Why a Travel Agent?

For the past few weeks I have been heavily advertising my new travel business. I talk to people when I am out and about, I have a Facebook page, and I have been doing all kinds of Christmas/Holiday Bazaars and Vendor shows. You know, there all sorts of small business, Direct Sales, and crafts in your local hall or church… This is the perfect place and time for me to get a conversation in about giving experiences at Christmas, but more on that later…

One thing that I have been hearing alot, yes ALOT, is “I book online, I don’t need a travel agent for anything”.

When I ask why, no one knows the answer. I get it’s easier, it’s cheaper, I don’t have to leave my house, and so on. Then I get to explain why 2 of those reasons aren’t true, and why the third is still the same when you book through me.

Let’s look at it’s easier… What is easier exactly? You go through all the different travel sites, there are so many(!), looking for the right price, or maybe even the right vacation. Some people have told me that they search these sites looking for a vacation because they don’t even know where they want to go!

So, now you have spent an hour or two, who knows, maybe even five, searching the internet for a great vacation or vacation price. All while your travel agent would have done that for you (we do have access to multiple suppliers), saving you time. We can find you the best price, the coolest excursions, we even ask the right questions to make sure your vacation is absolutely perfect! This is true even when you contact us and don’t have a vacation spot in mind. We will help you match you to an amazing destination that suits your needs!

What else is easier with a travel agent… I heard a horror story about a couple who booked their vacation through one of the online travel booking sites. When they reached the hotel that they were to be staying at, they found out it was closed, out of business, no longer there! They were supposed to be staying here for 4 weeks, booked and paid for! Not only was the online site difficult to get a hold of, they were difficult to deal with. The couple did eventually get a flight home, paid for by the online site, but that site will not for any reason refund the couple.

So, in this situation, how would a travel agent be different, make it easier? Well, first as professionals, we have access to crazy amounts of travel news. This is the kind of news that could have informed us that that hotel was no longer in operation. Thus finding a different hotel to book. Second, part of the job, at least I do this, is to check the hotel. I want to make sure that you are getting what you booked. I like to speak with someone at the hotel directly. This gives me the opportunity to make sure everything is the same as what my client has booked. This way, we make sure that you have an enjoyable stay. But, we are also there if some sort of emergency arises. Let’s just say the worst happens and you get to your hotel to find it gone, closed, whatever the case may be. This after you departed and we had no idea. One phone call/email to your travel agent and they will be on top of getting you exactly what you need!

Booking with a travel agent is not only easier, it is a great way to go! We do all the work, you just enjoy!

Now, let’s talk about cheap. There are plenty of websites out there that offer cheap vacations, hotels, flights, etc.. However, what are you getting when you book? Looking at the example above, you are not getting someone who will check out the validity of various parts of your vacation. You are not getting a dedicated person who will help you if some sort of emergency arises. You also, quite frankly, aren’t getting someone who wants to make sure that your vacation is perfectly suited to you.

When it comes to cheap, what can a travel agent do for you? Well, first, we do have access to, again, multiple suppliers. All of them have sales, discounts, etc that happen all the time throughout a year, we can certainly help you out that way. But, you are also getting someone who is going to do everything in their power to ensure that you do not end up having to spend extra on your vacation because of a mishap.

Let’s look at the example above for a minute. The couple spent $1000’s on a 4 week vacation, only to arrive and find out that their hotel was out of business. Now they have to go and find another hotel, pay again, out of their pocket for the expense, and find out when they return that the company will not refund their money. That is a lot of money gone, on a vacation that lasted about three days. The company flew them home on the third day of their vacation. So, they paid their money for the vacation, and paid again for 2 nights in another hotel. That does not sound like a cheap vacation. Sure the original price might have been a lot less than booking elsewhere, but what did they get from it?

Then you have your travel agent who ensures that these things don’t happen! To add further to this, here in Ontario, we are governed by TICO and have rules that we have to follow. One of those rules, we MUST inform our client of ANY change to their vacation, and have guidelines that we have to follow. So, for example, you are taking a cruise, you book a certain ship, on a certain sailing and are all excited. The cruise agency that we booked with has come back and said, “This ship isn’t available now, for whatever reason we have substituted it.” Now, it is up to your agent to inform you of this, and of the decisions you can make. So, rather than spending, we’ll say, $5000 on a cruise and boarding to find out that nothing on the ship is what you were expecting… You have had your travel agent who fixed the situation before hand.

This goes with the hotel in the example. We would have known before hand and could have fixed the situation.

Now, with the “cheap” word, this goes for things like insurance. So, you are on your dream vacation, and because you didn’t book with a travel agent, you have insurance that may not cover you properly (yes, we know insurance too!). So, the worst has happened, there has been an accident and your insurance is not going to cover your medical bills. Now, your “cheap” vacation is costing you tens of thousands.

So, in all honesty, there seem to be perks to booking through these cheap booking sites, but they can cost you a lot in the long run, and you just don’t have the personal service.

Now, let’s talk about this never having to leave my home thing.. I am one of the agents that do this, I do not how many of us are out there, but I know there are a few. I will come to you! With me, you have the option of coming to my office, meeting somewhere neutral, me coming to you, or even, a lot of it can be done via phone, email, Skype, etc… You really do not need to leave home if you don’t want to. And, again, I save you time, and even hassle, of booking everything for you.

When it comes to booking travel, yes there can be perks to booking on online booking sites, but there are also too many disadvantages. The next time you go to book a vacation, if you do not use a travel agent, you are missing out on personalized service, knowing that you are covered, and knowing that all of the components of your vacation are in place, and confirmed. We offer so much value to your vacation, and even discounts and sales too!