When to Use a Travel Agent – As summer approaches, we are all hopefully planning family vacations that will take us near and far. Some destinations, mostly our local ones, we are familiar with, but others, those we have not visited before and may be farther away from our homes, often take time, research and energy to plan and if you are like me, you may be left wondering if you got the best deal for your family financially speaking, and if you are going to be able to make the most of your time at the destination. Here is where your local travel agent can step in and take away all those worries! It won’t cost you a thing, but the time and money you save are worth a great deal! Check out these top eight reasons why you should give a travel agent a chance to make your vacation the very best one yet!
- Cost
Did you know that travel agent services are free for you to use? They don’t cost you a thing, but instead are paid by the travel venues that they work with. Calling a hotel directly and booking a room is like leaving money lying on the table. Your travel agent may be able to get you that upgrade you really wanted, free continental breakfast, passes to a local attraction or a host of other amenities that you didn’t even know existed. Trust them to get you the best deal and to know which hotel chains are worth staying at and which are better left behind.
2: Experience
A travel agent has experience. It’s part of their training and part of their job. They have spent their careers building relationships with suppliers and have visited many of the destinations you are interested in. In doing so, they are in the know about what to see, what to avoid and what VIP treatments are available to the customer. Just ask!
3: Value of your time
Life is busy. Work, kids, homes, yards, school, sports, classes. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know! Travel agents work for you, taking the tasks you just don’t have time for and do them for you! They make phone calls, do internet research and send emails quickly because they are professionals and it’s their job. While you are playing taxi driver to your children or folding that third load of laundry, your travel agent is preparing the perfect vacation for your family!
4: Logistics
While most of us are looking for ways to cut costs without corners, we are often left wondering if we’ll have unpleasant surprises at our destination as a result. Cheaper doesn’t always mean better and there might be a good reason for that great deal. Travel agents are aware of these issues and they are your best line of defense against scams that might sound too good to be true and usually are. They travel extensively and they know what places are best avoided and which deals may not be what they seem.
5: Personalization
Your travel agent will ask lots of questions and they are for the purpose of getting to know you and your family and what your interests are. If your family, like mine, enjoys outdoor activities and guided tours, your agent can set up an itinerary that takes you on the best trails and he or she can set up the best tours for you so you can make the most out of your visit. And whether you have a toddler or a teen, there are special wants and needs involved and those will be taken into consideration as your vacation is planned and pieced together. The final result will be a vacation just right for the people in your particular family and will make those memories even sweeter in years to come.
6: Peace of Mind
But what if things don’t go as planned? Someone breaks their leg a week before your vacation to the mountains, you miss your flight or when you arrive at your destination the hotel clerk says she has no reservation on file? Disaster! Time to panic? Not if you have a travel agent! Your agent is there to support your and to provide peace of mind. He or she is just a phone call away and can take care of those issues for you. How’s that for reassurance? Knowing that someone is there for you when things go wrong who will do what needs to be done to put your family back on track for a wonderful vacation is definitely a great reason to call a travel agent TODAY!
7: First Hand Knowledge
Your travel agent has “been there, done that” in many instances and can provide first hand knowledge of experiences and adventures that you may be interested in. If you are planning to go to Disney World and want to know the best time of year to spend a few days there and are thinking maybe you should go in July, your travel agent will most likely inform you that you are going to get excessive crowds, long lines and an abundance of very hot temperatures if that’s the month you choose because she too has visited Disney World on several occasions and she knows that there are better times to make the most of your time and money if you have the option of choosing when to vacation. Her vacations are always working ones and she passes on to you the knowledge she gains when she visits so that you can heed her warnings or take advantage of her successes and have the best vacation possible with your family.
8: Booking
It’s a pain in the neck to book airlines, hotels, special showings or make dinner reservations. That cruise you want to take should be booked early. Your travel agent knows the tricks of the trade, so to speak. She can give you great advice on when to book or reserve and then do all the work for you. You will get the best pricing and the best selection and all for one phone call to your travel agent. She will do the rest!
Whether you travel frequently or rarely, going on a quick getaway or a two-week cruise, a travel agent can get you the very best deal and create a wonderful experience for you literally while you wait. Going straight to an expert and not having to worry about cost is reason enough to at least give a travel agent a call. Just tell your agent when you will be travelling, where you would like to go and how you would like to get there and you are on your way to having it all come together with nothing further being done on your part besides answering some questions. When the time comes to travel, you will have tickets and itinerary in hand and you can leave your worries behind. If something does pop up, your travel agent is just a call away. What’s not to love about that? My travel agent is invaluable and I know yours will be too. So Bon Voyage! Enjoy your travels and have a summer full of fun!
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