The media has been awash in bad-news stories about American Airlines – from tales of ‘Kafkaesque’ delays to reports of airplane seats shaking loose en route. Travel Market Report asked travel agents what they’re hearing from customers and how they’re handling the situation. Here’s what we learned.

For the first time since 2003, Carnival has modified its commission tiers. The cruise line said it “simply needed to align” its compensation program with the marketplace. Carnival also replaced its confusing “seven-day equivalent” volume structure. The changes apply to new bookings, starting Jan. 1, 2013.