Well, it seems that another MAJOR vendor has kicked YTB to the curb. NCL has terminated their agreement with YTB. When Will Carnival wake up. Story developing and more to come!
According to Travel Pulse, NCL will no longer accept any reservations from YTB or any of its so called "agents".
Norwegian Cruise Line has ended its business relationship with YTB International, a controversial company that provides Internet-based travel booking services for travel agencies and home-based independent representatives. Many industry observers consider YTB to be a “card mill.” NCL will no longer accept new reservations from YTB or any of its affiliated agents. NCL will continue to service existing YTB reservations booked prior to Jan. 21. NCL on Jan. 5 also stopped accepting reservations from independent agents affiliated with Joystar. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara ended their relationship with YTB in October 2007. For more information, visit www.bookncl.com or www.yourtravelbiz.com.I also have it on good authority that another major tour operator has declined to renew their preferred agreement with YTB and has cut their commission levels from 16% to 10%. All this despite a reported $13M in sales for 2008. More on this development as it becomes available.
Can't wait to hear all the spin on this one coming out of Wood River. You know it's going to be epic. "We don't need them", "So and so is going to get/was demoted for making this decision", "What a stupid move on their part considering we book over eleventy trillion dollars a year on NCL", etc. You get the drift.
ReplyDeleteHooray!
ReplyDeleteHow can they possibly continue to claim to be a full service travel agency (or any type of travel agency) when they're basically reduced to only selling one major cruise line (Carnival)? Maybe Bob Dickinson is realizing his dream of setting up a Carnival dealership after all......
ReplyDeleteShips N Trips--you are correct. I have been told that 80% of YTB's business is cruise.
ReplyDeleteOf course Carnival is their top supplier (they sell very little Princess, Costa, Seabourn, Cunard, or HAL--heck they can;t even get the name of HAL correct) so now that RCCL and NCL are no longer players, they are in essence a Carnival dealership.
But I imagine they will claim that it is a mistake and then say that they don't need NCL and then they will put out a few videos dissing NCL and then sell a few more gift certificates for Carnival. Standard Operating Procedure.
But maybe, just maybe, Michelle Obama's brother can make a call. According to a comment in the other post for today, all of YTB's woes are over because Michelle Obama's brother is a RTA.
How long before Carnival wakes up. I think in light of the Joystar debaucle that some suppliers will start opening their eyes.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Carnival even care anymore? They already tainted their image by climbing into bed with YTB as it is. So why would they even think about changing now?
ReplyDeleteWow, the YTB crew is mum on this subject. Didn't see it coming, didn't think it would happen eventually? Don't care cause you don't need them anyway? Kinda hard to be taken seriously as a travel agent when you cannot offer 2 of the largest cruise lines to clients.
ReplyDeleteAs I predicted YTB will be out by the end of 2009, just as I predicted JoyStar would be out four years ago. Kudos to people like John who continually expose the bums.
ReplyDeletePeter Stilphen, MCC
CEO-Coral Sands Travel
Lisa, of course they're being mum, there isn't a whole lot they can say. Of course, the spin cycle coming out of Wood River has started, and they will perpetuate it because NCL isn't a "preferred" provider for ytb. Evidently NCL saw the writing on the wall a year ago, according to the letter ytb sent. Why NCL just didn't cut them off then is anyone's guess, but, better late than never!
ReplyDeleteThat news is SOOO LAST WEEK.
ReplyDeleteThe Directors were notified Wednesday a week ago.
The P2G Clients were notified a week ago.
Your losing your touch with this breaking news stuff.
Coaches Corner members are to be notified today as per the directors meeting held last Friday.
Breaking NEWS my A$$...
OLD NEWS that you were unaware of... HA!
It's new news to me and very good news too! I'm a bit disappointed that as a YTB REP I wasn't notified last week too, but I mean nothing to YTB so maybe that's not too surprising. I guess the CC members mean just as much to YTB.
ReplyDelete"That news is SOOO LAST WEEK.
ReplyDeleteThe Directors were notified Wednesday a week ago.
The P2G Clients were notified a week ago.
Your losing your touch with this breaking news stuff.
Coaches Corner members are to be notified today as per the directors meeting held last Friday.
Breaking NEWS my A$$...
OLD NEWS that you were unaware of... HA!"
So, what's your Plan B when they go belly up? I hope you have one cause you are going to need it.
I can see it now, wanted job for arrogant wannabe travel agent who is too lazy to work for a living. Must be an MLM involved in something because I believe in the dream of prosperity without having to really work at it. ROTFLMAO!
