Travel Agents can be your advocate in a difficult situation, or a Information resource if you have a question. Have you ever tried to speak to speak to someone on an Internet site like Orbitz or Expedia if you had a question? Yeah its pretty hard to ask questions and get a personalized answer from a computer,
Travel Agents have many resources to research that dream vacation you want to go on. We are not loyal to one Travel Supplier, and we can research the one that is perfect for you. That is not to say we have not established relationships with certain Travel suppliers which we know are reputable and provide great customer service.
Here are some tips on using a Travel Agent.
Be specific - Give the Agent the exact dates, exact budget and precisely what you are looking for.
If you have been researching on the internet, let the Travel Agent know. Its important to compare apples to apples. In addition many like myself have travel suppliers that provide Price matching. So you can get that price you found on one of the discount sites as well as a Travel agent to coordinate your trip.
We need to know everything about your Travel. Are you traveling alone or with a group? How many people? Any children? Any special requests such as special accomodations, special diet, etc. Do you like watersports, or "just chillin". Do you swim? Are you adventurous? What is your budget allotment per person? Oh and please be realistic about that one. Someone once asked me for an 7 day All Inclusive Resort in the Carribean, including airfare for $600 for 2!!!
Also, if you are booking a venue, like DisneyWorld for instance. Prices are different on Disney property and off. Tell the Agent what you want. Is it really fair to say "I found someplace cheaper" when its a hotel a mile away from DisneyWorld and you had the Agent looking for a deal on Disney property?
Let the Travel Agents
save you time. It takes a lot of time to properly research and compare vacations.
Travel Agents remembers things that you may not think of. Like advising you of surprises like resort fees, or providing transfers from the airport. Or simply telling you the best time to travel or NOT to travel to a certain region. And Travel Alerts!!! We get them and we also share them
Lastly, the pet peeve of all fellow agents. Please don't use us to research your trip and then disappear and book it on your own thinking you can avoid fees or do it cheaper, Honestly that is "theft of services".
Travel Agents have gone Digital and have a great online presence. There are fewer and fewer Store type Travel agences because of the cost. Many are Home Based Travel Agents like myself that works on the computer from my home. The internet is our office. So don't hesitate come to someone like myself to help you book that family vacation, Family reunion, Group cruise or trip. In another blog I will be talking about Groups, so be on the lookout!
Happy Vacationing!!
Gail Likes to call herself a Travel Consultant and is available to help you plan that vacation. Email her at GailsDreamVacations@gmail.com or call 646-450-6255. Visit her website at www.GailsDreamVacations.com
