We have a high-end luxury market clientele and those people use the American Express Card. They use us because they want to be face-to-face with a local trusted travel professional.

American Express has exclusivity with some of the cruise lines. There are unique shipboard credits or early booking discounts and we absolutely take advantage of those. The customers walk in with those offers in hand and then we get that customer and keep them.

The biggest things I get from working with my American Express customers are NEW American Express customers. Cracking that market is word of mouth and fortunately for us, we have been able to take good care of our top shelf clients. To the point where they are not going to recommend a person they know is a shopper. They are going to refer good friends, or someone in need.

The ease of doing business with American Express partner merchants and the security the Card provides my clients is very important for my business.

American Express offers always help me deliver a significant value-added benefit. I just review all the offers and match them up with a client’s wish list and it’s a win-win for both of us.

My American Express Cardmember travelers are my best clients. They come to me for advice and the relationship I have with them saves a lot of discussion time. They expect me to provide them with the experience that they want and price is not usually the issue. Value is more important.

When I first started out as a travel agent, I didn’t accept American Express and everyone was using it. So I had to start doing that. Once I started accepting it, things really changed. Most of my clients will use American Express versus the other cards.

I find the American Express Cardmembers are better quality clients. They are savvier. They buy premium travel products and spend more. They are also willing to share information about themselves with you. A touchy question is asking “how much do you want to spend?” For a first time client, it is a very important question and a very important answer. I have found that American Express Cardmembers tend to be willing to tell you a bit about their last vacation, what they did and how much they spent on it.

I would assume that of my regular clients, about 70 percent are American Express Cardmembers who use that Card to book travel. The merchant fee pays for itself if you really use the perks available to attract and keep good clients!

The value-added benefits to the Cardmembers give us, as agents, the tools and information possible to add to the sale value.

When the customer realizes you have done something for them, or given them something that no one else was able to, it puts you up a notch in their eyes. That always translates into profit down the line.