I just received an em,ail from an RTA and they have not been notified. She is pissed that she had to hear it from my blog.
ReplyDeleteSpin away YTB. Spin Away!
It will be Saturday before the RTA's are officially notified.
ReplyDeleteThat's S.O.P. that announcements like that will be made on Coaches Call on Saturdays.
Bruce??? What kinda REP are you? A YTB REP?
You DIS your own Company?
How Dis-respectable ca you be?
Your as bad as John... expect he got KICKED out of YTB... He never recruited a soul... That is so SAD.
At least they are not in GTI. Another known MLM on the watch list. ROTFLMAO!
ReplyDeleteTravel Agent
ReplyDelete...are you really that out of touch? It was NOT old news to the PUBLIC b/c it was published TODAY.
Old news today or NOT, you look like an idiot coming on here laughing about news that does NOT look good to YTB.
In addition, the DIRECTORS were notified a week ago right? Don't you think it's in the best interests of the RTAS to know a week ago?...for the few that are booking, their business could be affected. You think it's okay NOT to notify EVERYONE a week ago?? You find that professional
But that's YTB's song and dance.
Some of you will never get it. The RTAs will find out online or by another source BEFORE it's officially announced...same thing when IATAN terminated YTB, same when RCCL terminated YTB. They don't relay messages to the field. But try to do damage control.
I honestly don't see how you appear not to care what MAJOR vendors drop YTB. Oh..I know...you don't book any travel so it means absolutely NADA to YOU. Of COURSE you wouldn't understand. TSK TSK
You guys know why they told the Directors first right? B/c they had to 'Coach' them on what to say to the rest of the sheep to keep them in YTB.
Big red flag to disburse THAT kind of information ONLY to a select few when it will adversely impact ALL RTAS. What company does that???
And to just brush it off as 'not our prefrerred supplier' anyway, in essence YTB is saying "We don't need no stinkin NCL!'
Travel Agent is in GTI another MLM. Of course he is going to bad mouth YTB all over the place. Read what Peter Stilpen's says about GTI it ain't pretty. Same on scam.com. All the MLM travel companies do is trash one another, fight, back stab so they can get the most sheep to join their particular scam of the month. It ain't about travel at all. It's the down line. Once YTB goes and they will the rest of you will be toast to just like Joystar.
ReplyDeleteTravel Agent said...
ReplyDeleteIt will be Saturday before the RTA's are officially notified.
That's S.O.P. that announcements like that will be made on Coaches Call on Saturdays.
If this is true, I may have to listen in so I can whoop it up when they announce it!
A REAL TRAVEL PRO said:
ReplyDelete"trash one another, fight, back stab"
Sounds like John's Blog...
Oh, this is John's Blog.
I agree... Travel Agents are the most hateful, back-stabbing, sales people I have ever encountered.
HELL is gonna be full of Travel Agents.
They are going to have to kick lawyers out to make room for all the Travel Agents in HELL.
And to think they speak bad of Lawyers...
At least we don't turn on each other.
This Blog is gonna be the DEATH of ALL Travel Agents. You should all be ashamed of yourselves for acting like this.
I hear the H(*)(*)T's and hollars now.
Travel Agents lower than Whale Sh*t in the Pits of HELL. REPENT! H(o)(o)T! H(o)(o)T!
You people will respond to and believe anything.
ReplyDeleteThis is Funny!
I am a Coaches corner and I am sad to say it but I am done! That was the last blow!
ReplyDeleteThis is actually an INTELLIGENT post on the subject at hand... http://tinyurl.com/dfeyyo
ReplyDeleteDoug certainly is a major spinner for YTB. I can't figure out why he's not a director yet. Like you, TA, he is unable to make a living selling travel but considers himself a pro none the less. I find him very amusing. For just 500.00 and 49.95 a month you can join his team and a background with GTI is all the credentials you need. He needs you.
ReplyDeleteTravel Agent makes no sense. He/she is the most unprofessional I've seen. Can't stick to facts but resorts to attacking folks.
ReplyDeleteBlows my mind that someone from GTI has time to come to YTBs defense and knows much but then tries to backpeddle saying we 'believe everything'.
This person is a liar - with YTB or something. I don't see this anywhere where reps for a totally different company come in and post endless stuff defending a company not their own.
Travel AGent you should stay away, you seem angry all the time. ROFL
Travel Agent is not a professional so who cares if she/he acts like one? She/he tells a tall tale tho. He/she is as funny as Doug!
ReplyDeleteI like to more who is the other carrier anybody know
ReplyDelete