Podcast Transcript

Hey, it's Mark Murphy back with another week of interesting insights from the Travel Expert channel, TravelTube.com. Before I get started, please subscribe on the site, get our weekly newsletter, and follow us on social media and your favorite podcast apps. You can listen while commuting, walking the dog, working out — whatever works for you. By supporting what we're doing, you're supporting travel agents and advisors. Without that support, it's much harder for us to build a successful platform that promotes your value.

With that said, here's what's on the agenda this week:

First, do you believe the recent uptick in energy costs is driving airlines to add to their existing fees — things like baggage — or is it just another money grab? Second, a news story from last week has travel agents pretty fired up: a TV news anchor suggested that you should pick a travel agent's brain for information and then just go book it yourself. I'll get into that. Third, if you hate flying, how about a different way to get to Europe this summer? It's not the train. It's not a plane. It's a cruise ship. Fourth, Air New Zealand has a new concept called Sky Nest — bunk beds in the air. I'll walk you through it and give you my take. And finally, a pier-to-plate seafood restaurant in Boston is shutting down just weeks after its workers voted to unionize. I'll share my thoughts on that.

Are Energy Costs Really Driving Up Airline Fees?

That's what they're telling us. The latest move to raise baggage costs is being blamed on fuel prices. But ask yourself: why didn't they do that in 2022, when fuel prices were actually higher? Over the past six weeks or so, we've seen oil swing from nearly $120 a barrel down to the low $90s and back up again — up and down like a yo-yo. But this time, the story is that rising fuel costs are forcing them to charge more for your bags.

Across the board, it's roughly $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second. Some airlines like Spirit are far more aggressive with their fees. But what's striking is how quickly, once one major airline announces a baggage price increase, every other major airline falls in line. Does the word "collusion" come to mind? Not political collusion — airline collusion on pricing.

Four airlines control about 80% of domestic air traffic. That's not a monopoly, but it is an oligopoly. And with revenue management systems that adjust fares in real time, it's incredibly frustrating for travelers. You find a great fare, you turn to ask your family if they're in, and by the time you go back to book — maybe 12 seconds later — the price is $100 higher per ticket. For a family of four, that adds up fast.

This automatic price-matching has been consistent in the airline industry for decades. The billion-dollar question is: if and when fuel prices drop back to where they were six weeks ago, will the airlines actually reduce those baggage fees? My take? I wouldn't bet on it.

Travel Agents in the News — For the Wrong Reasons

Travel agents are rightfully upset about a recent segment on Philadelphia's ABC News affiliate. Anchor Tamala Edwards wrapped up a travel segment by telling viewers that in most cases, agents can book tickets and hotels for little to no cost, since agents collect their fees and commissions from suppliers like hotels or airlines. She then said: yes, you'll pay if the agent creates and books your entire itinerary, but you can get around that by using them for a little advice and then calling the concierge and doing the booking yourself.

I'll give her a small amount of credit — she at least knows travel agents still exist and has a rough understanding of the business model. But she gets it wrong in a meaningful way. She says agents are paid by suppliers, but then says you'll pay if they book your full itinerary. Which is it?

This speaks to a broader problem: there's no unified effort to educate the public on what travel advisors actually do. The industry is too fragmented. Host agencies, consortia, associations — everyone's protecting their own piece of the pie. And a large chunk of the agent population at many host agencies are hobbyists or part-timers, not full-time professionals. That muddies the message.

Here's my bottom line: using a travel agent typically costs you nothing, and you usually get better deals plus a higher level of service. But travel agents only get paid if the client actually travels — unlike doctors, lawyers, or accountants who get paid directly for their advice regardless of outcome.

The solution? Charge a planning fee. A $500 fee on a $10,000 trip is completely reasonable. You can apply it to the cost of the trip so there's no perceived risk to the client. It filters out the people who just want to pick your brain and walk away. And for loyal, repeat clients, you can drop the fee entirely — you know they're going to travel and you'll get paid by the supplier anyway.

If someone has to cancel unexpectedly and you miss out on your commission, that planning fee means you weren't working for free. And when they rebook, you've already done the research — just let them know the pricing may have changed. Everyone wins.

Take control of your business. Set your fees, explain your value, and let the clients who don't want to pay walk. They're usually the difficult ones anyway.

Getting to Europe Without Flying

If you hate flying and want to get to Europe, there are a couple of options. In the summer months, you can cross on the Queen Mary 2 — a stunning ocean liner. It takes about a week each way, so you need time, but it's a genuinely special experience. There are regular sailings throughout spring, summer, and fall.

For a more budget-friendly option, consider repositioning cruises. These happen mainly in spring (late March through April) and fall (October into November), when cruise ships are moving between their European and Caribbean/American home ports. The price per day — including all meals — can work out to around $200 per couple, comparable to a mid-tier hotel. On a two-week transatlantic crossing, you might pay $3,600 for a balcony cabin for two people. That's exceptional value.

Fair warning: the spring repositioning cruises heading to Europe are wrapping up in the next couple of weeks, so if you want one this season, book immediately. The fall crossings coming back from Europe are a great option if you can fly over, spend time on the ground in Europe, and then cruise home over two weeks. By the time you get back, you'll be completely decompressed.

One fun bonus for dog lovers: Queen Mary 2 has around 20 kennels on the upper deck where you can bring your pet. They're well cared for and you can visit them during the crossing. Book those kennels well in advance — they sell out quickly.

Air New Zealand's Sky Nest

Air New Zealand has introduced a concept called Sky Nest — essentially bunk beds in the air. Stacked three high, each bunk is about six feet five inches long. You book your regular economy seat, and for an additional $495 you can reserve a four-hour block in one of the bunk beds. That's a flat, lying-down sleep space on a long-haul flight, say 13–14 hours to New Zealand.

My take: bottom bunk is the way to go. Darker, more private, easier to get in and out. Top bunk is a last resort. As for whether it's worth $500 — that depends on how much you value sleep on a very long flight versus the alternative of buying two or three economy seats to stretch out, which would cost considerably more.

It's part of a broader trend of airlines trying to make economy travel more comfortable through innovation — the Sky Couch came before it, and Sky Nest is the next evolution. Worth considering if you're flying that route.

Boston Restaurant Closes After Workers Vote to Unionize

Seamark Seafood and Cocktails, a two-year-old restaurant inside the Encore Hotel in Boston, is shutting down just weeks after its workers voted to unionize. This was a multi-million dollar operation.

Here's my honest take: this isn't simply a case of management retaliating against workers for unionizing. The restaurant business operates on razor-thin margins. If a business is already struggling to reach profitability, one additional cost — even a manageable one — can be the final straw. I'd be willing to bet Seamark was already burning through cash with no clear path to profitability. The unionization vote wasn't the cause of the closure; it was what pushed an already teetering situation over the edge.

The workers who voted to unionize wanted higher pay and better benefits. What they got was no job at all — which is a genuinely awful outcome, and I feel for them. But the hard truth is: no business owner shuts down a profitable operation. You only close when it's costing more to stay open than to walk away.

We've seen the same dynamic play out at Starbucks locations in certain markets. And we're going to keep seeing it. Restaurants are already dealing with high costs, reduced customer traffic due to elevated prices across the economy, and limited ability to raise prices further. When labor costs increase on top of that, the math simply doesn't work for a lot of operators.

And looking further ahead — automation is accelerating. Kiosks, AI ordering systems, robotic food prep. It's not science fiction; it's already happening at fast food chains across the country. Businesses that can't sustain rising labor costs will find technological solutions, and those entry-level positions will disappear. That's the economic reality.