Today’s blog post is set about to manage the myriad questions and myths surrounding using a travel agent to plan your trip. I’ll try to include some questions people commonly ask me and you can comment below if you have any questions that I did not answer.
Why should I use a travel agent?
-This is probably the most frequent question I get asked. The top reasons that a travel agent can benefit you is that they travel a lot as a part of their research and are often familiar with the area you want to vacation as well as the specific resorts you are considering. So if things like a great beach, good food, and a relaxing atmosphere are important to you, a travel agent can steer you toward resorts that offer what you’re looking for. Agents can also steer you away from resorts that offer a different experience than the one you’re looking for.
Another great reason to use a travel agent is that they can advocate for you if something goes wrong. Hopefully your vacation is all beaches and sunshine (if that’s what you want), but sometimes, things happen. If your flight gets cancelled, or you find yourself in a different room category than you booked, or a travel emergency arises, your travel agent can help steer you through these obstacles.
How much will it cost me to use a travel agent?
-In most cases, absolutely nothing! Shocking, but true. Resorts actually pay a travel agent commission and if you book the resort or cruise yourself, the company just keeps the commission. So often you don’t save anything by booking yourself and you will be the one spending precious vacation time waiting on hold trying to straighten things out if your vacation does not go as planned.
Can a travel agent get me the bottom dollar deal?
Sometimes. Travel agents often get notified of sales that are happening in specific areas or with specific resorts, so if your timing is very flexible and you don’t have a destination in mind, your travel agent can help you find the best deal. If, however, you have a destination in mind, as well as a fixed time period when you can travel, you may not be able to find bottom dollar deals for that destination. However, that’s not a bad thing, if you’ve always wanted to go to Aruba and the deals are in Jamaica, you might be a lot happier if you stick to your dream. If you do end up finding a bottom dollar sale, a travel agent can still match it for you, so you don’t have to worry about losing out on those deals.
Help! My travel agent is recommending travel insurance, is he/she scamming me?
Absolutely not. Even though travel insurance might be a foreign concept, it’s a tried and true lifesaver if you need it. We even use it as travel agents, it can be a total lifesaver if your flight gets cancelled and you have to spend the night in a hotel, your phone gets stolen, or you get injured in a foreign country and have to be flown out emergently. Hopefully you never have to use it, but if you ever need it and don’t have it, it could be your biggest travel regret.
Want more information? Check out these additional links:
https://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/clia-highlights-top-7-reasons-to-use-a-travel-agent
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/07/28/10-reason-why-still-need-travel-agent.html
http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Why-Everyone-Should-Use-a-Travel-Agent-in-2018
Need a travel agent? Email me at AdventuresWithEKS@gmail.com
A few photos of Kristin & her travels.
