03/13/2020
I have worked in the travel industry for almost six years, and I have never experienced a more difficult time than what we are going through at the moment.
For the past few weeks my colleagues and I have been trying to navigate through the changes that are rapidly taking place in our industry. Cancellations, rescheduling, changes to travel insurance policies, closings - it has become our day.
It is devastating to tell clients that the trip that they have been looking forward to may not happen this year. We get calls numerous times per day asking when we expect things to be back to normal. The truth is, we just don’t know, but we are hoping that this will be a bad memory very soon.
The travel industry will do what we can to provide assistance during this time. But we need your support when you get ready to make vacation plans again! Instead of booking online, or call the cruise lines - contact a travel agent!
Travel agents are usually small businesses, we work on 100% commission, and do not get paid unless our clients travel, which means that when we spend hours cancelling a client’s trip we make $0.
Are you aware that when you book online, or call the cruise lines etc. you pay a commission, just like if you call a travel agent? You just don’t receive the personal service which you will get when working with a travel agent.
Yes it is true, some of us charge a Planning Fee! The client will always know in advance if there is a planning fee, and how much it is, and what we will do for you for that planning fee.
So what are the benefits to you for using a travel agent you may wonder. Glad you asked. First of all - not all travel agents work the same way! We have our areas that we specialize on, services that we offer and fees that we charge, if any. One thing I can tell you is that you will receive personal service, which you will not receive from a website or a big box store like Costco. So, for instance at the moment when there are a lot of changes and cancellations, we help you take care of all that, and help you negotiate to ensure that you get the best outcome possible. We use our contacts, we stay on the phone for hours, we write hundreds of e-mails on your behalf.
But even when things are normal, we take are of everything. We make sure that you are booked with reputable companies. We make special arrangements for you. Maybe you are celebrating a special day, maybe you have a special request or you have a special need, such as you need a wheelchair, or an oxygen tank. We can arrange that.
So does it always cost more? No, many agents do not charge a fee. Some of us do, especially if we customize trips for you, but
we also provide a lot of value. Last week a travel agent friend booked a family of 4 to on a yacht in Croatia. Their planning fee was $300, to cover her expenses such as numerous calls to Croatia, BUT the air fare she got for them was over $1000 less per person than the published fare. Is this always the case, no! But we are small businesses relying on repeat customers and referrals. We will always do the best we can for our clients.
We also have access to suppliers who don't deal directly with the general public.
At the moment I receive e-mails daily from suppliers who only a few weeks ago had very successful companies, but have now lost almost 100% of their business because of cancellations. Many of our suppliers are very eager to get business, and many are offering great prices and /or amenities. If you are interested in taking advantage of that, please contact me asap. If I am not able to help you, I will refer you to an agent who specialize on the destination you are interested in.
So please contact me for your travel needs when you get ready to book, and/or refer your family and friends my way. Together we will beat this! The Travel Industry will be back, better and stronger than ever.
Thank you for your support!
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