!!!  She assured me she was just doing her job.  I was very grateful!!”

Nelson Hollins
Travel ExtrOrdinaire Travel Agency

“Making the change to SuperHostagency was a breath of fresh air and a step into an ethical hosting operation. Previously I spent 3 years with a host that kept all earned comps, kept all GAP bonus commissions, required submission of monthly line item commission reports, provided 50% split, and ultimately issued written communication that corporate financial hardships prevented the company from paying months of earned commissions on trips already completed.

With SuperHost Agency, independents control their earned group comps, receive the GAP bonuses if elected, do not submit line item commission reports, and have choices on the commission split amount. In my 5 years with SuperHost Agency, my commission payments have always been on time, and the commissions are direct deposited to my bank!

SuperHost Agency allowed me to truly run an independent business offering full access and ticketing functions through Sabre or WorldSpan 24 hours a day.  My prior host had only daytime ticketing/booking hours and allowed independents only pricing access, but no ticketing or booking finalization capabilities.

The support from the Independent Agency Manager is incredible!  From forwarding supplier documents timely, quick shipping late-received supplier documents direct to my clients if I prefer, to providing vacation backup coverage when possible and when arranged well in advance, SuperHost Agency offers more support than any of the other host agencies I considered.  And they do so for a much lower share of the commissions.

SuperHost Agency has the power to get customer problems resolved when I'm running into a brick wall with a supplier. They were especially helpful when I had a group of 28 doctors in Denpasar Indonesia at the time the tsunami hit in December 2004.  For my clients who wished to return home early, the air carrier advised the change fee would be waived, but at the airport, my clients were each charged $100.  After I had several failed attempts to get the change fees reimbursed from the air carrier or the tour company that arranged the air, I went to SuperHost Agency for help.  They asked for a short email summary of the situation and my efforts at resolution. Within two hours a Vice President from the major air carrier called me and advised the carrier would fix the problem and issue a check to each client immediately.  You do not have that type of resolution power on our own!

I tell perspective clients who wonder why they should use an agent vs self-booking, "Without an agent, you are on your own."  And as one independent to another, I say to you, "Without a strong and capable host agency, you are on your own."

Teri Loftus-Emery

Far Away Places Travel

Excerpt from Travel Trade Magazine (interview with Hilda Kicinski, Viking Cruise & Travel)

“Kicinski knew that she had to ‘hook up with a good host agency’ that would give her a certain degree of control.

‘I didn’t want to rely on someone else getting my documents. I am a CLIA agent, and have been since day one.  Back then, that was the only way the cruise lines would work with you.’

Several years ago, she found the ‘perfect’ host — Robbert van Bloemendaal, who runs a Travel Leaders agency, dba All About Travel, based in Rowlett, TX.

‘He’s doing a brisk business through his home based agencies. Currently, he has 70 and is aiming for 100. He’s done a fantastic job of making things available to us and is so prompt with commissions. He’s wonderful — and his operation is not so big that you’re not a person to him.’

She credited him with stepping in and solving ‘glitches’ that might result through travel she’s booked with him.

‘He’s a top level producer with Funjet, for instance. Three weeks before a group I booked was ready to depart, Funjet changed the charter time, which meant that most of my group would miss their connections. Robert got on the phone, and Funjet changed the flight time for us.’ “