The Travel Ringer

For years The New Frontier in Las Vegas was the place I stayed.  It wasn’t as glamorous as the MGM or the Luxor, but I was there to just have fun, so I really just wanted a place to lay my head.  Lucky for them, I would get caught up playing craps and blackjack nearly every night, which earned me free stays.  It was a great relationship, I’d get a free room and “swear” that I would play somewhere that I could get a nicer room, but it just made too much sense to play at The Frontier because every time I came or left I had to pass “the buzz”. and it would just suck me in.  Anyhow, it was put to rest in November of 2007, and now I need to find a new home.  The Riviera has been “courting” me and I hope that new relationship works out.

For those that have never seen a building implode, here is the video of The New Frontier imploding.  I wish I could have been there, it looks pretty spectacular.  Also, does anyone else wonder how a hotel so old could keep a name like The New Frontier? Good marketing I guess.

A few months back, my wife and I went to Las Vegas for a wedding.  We had formerly been regulars at The Frontier (I know it was old, but I really did get free rooms there) which was closed down (actually imploded) late last year.  Anyhow, The Riviera acquired the names of the folks that like to gamble, and that includes me so we ended up getting a sweet deal, even though NASCAR was in town (which was a huge blessing).

I have to say, it was one of the best customer service experiences I ever had at a hotel.  First, was Sandy, our host who got us booked and got us a great deal (sorry we didn’t spend more money that weekend Sandy). Next was Dean, the valet who greeted us and helped us get a bellhop.  Dean is a super friendly guy and I would really go back, just to see him and say hey - he is that friendly, and of course, made you feel super comfortable about leaving your car there.  Dean set us up with a bellhop named Randall who was a real champion.  My wife had been sick and was recovering from a long term illness, and he could see that she was not feeling well and traveling and wanted to get to the room.  He pulled us out of the line (a huge line of NASCAR fans) and got us registered personally, then told me to take my wife to the room and he would get our luggage to us, which he did - what a guy.

The rest of the weekend went well, and even the chef was a joy to talk to at the breakfast buffet (yes, I had too many of those buffets).

The only downsides were the people that harassed us day and night to check out Tahiti Village, and the fact that the room was a little dusty due to the renovations going on.  Anyhow, I just sent an email to Sandy to ask about our next stay at The Riviera so hopefully it will be as good the second time around.

If you are looking for a decent hotel on he Las Vegas Strip, check out The Riviera for your next Las Vegas Vacation.  You can visit The Riviera, or call Sandy at 800-437-7951 ext, 9537.  Tell her Anthony sent you

NOTE: This was an unsolicited and unpaid hotel review.

I’m not sure about you, but one person gone missing on a cruises ship is one too many for me.  I am not here to personally destroy the cruise industry (as if I were that influential), but we are all entitled to our own opinion, right?  I have never been on a cruise, and I don’t have any plans to go on one.  I don’t live in fear as a rule, but for me the perceived benefits just don’t outweigh the risks.  When I think of cruises, the first thing that comes to mind is The Love Boat, then the recent woman who went missing on a cruise ship, follow by outbreaks of Norovirus on cruise ships.

Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of friends and family that have taken cruises, and most of the times, they are a blast.  If you are going on a cruises, there are lots of things to be aware of that can make your trip have the most positive outcome.  MSN has a great list of cruise safety tips that you should definitely check out.

ake no bones about it, the travel industry is a multi-billion per year industry. The question is how does the average person tap into this and make money. The obvious choice is to get a job in the industry, but most jobs (other than pilots and executives) don’t really pay that well. Here are a few options:

1. Start as a Work From Home Travel Agent. Many agencies are no longer spending money on storefronts and are employing work from home agents. The pay is pretty low, but the benefits are often getting travel insider deals known as “FAM” (familiarization) trips intended to get your excited to come back and “sell” the destination to your clients. Some will train on the job and others will want you to have some formal travel education.  There are travel schools that offer training, but more and more companies are offering access to Home Study Travel Courses.

2. Become an Independent Agent of a Host Agency. A host agency is one that will allow an agent to align with them as an independent agent. Some charge up front fees, monthly fee, or a combination of both. There is usually limited training when working with a host agency, although most will provide resources for training and some offer websites for you or your clients. The one I recommend is JoyStar as I have worked an an agent with them in the past and they have a lot to offer and I can recommend them with confidence. The best program to start with is their Agent Advantage Program (currently at a cost of $100 plus $26 per month roughly) where they partner you with a seasoned travel agent to help you learn the business. DISCLOSURE: I am a stock holder in the company.

3. Start your own agency. There are many network marketing companies such as YTB Travel that offer work from home opportunities in the travel business. The upside is that you can start your own agency for a fraction of a franchise (roughly $500 & $50 per month) and you will have a travel website that you can send your customers to. The downsides are that you need to be aggressive and take initiative when it comes to learning the business, plus you will pay more than if you went with a host agency. Also, many of the people that get involved in network marketing based travel companies, lose focus of building a travel business and are lured into becoming recruiters where they are paid to recruit new travel agents. Lastly, travel commissions are generally low, so you will have to really work to build a solid referral base to earn any real money.

4. Sell Travel Services as an Affiliate Marketer. Affiliate Marketing is a great way to make money in any field. Your options are limited when it comes to travel companies that offer affiliate programs, but they do exist. I recommend The Super Affiliate Handbook as a means of learning how to make money in affiliate marketing and I recommend Commission Junction as a great place to find travel affiliates. There is definitely a cost to make money this way as you will need to either invest money in marketing or building a website or blog that generates enough web traffic to make it profitable.

5. Specialty Travel. It’s no secret that specialists make more money than generalists no matter what the industry and travel is no different. As you learn the travel business, you will identify arenas that you can better relate to than others as well as the ones that are more profitable. Here are a few common travel specialities:

- Cruise Specialist
- Tour Operator
- Travel Consolidator
- Missionary Travel
- Corporate Travel
- Golf Packages
- Gambling Trips (Las Vegas, Atlantic City)
- School Travel

If you think hard enough, I am sure you can come up with even more than these.