Travel Agents Left Off the Gravy Train

“Thanksgiving Travel: Gravy Train for Agents” [Nov. 20] is completely inaccurately titled. The simple reality is that travel agents make very little money selling airplane tickets.

As a travel agent, when I sell a ticket on United, America, Continental or any other major scheduled carrier, the maximum amount of money made on the transaction is $50--whether the passenger flies economy or first class, whether the ticket is $500 or $5,000.

When I sell an international ticket on United, Air France, TWA or most any other major scheduled carrier, the maximum amount of money made on the transaction is $100--whether the ticket costs $500 or $15,000.

I would not call making $50 (half of which I have to split with the travel agency) on a $5,000 first-class ticket the “gravy train.” I would call it appalling.

IRIS CORCORAN

Westchester